In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Gracious, I Bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah, and The Prophet Muhammad (Sallahu Alayhi wa Salaam) is His Final Prophet and Messenger.

As Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Baarakatu Charlotte Islamic Academy Community,

It is an honor to introduce myself as the new Principal of Charlotte Islamic Academy and to join this wonderful school community. I hope this letter finds you rejuvenated from the days of summer and that you and your children are looking forward to a wonderful school year together. I can assure you that I share this school community’s commitment to caring for your children daily while providing them with a world-class learning environment.

I arrive at C.I.A. as a seasoned English Language Arts & English as a Second Language teacher and school administrator. In addition to my role as an educator, I am first and foremost a mother and wife. Like you, I am striving to prepare kind, well-rounded Muslims that can compete globally in today’s challenging workforce while being grounded in Islamic Faith to guide their future decisions. I look forward to introducing my family to the many wonderful people that call Charlotte “home” soon.

The 2022-2023 school year will mark my 17th year in education. Since graduating from the University of Memphis with a Master of Arts in Teaching, K-12 Instructional Leadership Certification, and an upcoming Doctorate of Education, I have served high school and undergraduates. I have also served graduate-level teachers from pre-service through their first three years in the classroom. I have conducted, published, and presented research to various academic journals, including the world-class American Education Research Association. Although I have always felt at home in the classroom, it is in my position as an administrator where I have been most fulfilled in my life’s work. The principalship allows me to work collaboratively with teachers daily while remaining connected to students’ learning and growth in the classroom.

I firmly believe that every child can excel. I will depend heavily on a partnership between home and school to build confidence in students to use their known resources to shape their future and the future of our community. I aim to continue the traditions of C.I.A while exploring new ways to meet the needs of all students, parents, and community members. I will meet with parents, students, and staff throughout the year to identify specific goals in student achievement, school climate, and communication.

To our students, I cannot wait to meet you all! I hope that you are excited about this coming school year. Please be prepared to tell me one thing you did this summer that will help you to achieve your learning goal this upcoming year. To model for you, I will tell you one thing I did this summer that will help me achieve my learning goal (Yes, the Principal has learning goals, too ) This summer, I re-organized my folders! I now have a To-Do/Will-Do labeled slot on my folders. This strategy keeps me on track and offers a visual reward when I complete a task. Now, it is your turn to tell me, what did you do this summer that will help you to achieve your learning goals? It is going to be a fun year learning together, Insha Allah.

In closing, please know that my door is always open to you. I heartily welcome your conversation and positive input throughout this year. Let us always keep our students the primary focus of our work. May Allah place His Blessings on our work and increase us in beneficial knowledge, Amin.

Respectfully,

Mr. Abdelhamid Salha

Principal
Charlotte Islamic Academy
Principal@ciacademy.us

More About Dr. Heggs

Education

Practitioners Teacher License

– Endorsement: English 6-12 (159) & ESL PreK-12 (490)

University Of Memphis, Memphis TN

– Doctor of Education, Leadership and Policy Studies

– Educational Leadership Certificate Principal Licensure

– Master of Arts in Teaching, Curriculum and Instruction

– Bachelor of Arts, ESL, African and African American Studies

Jackson State Community College

– Associates of Arts, English

Selected Conference Presentations

– “Toward a theory of Educational Marronage” [Roundtable Discussion] Annual Meeting.

– American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA, April 2022.

– “(Re)Framing Dropout: Quitting School as a Form of Marronage” [Roundtable Discussion] Annual Meeting. American Educational Research Association, San Diego,
CA, April 2022.

– Heggs, D. A. (2020, March). What allyship with the Islamic community looks like? [Conference session] Diversity and Inclusion, Teach for America.

– Heggs, D. A. (2020, June). Homeschooling as a means to circumvent white supremacy. [Poster session] Tennessee Chapter of Nation Association of Multicultural Education, Chattanooga, TN.

Selected Publications

– Heggs, D. A., Nelson, S. L., Davenport, S., & Tillis, G. (2022).

– (Re)Framing dropout: Quitting school as a form of Marronage. In-Press Article

– Heggs, D. A., Nelson, S. L., Davenport, S., & Tillis, G. (2022).

– Toward a theory of Educational Marronage. In-Press Article

Honors/Awards

– Phi Theta Kappa, Honors Society, Present

– Magna Cum Laude 2017

– Vice President, Advocates for Autism, University of Memphis Chapter