School Leadership

Mr. Brian Kissman

Brian Kissman has been an educator for over thirty-five years. He has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University and over thirty additional graduate hours in curriculum and instruction. He has taught elementary students and middle school students, served as an elementary and high school principal, served as a Director of Learning and Instruction K-12, and as a Head of School.

Most of his career has been on the international schools’ circuit; He is a native Michigan educator, and he has lived and worked in Kosovo, China, India, Qatar, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Spain, Switzerland, France, Japan, and Liberia, West Africa.

His areas of professional interest and expertise are teacher training, curriculum and instruction, literacy, and purpose-designed learning environments.

Brian has trained teachers in the United States and on the international schools’ circuit. He has been a featured speaker at state, national, and international education conferences addressing best practice of learning and literacy.

He is the author of three books: Phonics Things, Literacy Mats, and Multiplication Mats.

Ms. Shan Green

Hello! My name is Shan Whalen Green and I am so very excited to be joining VIS as the new Principal of the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions. I have served in the Principal role for the last 10 years in a school of over 1000 students.

I am moving to Qatar from Dover, Delaware, USA. While I have spent the last 17 years in Delaware, I was born near Pittsburgh, PA, and then moved to West Palm Beach, FL where I lived for 19 years. I consider South Florida my home.

I have my Bachelor’s Degree from Florida Atlantic University in Sociology and a Minor in Ethnic Studies. I earned my Master’s Degree in Special Education from Delaware State University. I earned my Principal Certification through the Delaware Leadership Project.

I worked as a Middle/High School teacher for 5 years and as a counselor for 2 years while in Florida. When I moved to Delaware, I worked as a High School English Teacher, Special Education Teacher, and Special Education Coordinator for 7 years before taking on the role of Middle School Principal.

My passion for Secondary Education comes very naturally and is created by building strong relationships with my students and families. I know that it takes teamwork to truly make the gains as a school that we want to see. I look forward to working with the VIS families as I believe strongly in building relationships with students to ensure we are helping them to become the best version of themselves.

In my free time, I enjoy the beach, playing with my dogs, and hanging out with my daughters’ ages 19 and 23. My oldest daughter is a Nurse in the states and my youngest is attending college working toward her Nursing and Psychology Degrees. I have a son who lives in Maryland and has a 5-year-old daughter.

I am looking forward to meeting each of you and want you to feel confident that while your children are at VIS, I will care for them like they were my own. I am here to support you and your students and welcome you to contact me about any questions or concerns you may have during the school year.

Let’s have a great year!!

Ms. Barie Pinsker

Ms. Barie Pinsker has over 14 years of teaching experience internationally and in the USA focusing on Early Childhood and Special Education. She has earned her Educational Leadership Certification (2018) from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (2010), and her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education (2005) from state universities in Pennsylvania. In addition to this, Barie has teaching certificates in ICT, Middle School English/Language Arts, and Middle School Math. Prior to coming to Qatar (2010), she worked in Germany for 3 years at a private bilingual school as a KG teacher and special education coordinator. Before launching her international career, she was a learning and emotional support teacher at a middle school located in the inner-city of Philadelphia, USA. Ms. Pinsker has experience with the International Baccalaureate (Primary Years Program and Middle Years Program) Curriculum, Common Core, Creative Curriculum, and the British National Curriculum.

Although Ms. Pinsker is from New York, USA, having spent the past 8 years here, she considers Qatar to be her home. She has fallen in love with and developed a genuine respect for both the Qatari people and their country. Ms. Pinsker is excited to lead the Early Childhood (EC) Division at VIS and working with teachers, students, and parents to “Shape Local Leaders and Global Learners”.

Ms. Samah Ghanem

Samah Ghanem has been an international educator for over sixteen years. She has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University and is a certified PK-12 Principal in the State of Pennsylvania. Prior to her journey in K-12 education, Samah thrived as a linguist and earned her first master’s degree in teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid. She is a fluent speaker of English, Arabic, and Spanish

Over the course of her career, she lived, studied, and worked in Egypt, Spain, the USA, UAE, and Qatar. She has taught elementary, Middle, and High School students and served as a Curriculum Coordinator and Educational Leader in American curriculum international schools. Samah has been affiliated with the International Baccalaureate Organization for 10 years. She has been part of the IBO network of educators as a teacher trainer, member of their accreditation body, and examiner.
Her areas of professional interest and expertise are curriculum and instruction, interdisciplinary teaching and learning, and inclusive education. Samah has extensive experience in standard-based learning, authentic assessments, and curriculum design. She is passionate about improving the quality of education in international schools and is a strong believer in the power of diversity. Samah is excited to join the students, staff, parents, and leadership team at VIS in August 2022.

Mr. Maher El Ahmad

Dear VIS community,

It is with great honor to introduce myself as the new boys division principal of Vision International School and to join this extraordinary school community. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead a division with such persevering students, dedicated staff, and a supportive school community. I feel very fortunate to be part of this school and to support the students and families.

I have been in the field of education for more than ten years. I have worked with students ranging in age from primary school through high school in a variety of roles. I have been a homeroom teacher, a secondary ELA teacher, child protection and safeguarding officer and most recently served as the Head of English department at Vision International School.

I have a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Linguistics from the Lebanese University and Masters in Multidisciplinary Sciences from the State University of New York.

In closing, please know that my door is always open to you. I warmly welcome your conversation and positive input throughout this year. Let us always keep our students the primary focus of our work.

Sincerely,
Maher El Ahmad

Ms. Pamela Jackson

Pamela Jackson is an international educator from the United States.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Studies/Elementary
Education from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI and her
master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on
Multicultural Education from the University of Washington in
Seattle, Washington.
She has worked in the field of education for more than 30 years.
During that time, she was a classroom teacher in every grade (K-12),
a Reading Specialist, a Literacy Coach, an Educational Consultant
and a Professional Development creator and presenter.
Internationally, she has worked as an Elementary Assistant Principal
and Principal in Costa Rica and Qatar.
Pamela is passionate about creating positive educational growth
experiences for both students and teachers. She has enjoyed
working in International schools because those experiences have
given her the opportunities to interact with students, parents and
teachers from many diverse cultures.
She is looking forward to creating new experiences and memories at VIS
as the Director of Curriculum, Assessment and Innovation.

Ms. Laila Abbasi

Ms. Laila’s bio will be short and to the point, just like her.

Originally from New Jersey, USA; Ms. Laila’s family relocated to the lovely State of Qatar in 2009. She has a husband and two sons. Previous to becoming Operations Director at VIS, she had the opportunity to work with the infinitely gracious Al Muftah family at English Modern School in Doha as a Learning Support Coordinator.

She holds degrees in Business Management and Special Education and is fluent in both Arabic and English. She has experience teaching, in licensed realty, and has also managed/co-owned a lucrative embroidery factory with her husband. Ms. Laila has also run her own business: ABA Logic, for special needs and autistic children.

When asked to describe how she feels about VIS, Ms. Laila has stated that VIS is a school which is truly near and dear to her heart. She had the unique experience of witnessing the school’s opening in September of 2014. Even before that time, Ms. Laila can recall when the floors weren’t even installed and she is proud to have been part of the pre opening operation and founding family of Vision International School.

Ms. Laila’s position as Director of Operations entails most of the operational intricacies of running a school. The enabling factor of her success throughout her tenure at VIS has been her extensive career experiences and challenges which have required creative solutions.

In her personal life she enjoys reading, assembling and solving puzzles and music of all genres. She also enjoys playing darts with family and friends.

Her professional motto is “Stabilize – Systematize – Optimize.”

Ms. Laila is honored to be an integral part of the VIS family and strives for excellence in everything she does. Her aspiration and goal is to contribute in every way possible to make VIS one of the best educational institutions in Qatar’s bright future.