NYC assistant principal Shakila Mumtaz highlights bilingual leadership in schools

Shakila Mumtaz, an assistant principal with NYC Public Schools in Fresh Meadows, says 25 years in education have shaped her focus on inclusive school communities, family partnerships, and student support. Her profile also points to the growing challenge of using technology and AI in ways that strengthen learning without replacing human instruction.

Why it matters: - Shakila Mumtaz’s work sits at the center of a major public-school challenge: supporting students, families, and teachers across diverse classrooms. - Her bilingual leadership in English and Spanish is aimed at making school communities more inclusive for multilingual families. - Her focus on technology literacy and thoughtful AI use reflects a broader shift in education as schools try to balance innovation with critical thinking.

What happened: - Shakila Mumtaz is an assistant principal with NYC Public Schools based in Fresh Meadows, New York. - Mumtaz has 25 years of experience in education across elementary, middle, and high school settings. - Her career has included teaching elementary subjects, Spanish, and English abroad. - The profile was published by Influential Women on November 3, 2026. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile.

The details: - Mumtaz oversees instructional leadership, school operations, student safety, curriculum implementation, and staff development. - She mentors educators and works to build professional learning communities. - She says strong home-school partnerships are central to student success. - Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Queens College. - She also studied Spanish Secondary Education at Queens College. - Mumtaz 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. - Her professional memberships include ASCD, CSA, and ASTD. - Her specialties include educational leadership, instructional leadership, school administration, elementary education, and multilingual family support.

Between the lines: - Mumtaz presents leadership as a mix of faith, integrity, reflection, and persistence rather than a purely managerial role. - She frames growth as something that comes from taking opportunities before feeling fully ready. - Her advice to young women in education emphasizes intentional decisions, flexibility, and learning from change. - Her comments on technology suggest concern that schools may adopt tools faster than they build the literacy needed to use them well. - That view places human judgment and critical thinking above automation in classroom decision-making.

What's next: - Mumtaz is likely to continue focusing on educator mentorship, family engagement, and school improvement within NYC Public Schools. - Her emphasis on technology integration suggests future school priorities will include stronger digital literacy and more careful implementation of AI tools. - She says ongoing learning and adaptability will remain essential for both educators and students.

The bottom line: - Shakila Mumtaz’s profile casts her as a bilingual school leader trying to strengthen trust, equity, and student support while schools navigate the growing role of technology in education.