Powerful Updates, Professional Growth, and Member Benefits
Our August Monthly School Admin Meeting was another strong reminder of why ISLA’s school membership matters. These gatherings offer school leaders exclusive access to timely updates, expert speakers, and a network committed to strengthening Islamic schools.
This month, ISLA’s Executive Director, Dr. Shaza Khan, opened with updates on our recent Professional Development Weekend (PDW), a highlight of ISLA’s year.
PDW by the Numbers
This year’s PDW brought together:
- 45 schools represented
- 22 schools attending with full teams
- Participants from 3 countries and 22 states & territories
- 11 schools & individuals returning from our 2024 PDW
- Average of 110 attendees per session
The feedback spoke for itself:
“…the training has been outstanding!! If it wasn’t that I had already hired people to train my staff, I would have preferred ISLA’s 100% to anything else!”
“ISLA’s PDW workshops provided opportunities to both refresh learned & practiced classroom strategies, and bring something new to the environment. I’m leaving with a renewed sense of purpose and some new tips I can’t wait to try in the classroom :)”
PDW Session Highlights
- Classroom Management – Asmaa Aladawi of Reach & Teach delivered strategies for effective classroom leadership. Her next session, “Deen & Discipline: Behavior Management in the Muslim Classroom”, will be on September 17.
- Youth Mental Health – Khair Collective presented insights from their Youth Mental Health First Aid Workshop (sold out for August), with 94.7% of PDW attendees saying they would recommend it.
- Child Protection – Sr. Qur’an Shakir shared crucial information on “Strengthening Child Protection in Islamic Schools.” This work continues with ISLA’s Sexual Abuse Protection Workshop for all educators on September 14.
- In September, we will have updates from our DC conference with the U.S. dept of Education, Office of Non-public Education (ONPE), and also CAPE.
📅 See all upcoming events: theisla.org/all-events/
Special Guest Speakers
We were also joined by two guest speakers offering important updates and opportunities for our member schools:
Amr Shabaik, Legal Director of CAIR Greater Los Angeles, discussed changes in federal grant wording that took effect in April 2025. These changes will affect all federal grants – including FEMA and Nonprofit Security Grants – issued in Fiscal Year 2025.
He advised organizations to “check the source of funding” for any grants they have received or are considering applying for, and recommended pausing applications for federal grants for FY 2025. He noted that monies from Title Funds are not received directly by private schools, so they are not considered “recipients of federal funds” from Title Funding.
Yordanos Baraki, Archangel Education & Technology, presented on the ISLA & Archangel partnership, which offers members 10% off all regularly priced products plus 15% of sales donated back to ISLA. Archangel provides white glove service, lifetime warranties, and a dedicated specialist. Current specials include Chromebooks and interactive panels. Contact: info@arch-te.com.
Mark Your Calendar
The next Monthly School Admin Meeting will be on September 17th, where we will discuss ICNA Relief EMPOWER Grant.
If your school is not yet an ISLA member, now is the time to join. Membership gives you access to these valuable meetings, discounted trainings, exclusive resources, and a supportive network of Islamic school leaders.
🔗 Join today: theisla.org/membership/
