HOS: Introducing Rasha El-Haggan

HOS

We are absolutely thrilled to introduce Rasha El-Haggan as Tarbiyah Academy’s first Head of School! After a thorough and detailed search over the past few months, Rasha has proven to us that indeed, it is possible to find a candidate who possesses within themselves every single quality we were looking for, without compromising on any one aspect; Al-Hamdulillah, our Lord is Merciful!

Rasha El-Haggan is a dedicated, tireless, and highly motivated educator who will lead our Academy into its first academic years insha’Allah. Rasha grew up right here in Columbia, MD. She brings with her nine years of experience as an educator working in diverse environments:  Islamic schools, public schools, and even internationally. Prior to becoming an educator, Rasha completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a Bachelors Degree in English Literature. She then went on to complete a Masters program in Secondary Education at Johns Hopkins University, the highest rated graduate education program in the nation.

Rasha began her career as a professional technical writer and then as an English teacher within a full time Islamic school, eventually working her way up as AP coordinator and English department head. After successful completion of her Masters degree and five years’ experience under her belt, Rasha was recruited to head the English Department at Emirates National School (ENS), Al-Ain, a school with a diverse student body of over 1200.  There, she not only flourished professionally as a native dual-language English teacher, she became heavily involved with implementing the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) program. During her stint in Abu Dhabi, her peers told us Rasha’s attention to detail and insistence on excellence were key factors in ENS’s successful authorization process in both the Middle Years and Diploma Programs.

Rasha’s passion for teaching is evident to everyone who has the pleasure of interacting with her; one assistant principal commented “We have a lot of happy parents at this school, and much of that is due to Rasha’s efforts”. She has laudably and seamlessly infused technology and advanced education practices into the classroom to truly make an exceptional learning environment for the children who were fortunate enough to attend her school. One of her references said “If I were at any school in the world as principal, I would want Rasha by my side; she knows IB inside and out”.

Al-Hamdulillah. We are honored that Rasha El-Haggan has chosen to take on Tarbiyah Academy as her personal and professional passion over the next several years. Her vision for raising the next generation of American-Muslim leaders is fully consistent with what the Board set out to accomplish from day one.

Insha’Allah you will be hearing more from Rasha as we move further into our school development phase; we ask Allah for what is best in this life and the next. We ask for your prayers and continuous (and generous!)  support as we do our utmost to serve you and the greater ummah. We ask for your forgiveness for anything we may have done–intentionally or unintentionally–which caused you harm or sorrow.

Wasalamu’alaikum wa rahmat’Allahi wa barakatuhu

 

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