Dr. Leila H. Shatara is an experienced and visionary educational leader with over 33 years of service in roles including teacher, school leader, adjunct professor, researcher, and consultant. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Research Methodology and has dedicated her career to school redesign that integrates Islamic values into the heart of learning and promotes compassionate leadership inspired by the Prophetic model. Her expertise spans from early childhood to university-level education and includes leadership at both the school and governance levels.

Dr. Shatara, as the Founder and Lead Consultant of Darajat LLC, has played a key role in transforming Islamic schools across the U.S. to become more academically rigorous, sustainable, and aligned with Islamic principles. She has successfully guided several schools through accreditation processes, while also supporting system-wide improvements through professional development for boards, administrators, and educators. Her consulting work emphasizes building strong foundations, redesigning curriculum and programs, and sustaining growth through Islamic pedagogy.

A published researcher and international presenter, Dr. Shatara served for 15 years as the lead of the Leadership Track at the ISNA Education Forum, influencing leadership development across the Islamic education sector. She has also held key roles in the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA) as President and Vice President, helping elevate CISNA to international accrediting recognition. Through this leadership role, she gained deep insight into the diverse needs, challenges, and opportunities facing Islamic schools across North America and helped shape strategies to support their growth and sustainability. She currently serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Programming Committee for the Global Association of Islamic Schools (GAIS) continuing her leadership in guiding Islamic schooling development on an international level.

As Principal and Curriculum Developer at Al-Hidaya School in New York, Dr. Shatara is leading the development of a transformative educational framework that centers on nurturing spiritually grounded educators, creating sacred spaces for learning, embedding the Islamic worldview throughout the curriculum, immersing students in Qur’anic language, and strengthening the partnership between school and home through intentional community-building rooted in tarbiyah.