Location
About This Event
ISLA Webinar
Starting Strong: Building & Growing a Sustainable Islamic School
Date: Thursday, October 15th
Start Time: 7 pm ET
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Complimentary
Why Join the Conversation
Starting or growing an Islamic school brings exciting opportunities—and complex decisions. Join ISLA and experienced Islamic school leaders for a candid conversation about governance, operations, HR, policies, and the systems schools need to build a strong foundation and grow sustainably.
Designed for founders, board members, heads of school, administrators, and others involved in starting, growing, or expanding an Islamic school, this conversation will share practical lessons from the field, including what experienced leaders wish they had known earlier.
Key Takeaways
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of:
- What needs to be in place before opening a new school or taking an existing school into its next stage of growth.
- Governance, operations, and HR essentials that are often overlooked when schools are getting started.
- Common mistakes and lessons learned from starting, operating, and expanding an Islamic school.
- How systems and policies need to evolve as enrollment, staffing, programs, and responsibilities grow.
- Resources that can save time and strengthen your school, including tools and templates that help leaders avoid creating critical systems from scratch.
Bonus for Attendees
Participants will receive:
- Starting & Growing an Islamic School: Leadership Checklist — a practical resource covering key considerations for governance, staffing, policies, operations, finances, facilities, and sustainable growth.
- A special attendee discount on the ISLA Template Series, providing ready-to-use resources to help schools strengthen essential systems, policies, and practices.
Speaker Bios:
Iyad Wazwaz, Panelist: Iyad serves as Principal of Crescent View Academy in Colorado, bringing experience in school administration and classroom teaching. His leadership is grounded in an understanding of students’ cognitive and social-emotional development and the importance of nurturing both academic and personal growth. He prioritizes teacher collaboration and strong instructional teams, creating an educational environment where students are supported, challenged, and prepared to thrive academically and beyond.
Karam Asad, Moderator: Karam serves as Executive Operations Manager at the Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA). She holds the Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential from the Society for Human Resource Management and brings extensive experience in operations management, human resources, and organizational development. Her background includes serving at one of the pioneering Islamic schools in the United States and providing consulting services to Islamic schools, with a focus on organizational development, governance, and operational effectiveness.
Magda Elkadi Saleh, Panelist: Magda has been leading Islamic Schools for almost 35 years and is currently Head of School at Bayaan Academy. She has been consulting with Islamic schools and with communities contemplating opening Islamic schools since 1998 and sees it as her personal goal to empower others to reach their utmost potentials, to see past hurdles and develop solutions, to use data to drive decision-making, and to never let “impossible” deter their efforts.
Reem Bilbeisi, Panelist: Reem is the Founding Board member at Averroes High School.
Salam Aref, Panelist: Salam is the co-founder and Head of School of Aya Montessori, the only AMI-recognized Islamic Montessori school in the United States. A trained AMI Montessori educator, she holds a Master’s in Montessori Education from Loyola University and a Certificate in Islamic Educational Administration from the American Islamic College. Since co-founding Aya Montessori in 2016, Salam has led its growth to nearly 200 students, ages 2–12. Her leadership integrates authentic Montessori pedagogy with an Islamic framework for learning, character development, and protection of the fitrah, while drawing on her background in architecture to create thoughtfully designed learning environments.
About This Event
ISLA Webinar
Starting Strong: Building & Growing a Sustainable Islamic School
Date: Thursday, October 15th
Start Time: 7 pm ET
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Complimentary
Why Join the Conversation
Starting or growing an Islamic school brings exciting opportunities—and complex decisions. Join ISLA and experienced Islamic school leaders for a candid conversation about governance, operations, HR, policies, and the systems schools need to build a strong foundation and grow sustainably.
Designed for founders, board members, heads of school, administrators, and others involved in starting, growing, or expanding an Islamic school, this conversation will share practical lessons from the field, including what experienced leaders wish they had known earlier.
Key Takeaways
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of:
- What needs to be in place before opening a new school or taking an existing school into its next stage of growth.
- Governance, operations, and HR essentials that are often overlooked when schools are getting started.
- Common mistakes and lessons learned from starting, operating, and expanding an Islamic school.
- How systems and policies need to evolve as enrollment, staffing, programs, and responsibilities grow.
- Resources that can save time and strengthen your school, including tools and templates that help leaders avoid creating critical systems from scratch.
Bonus for Attendees
Participants will receive:
- Starting & Growing an Islamic School: Leadership Checklist — a practical resource covering key considerations for governance, staffing, policies, operations, finances, facilities, and sustainable growth.
- A special attendee discount on the ISLA Template Series, providing ready-to-use resources to help schools strengthen essential systems, policies, and practices.
Speaker Bios:
Iyad Wazwaz, Panelist: Iyad serves as Principal of Crescent View Academy in Colorado, bringing experience in school administration and classroom teaching. His leadership is grounded in an understanding of students’ cognitive and social-emotional development and the importance of nurturing both academic and personal growth. He prioritizes teacher collaboration and strong instructional teams, creating an educational environment where students are supported, challenged, and prepared to thrive academically and beyond.
Karam Asad, Moderator: Karam serves as Executive Operations Manager at the Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA). She holds the Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential from the Society for Human Resource Management and brings extensive experience in operations management, human resources, and organizational development. Her background includes serving at one of the pioneering Islamic schools in the United States and providing consulting services to Islamic schools, with a focus on organizational development, governance, and operational effectiveness.
Magda Elkadi Saleh, Panelist: Magda has been leading Islamic Schools for almost 35 years and is currently Head of School at Bayaan Academy. She has been consulting with Islamic schools and with communities contemplating opening Islamic schools since 1998 and sees it as her personal goal to empower others to reach their utmost potentials, to see past hurdles and develop solutions, to use data to drive decision-making, and to never let “impossible” deter their efforts.
Reem Bilbeisi, Panelist: Reem is the Founding Board member at Averroes High School.
Salam Aref, Panelist: Salam is the co-founder and Head of School of Aya Montessori, the only AMI-recognized Islamic Montessori school in the United States. A trained AMI Montessori educator, she holds a Master’s in Montessori Education from Loyola University and a Certificate in Islamic Educational Administration from the American Islamic College. Since co-founding Aya Montessori in 2016, Salam has led its growth to nearly 200 students, ages 2–12. Her leadership integrates authentic Montessori pedagogy with an Islamic framework for learning, character development, and protection of the fitrah, while drawing on her background in architecture to create thoughtfully designed learning environments.