Kamilah Abdul-Alim was born in Seattle Washington and grew up in Oxnard California and attended UC Santa Barbara where she double majored in Political Science (emphasis Public Service) and African/African-American Studies.  She has a Masters degree in Teaching and Curriculum from the University of Rochester as well as a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from High Tech High’s Graduate School of Education.

Kamilah is an experienced educator, mentor, teacher leader and coach. She began her teaching career in Rochester, New York where she taught first and second grade.  She later transitioned back to Seattle Washington and taught grades 1st through 3rd. While in Seattle, Kamilah became a mentor and coach.  Kamilah joined the HTH community in 2017 as a 4th grade teacher at HTeX.  As a classroom teacher for more than 20 years, Kamilah has an extensive background in literacy and math instruction as well as PBL and social emotional learning. One of her core beliefs is that in a PBL environment, projects must be transformative.  In her words, “Projects should be transformative and leave an impact on yourself, your community or the world.”

As a school Dean and in her current role as Director of Instructional Leadership and Development, Kamilah uses her knowledge and experiences to support teachers in creating equitable learning opportunities where all students feel seen, heard and valued. She believes it is imperative that educators use data-informed instruction that is both culturally responsive and relevant in order to meet the needs of all of our students.