NYC Assistant Principal Shakila Mumtaz highlighted for bilingual leadership in schools

Shakila Mumtaz, an Assistant Principal with NYC Public Schools in Fresh Meadows, is being recognized for 25 years of teaching and leadership focused on inclusive school communities. Her work centers on student support, family engagement, educator mentorship, and helping schools use technology more effectively.

Why it matters: - Shakila Mumtaz has spent 25 years in education, giving her experience across elementary, middle, and high school settings. - Her bilingual leadership in English and Spanish is aimed at strengthening family-school partnerships and supporting multilingual learners. - Her work reflects a broader pressure on schools to balance academic support, staff development, family engagement, and technology use.

What happened: - Shakila Mumtaz serves as an Assistant Principal with NYC Public Schools in Fresh Meadows, New York. - Her background includes teaching elementary subjects, Spanish, and English abroad. - The profile highlights her focus on faith, integrity, and inclusive school communities. - The article also points readers to her Influential Women profile.

The details: - Mumtaz oversees instructional leadership, school operations, student safety, curriculum implementation, and staff development. - She mentors educators and helps build professional learning communities. - She says strong partnerships between home and school are central to student success. - Her academic training includes a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Queens College. - She also studied Spanish Secondary Education at Queens College. - She earned a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Administration from The College of Saint Rose. - She holds a TESOL/ENL certification from St. John’s University. - She is a member of ASCD, CSA, and ASTD. - Her specialties include educational leadership, instructional leadership, school administration, elementary education, and multilingual family support. - Outside work, she spends time with her family, journals, and walks throughout New York City.

Between the lines: - Her advice to young women in education emphasizes reflection, flexibility, and purposeful decision-making. - Her comments on technology point to a key challenge for schools: using artificial intelligence and other tools to support critical thinking without replacing the human side of teaching. - Her emphasis on integrity and continuous learning suggests a leadership style grounded in consistency rather than flash. - The profile frames her career as service-oriented, with success measured by support for students, families, and educators.

What's next: - Mumtaz says schools need stronger technology literacy and thoughtful implementation to prepare students for the future. - Her continued focus remains on mentoring teachers and helping every student in her care thrive. - Her profile positions bilingual, values-driven leadership as a model for school communities facing change.

The bottom line: - Shakila Mumtaz is being recognized as a New York City school leader whose mix of bilingual experience, instructional leadership, and family engagement is designed to strengthen inclusive education.