Dearborn’s Superintendent Will Now Lead Michigan. Here’s What That Means for Arab America.

Excerpt: The State Board of Education just tapped Dr. Glenn M. Maleyko—the longtime head of Dearborn Public Schools—to be Michigan’s next state superintendent. For the city widely called the capital of Arab America, this is not a routine personnel change. It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to bake language access, culturally responsive teaching, and anti-bigotry protections into statewide policy—because the person who learned to lead in Dearborn now runs the whole system. Michigan.govWDIV

Photo caption/credit: Dr. Glenn M. Maleyko, selected Aug. 26, 2025, as Michigan’s next state superintendent. Credit: State of Michigan/MDE. Michigan.gov

---

What happened

The State Board of Education voted on Aug. 26 to offer the state superintendent role to Dr. Maleyko, who has spent 30 years in Dearborn schools (teacher, principal, central office, superintendent since 2015). A contract is being negotiated, with the board aiming for an Oct. 4 start—one day after current superintendent Dr. Michael Rice retires. Michigan.gov+1

State Board President Dr. Pamela Pugh called Maleyko a leader who “provides meaningful support to both students and educators,” highlighting literacy, collaboration, and the state’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan. Maleyko, for his part, pledged to “listen to the voices of students and their families” and to move quickly on literacy. Michigan.gov

Notably for Dearborn’s multilingual community: Maleyko founded and chairs a statewide English learner committee (2023) and represents Michigan on the National School Superintendents Association board. Under his Dearborn tenure, the district reached a 95% graduation rate and earned six U.S. Blue Ribbon Schools designations. Michigan.gov

Why Dearborn cares

Dearborn isn’t just another district. It’s a city where people of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry are the majority (54.5%), and where policy fights over language access, holidays, curriculum, and bias protections get real, fast. WDIV

So when Dearborn’s superintendent becomes Michigan’s superintendent, Arab American families read the tea leaves:

• Will Arabic-speaking families finally see statewide translation/interpretation guarantees—not just district-by-district improvisation?
• Will the state grow the pipeline of Arabic-fluent and ESL-certified teachers, aides, and counselors?
• Will school calendars and assessment windows respect Eid and other observances consistently—not only in cities that already “get it”? (Dearborn’s recognition helped set a national tone. The state can, too.) TIME
• Will Lansing invest in literacy solutions that are actually designed for multilingual learners, rather than one-size-fits-all fixes that miss the mark?

These aren’t abstract questions. They’re the daily reality for parents navigating enrollment, IEP meetings, test schedules, and the rise-and-fall waves of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bigotry since 2023. Dearborn families have had to become experts in self-advocacy; now they want the system to carry its weight. The Guardian

What his Dearborn résumé signals

English Learners at the center. Maleyko didn’t just work in a diverse district; he built state infrastructure for English learners by launching a statewide EL committee. That tells us he understands Michigan’s patchwork and knows which levers in Lansing can fix it. Michigan.gov

Evidence of outcomes. A 95% graduation rate and six Blue Ribbons aren’t press-release fluff; they show the capacity to align teaching, supports, and accountability at scale. The job now is scaling what works without flattening local context. Michigan.gov

Coalition muscle. The board emphasized his ability to “bring people together.” Dearborners know how often our families have been pitted against each other by lazy politics. We’ll take a superintendent who has had to navigate real diversity first-hand. Michigan.gov

The stakes for Arab American students statewide

If Michigan is serious about literacy and equity, it must recognize who’s in our classrooms. That starts with:

1. Language access as a civil right
   A statewide policy that requires no-cost interpretation and translation of critical documents (enrollment, discipline, IEP/504, health, emergencies) into the top home languages—including Arabic—with minimum quality standards and transparent vendor oversight. (No more “bring your child to translate.”)
2. A bilingual/ESL educator pipeline
   Scholarships, tuition assistance, paid residencies, and grow-your-own para-to-teacher programs aimed at Arabic-fluent candidates and ESL/Bilingual endorsements—especially in districts with rising newcomer populations.
3. Culturally and religiously responsive calendars
   State guidance that normalizes academic flexibility around Eid and other faith observances, modeled on what cities like Dearborn have already done—and aligned with assessment schedules so students aren’t penalized. TIME
4. Data that sees us
   Support districts to disaggregate student data in ways that surface English learner growth, newcomer needs, and (where permissible and parent-approved) MENA community trends—so resources follow need, not guesswork.
5. Whole-child safety
   Statewide bias-incident protocols, anti-doxing guidance, and partnerships with community organizations to protect students from online/offline harassment tied to global events. (Dearborn has lived this; Lansing should codify the protections.) The Guardian

Dearborn Blog’s docket for the first 100 days

We’ll be watching—and we invite readers to help set the checklist:

• Publish a statewide Language Access Directive with enforcement teeth.
• Fund an EL Innovation Grant round that prioritizes Arabic/dual-language pilots and newcomer literacy.
• Convene listening sessions in Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Grand Rapids with student/family microphones front and center.
• Issue calendar guidance that protects Eid and other observances—before spring testing windows are locked.
• Protect students: clear anti-bias and anti-doxing guidance to districts before the next national flashpoint.

None of this requires reinvention. It requires state leadership that knows the road because it was paved here.

What we’ll hold him to

Dr. Maleyko said, “It will be especially important to listen to the voices of students and their families.” Dearborn families will take him at his word—and will show up to be heard. The rest is policy, budgets, and deadlines. This appointment can be historic for Arab American students if Lansing turns Dearborn’s lived expertise into Michigan’s new normal. Michigan.gov

---

Sources

• Michigan Department of Education Press Release: “Dearborn’s Dr. Glenn Maleyko Selected to Be Michigan’s Next State School Superintendent,” Aug. 26, 2025. (Role, timeline, quotes, EL committee, outcomes, Top 10 plan.) michigan.gov. Michigan.gov
• WXYZ (ABC7 Detroit): “Dearborn Public Schools superintendent chosen as next state superintendent,” Aug. 26, 2025. (Selection confirmation, district background.) wxyz.com. WXYZ 7 News Detroit
• ClickOnDetroit (WDIV): “Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Glenn Maleyko selected to lead Michigan’s public education system,” Aug. 26, 2025. (Announcement coverage.) clickondetroit.com. WDIV
• MDE Press Release: “State Superintendent Announces Retirement, Effective Oct. 3,” Apr. 4, 2025. (Rice retirement date.) michigan.gov. Michigan.gov
• ClickOnDetroit: “Census data shows Arab American population in Dearborn now makes up majority,” Sept. 26, 2023. (Dearborn’s MENA-majority data point: 54.5%.) clickondetroit.com. WDIV
• TIME Magazine: “How Dearborn, Michigan Became the First U.S. City to Make Eid a Paid Holiday,” May 9, 2023. (Context for observances and civic inclusion.) time.com. TIME
• The Guardian: “Arab Americans in Dearborn are resilient in the face of Islamophobia,” Feb. 11, 2024. (Context for community safety/bias concerns since 2023.) theguardian.com. The Guardian