The Sirat School aims to provide a classical education that blends Islamic sciences and Arabic with the rigorous study of mathematics, language arts, science, and social studies - all in an environment that builds spirituality and character.
Ms. Atiya Haque is a native Chicagoan with a background in teaching, educational leadership, strategic vision, and community-centered development.
She earned her BA degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and completed her Masters in Education from Dominican University.
Ms. Atiya has several years of experience in various teaching roles, including at Milwaukee College Prep School, College Preparatory School of America, and Teach for America in West Englewood. She is also co-founder and board member of Rawdah Academy. Her work in education has been complemented by four years of project management and business analyst experience in the corporate sector. She has unique expertise in organizational planning, team leadership, teacher mentorship, startup management, and school development. We are excited to have her taking the helm of our school as we launch this August!
Known for her warmth, affection, and excellent classroom management, Ms. Mamda brings both professional expertise and spiritual grounding to her work with children.
Ms. Maria Mamda began her career in education with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Since then, she has taught young children in various capacities for the past 17 years. She has taught at Children’s World Daycare, the Kumon Math and Reading Center, and in the York Community Center After-School Program. She has also served as a substitute for two years in District 44.
In terms of Quran and Islamic studies, Ms. Mamda has undergone rigorous training as a teacher in Uthman Academy's maktab program, where she has taught since 2018. She has an ijazah in the classical tajwid work Al Muqaddimah Al Jazariyyah, and a license to teach tajwid, from Mawlana Arif Kamal. She also has a certification to teach the qaidah, from the United Kingdom.
Ms. Mayraj Quraishi brings many years of experience, a track record of performance, and amazing energy to our school.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, a substitute teaching license, and training in several school curricula.
Ms. Quraishi also has eleven years of classroom teaching experience, starting at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Glen Ellyn and then at Carriers of Light in Wheaton. In these schools, she served in various capacities, including lead teacher and mentor. Her work prior to that includes serving as a Reading Assessment Evaluator for Pearson. Ms. Quraishi has extensive experience in literacy instruction, including the Heggerty program. Her students have consistently demonstrated remarkable reading readines
Ms. Mariam Aziz has a background that encompasses education in both the revealed and natural sciences, embodying our very philosophy here at Sirat Academy.
She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Northeastern Illinois University. Ms. Aziz also completed her ‘alimiyyah degree from Darul Uloom Chicago, where she studied Islamic theology, fiqh, hadith, and the Arabic language. She has also received training at Northwestern University's Center for Talent and Development, where she participated in the Gifted Education Boot Camp for Educators.
Ms. Aziz has 3 years of public school teaching experience at Edison Elementary in Skokie and Lincoln Elementary in Wheaton. At Edison Elementary, she was able to raise students' scores on MAP tests by 80% within one year. She also served as a Science Leader amongst her colleagues there, helping her grade-level team adopt their new science curriculum. She has worked as a department head and teacher at MEC Sunday School in Morton Grove, and has been teaching children Quran and Islamic Studies part-time at Uthman Academy since 2024.
Ms. Haniya Husein brings incredible energy and passion for Sirat Academy’s mission. Her unique blend of Islamic education, Quranic instruction, and elementary education training is precisely what students need to flourish in both character and academics.
Ms. Husein earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Benedictine University. As part of her degree, she has undergone robust pre-clinical field and student teaching experiences in Naperville, Woodridge, and West Chicago public schools. In these schools, she delivered full-time instruction across subjects and gained experience in differentiation and inclusive practices, classroom management, literacy instruction, and culturally responsive teaching. Ms. Haniya has a Professional Educator License (PEL) in the State of Illinois and an endorsement in Elementary Education (Grades 1-6).
Ms. Husein has also completed memorization of the Quran (hifz). She is pursuing a formal ijazah in tajwid, and has completed one year of a diploma course in Quranic Arabic. She has been teaching in various part-time capacities since 2014, including at the Islamic Center of Naperville (Summer Quran program) and at Al Falah Academy.