Our Staff

Text Box: Our dedicated teachers are the heart of our school. Committed, experienced and well qualified. In addition each Arabic teacher is trained and highly experienced in teaching of the Arabic language. Our teachers are characterized by five basic competencies: Guided in daily life by commitment to Islamic values and principles. A passion for intellectual pursuits and for encouraging love of learning in students. Team players, who take responsibility for the entire school. Understanding and compassion for the spiritual, social and psychological needs of children and young people. Dedication to Islamic education and to the mission, vision and philosophy of the Islamic School of Seattle.

Text Box: Ann El-Moslimany, PhD, (Director) Ann El-Moslimany was one of the five women, all converts to Islam, who founded the Islamic School of Seattle in 1980. She and her late husband, Dr. Mohammad El-Moslimany had been actively involved in the school from the beginning, but took on more direct responsibility when the school was briefly closed by the Principal in 1987. Her PhD is in Paleoecology, but since stepping into her roles in the school, her primary interest has been in integrated curriculum design and children’s literature. She is the author of a number of scientific papers and of a children’s book, Zaki’s Ramadan Fast. She has spoken on Islam, women in Islam, and Islamic education at several Seattle locations, London, Chicago and Washington D.C.

Text Box: Sr. Aishah Jalani (Elementary) has been with the school since 1996. She is a certified Montessori teacher in Early Childhood Education. She is the Director of Cherry Hill Montessori, our preschool-kindergarten program. She is currently pursuing her Elementary Montessori training with the Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest and her graduate studies in bilingualism and biliteracy at the University of Washington. She is an educator at heart and is inspired by her students. She is a mother of 4 children. She is thankful for the strong foundation and quality of education her children have received at ISS.

Br. Khalid Ahmed (Arabic)

Khalid is holding a BA degree in teaching foreign languages from Sana’a University. His 14 years teaching experience encompasses the Yemeni public school system, Yemen Language Center, Islamic School of Seattle, and Seattle Language Academy. Currently, he is the head Arabic teacher and he is teaching Arabic for upper elementary, middle school and high school, in addition to the adult Arabic program.

Sr. Laila Kabani (Middle-School)

Laila was born and raised in Ahmedabad, India. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English Literature at St Xavier's College, Ahmedabad and also holds a Masters degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Mumbai. She comes with diverse experience including as a writer/journalist, social worker and a teacher. She taught a certificate course in Islamic Studies at the University of Mumbai and is currently pursuing her Montessori training at Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest (MEIPN). She has been teaching at the Islamic School of Seattle since 2006.

Sr. Angelique Godley (Middle-School)

Angelique graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and Linguistics. She discovered her passion for teaching while spending a year in Yemen as an English language instructor at Amideast, a non-profit organization that promotes cultural understanding between the United States and the Middle East. This is her third year teaching at the Islamic School of Seattle in the Upper Elementary class. She is currently in the process of completing her Montessori certification through MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education).

Abdul Quddus Tim McCarthy (Educational Consultant)

Abdul Quddus has been a teacher for 20 years and has held a Certificate of Education with the State of Washington since 1992. He has taught in a multitude of settings within the public school system and has vast experience in teaching Muslim children in a variety of environments; e.g. full-time private schools, weekend schools, after school programs, etc. Currently he is the Islamic School of Seattle Educational Consultant.

Challenging and Nurturing the Mind and Spirit for More than Twenty-Five Years