CONSULTANTS
AMMAR SAHELI, ED.D, MS, PPSC
CEO & SENIOR CONSULTANT
Dr. Ammar Saheli has served in the capacity of CEO of Saheli7 Educational Consulting since its founding in 2007. Additionally, he is the Director of Student Support Services (Bay Area school District, 13 years), Pastor of the West Oakland Church of Christ (20 years), and teaches multiple courses in the Graduate School of Counseling at San Francisco State University. As a San Francisco native, over twenty years ago, Ammar entered the ranks of public education from the world of mental and behavioral health, where he worked as a therapist serving adolescents, families, and couples. Because of his unique experience, he brings a holistic, responsive, restorative, psycho-educational and psychosocial approach to working with students, families, educators, leaders, organizations, corporations, teams, and service providers. He also helps school districts and organizations respond to and resolve Office of Civil Rights complaints related to race, disability, and discrimination.
Ammar is passionate and proficient in the conceptions and implementation techniques related to racial
equity, racial justice, cultural competence and responsiveness, unconscious/implicit bias, Restorative
Practices/Restorative Justice, and instructional strategies related to critical pedagogy and critical
consciousness. Dr. Saheli specializes in developing and implementing systems designed to address racial
disproportionality, empowerment, and consciousness, while additionally managing the tough and necessary dialogues that are critical to moving systems, organizations, teams, leaders, students, and families beyond the impact of cultural bias and institutional barriers.
In addition to being the author of the 2018 book, Eerie Silence: Race/Racism Explored Across Educational, Theological, and Justice Continuums Amidst America and Beyond, from San Francisco State University Dr. Saheli has a BA in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Counseling, and a Doctorate in International & Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco.
TONYA SAHELI, JD, MS
CFO & CONSULTANT
Tonya Saheli, JD, MS, has served in the capacity of CFO and Content Consultant of Saheli7 Educational Consulting for the past 13 years. She has also been the owner of Saheli Arbitration and Legal Mediation for over nine years and she conducts ADR for residential housing and commercial clients. Additionally, she facilitates IEPs and collaborative conferences and handles complex legal cases at the ADR level for schools within SFUSD that have often escalated up to the Office of Civil Rights. Having obtained a JD in 2010 as well as an MS Degree, focusing on racial disparities in the medical field, Tonya is very well versed in legal, justice, and equity concepts/techniques as they relate to race, racism, intersectionality, communication strategies, Restorative Practices, and implicit bias.
Tonya Saheli has a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco, an MS in Regulatory Affairs from San Diego State University and a Law Degree/JD from JFKU. She has also received certifications in Arbitration and Advanced Mediation. Tonya also conducts trainings for lawyers and judges on Negotiating Settlement in Employment Law
Disputes, Implicit Bias in the workplace and Racial Disparities in Employment Settings. Because of her
unique experience, she brings a justice-oriented and restorative approach to working with students,
families, educators, leaders, organizations, and agencies.