When Huron High School Arabic teacher Shaima Basuni was called into the meeting room with the principal, her stomach dropped.
“I thought they were going to cut the program completely,” she recalled. “We’d already gone from five Arabic classes down to three because of the district budget cuts. I was bracing for the worst.”
But instead of the bad news, she was greeted with a bouquet of flowers– and a surprise announcement: she had been nominated for the Commendable Teacher award, earning third place in this year’s Teacher of the Year recognition by the Ann Arbor Regional Chamber and LaFontaine Automotive Group.
In a district year marked by financial uncertainty and widespread staff and program cuts, the moment felt surreal. It was a celebration in the midst of a storm that had seemingly been going on forever.
To receive a Teacher of the Year recognition, nominees must complete a rigorous application process that includes at least two student recommendations, two teacher recommendations, and several parents of students. After submissions are reviewed, the final decision is made by the award committee coordinator.
For Basuni, the nomination was powered by the numerous students, teachers, and parents who have witnessed firsthand her tireless efforts to grow and sustain the Arabic program, despite the ongoing pressure.
“Ms. Basuni makes an impact on her students in and beyond the classroom. She is constantly preparing lessons to meet her students where they are at and creating opportunities at Huron for her students to be successful,” Newspaper and Yearbook teacher Sara Badalamente said. “She is caring and inclusive to All. I am honored to call her a colleague and friend. She is so deserving of this honor.”
This recognition comes at a time when AAPS is grappling with the steep budget shortfalls. Cuts have affected everything– from the arts to world languages. Further, the Arabic program being cut down gives us a painful reminder of how these culturally vital programs can be quickly lost.
“To highlight the Arabic program specifically means a lot. It’s not just me, it’s everybody who got hurt last year because of the budget cuts,” Basuni said. “I felt like we got some light in the good things.”
Though the future of many programs like the Arabic program remain uncertain, the award serves as a powerful reminder of the value that passionate educators like Basuni bring to the community. As the district continues to work to navigate its financial challenges, students and staff hope that recognition like this can help shift the focus away from the budget cuts and instead towards what truly shapes education: connection, culture, and care.
“I always say this is my home,” Basuni said. For her, teaching was for the numerous students both in her classroom and in the whole of Huron High School. Teacher’s don’t work for a reward, they work tirelessly everyday for their students because it is what they love to do. “These kids are like my own children,” Basuni said.
For now, Basuni will return to her classroom, bouquet in hand, with a renewed sense of purpose. Even with the setbacks, she remains determined not only to sustain the Arabic program, but to help it grow more than before. And she will continue supporting the world languages department as a whole– knowing that even in hard times, good teaching does not go unnoticed.
