Ashley - Director - Ms. Ashley has been with The Goddard School since August of 2009. She was Lead Teacher in one of our Preschool rooms and Assistant Director before assuming the role of Director. Ashley came to The Goddard School with plenty of experience working with children, including corporate and private childcare. She is originally from Wisconsin and relocated to Florida in 2007. She initially came for the warm weather, but also gained a passion in Early Childhood Education. In 1998, Ashley volunteered as a Phone Friend Counselor, then a Runaway Counselor and Youth Advisory Board Co-President with her local Safe Haven shelter until she left for college in 2002. Ashley has a B.S. in Family Social Science with minors in Family Violence Prevention and Sociology from the University of Minnesota. In college, Ashley began working with children at the University YMCA as a tutor and “Big Buddy.” She also volunteered at the University advocacy and education center as a Violence Prevention Educator and interned as a certified Sexual Assault Counselor. Ashley currently holds State of Florida Staff and Director’s Credentials.
Maria - Lead Infant I Teacher - Maria has been with The Goddard School since 2008. Maria has more than 25 years of experience working in early childhood. She obtained her degree in Early Childhood Education at Colegio Universitano Fermin Toro in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Maria chose this college because they taught the philosophy of Jean Piaget. After graduation, Maria worked as a kindergarten teacher at Colegio San Vincente de Paul in Barquisimeto. A few years later, she and her husband came to the U.S. and studied English as a second language at USF. She works every day to provide love, care and attention to each and every child. Maria attempts to build a one-on-one relationship with the children, not only taking care of their physical needs (feeding, sleeping, diapering), but also their emotional needs (feeling safe and loved). She also strives to give the children's parents peace of mind when they leave their child in her care. Maria loves what she does and loves coming to work every day. She feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the lives of children and to teach and guide them at such an early age.
Kassandra - Assistant Teacher - Floater Education is very important to Kassandra as she is a full-time student herself pursuing a degree in Psychology. Once she completes her degree, she intends on continuing her education in Occupational Therapy and moving into the field of therapy for children with disabilities. This is something that is very personal & close to her heart. Kassandra has been at The Goddard School since September 2010 and enjoys watching her children learn and grow.
Ellie - Assistant Teacher - Infants - Ellie joined The Goddard School team more than a year ago. She has worked with all the different age groups as a “floater” teacher, however, she is primarily in the Infant classroom. Ellie has many years of experience working with children prior to joining The Goddard School. She gained this experience as a grandmother, mother and while working at elementary schools and child development centers both in Florida and Virginia. Ellie enjoys working with children and has always found it to be a rewarding challenge. She is motivated daily by the smiling faces and the genuine hugs that each child provides. It is Ellie's goal to reach every child with dignity and respect. Children have a special place in her heart. She truly believes that we are able to reach all children with patience and love.
Keena - Assistant Teacher - Floater - Keena is currently a full-time student at the University of South Florida. She’s majoring in Biology with a concentration in microbiology, but she eventually would love to be a neonatologist! Keena loves children and has a passion to help them grow and learn. She is also a very active person and loves playing soccer and doing outdoor activities such as rock climbing, biking and running. Being around your children sure keeps her active and she loves every moment of it. Keena is the assistant teacher in the Toddler II room at The Goddard School and she loves being able to teach and watch your children grow into the beautiful children that they are.
Crystal - First Steps Teacher - Crystal has been with The Goddard School both here in Tampa and in Virginia since 2002. She has worked in early childhood education for more than 10 years. In 2005, Crystal received her preschool / kindergarten certificate in Montessori education and although she has worked with all age groups, her passion is working with the Infants and young Toddlers. She loves what she does for a living and would not change one bit of it. Crystal enjoys teaching and loving your little ones as they grow and learn all about themselves and their surroundings. She chose this career because she loves to enrich the lives of our next generation and she is motivated to see the children grow and develop as they learn to explore the world around them while playing and having fun. Crystal believes it's the job of teachers and parents to help the next generation take the right steps for success. Crystal's son also attends The Goddard School. She and her husband strongly believe that he will develop a lifelong love of learning because of the care and nurturing that The Goddard School provides.
Brandy - First Steps - Teacher Assistant - Brandy has been working in the early childhood field since 2008. Her experience has helped to prepare her for everyday situations that might emerge in an early childhood classroom. She currently works with the older infants, but she has also worked with children up to and including school age. Brandy was first introduced to early childhood teaching through her sister, who is also an early childhood teacher. Through her sister, Brandy was able to see how passionate her sister is and how much her sister loved being around children. On her first day of helping in a childcare classroom, Brandy decided that she also wanted to devote her career to helping and educating young children. She plans to pursue a Child Development Associate credential. Brandy truly enjoys working with young children and looks forward to getting to know you and your family. She is excited to have the opportunity to help your child learn and watch them grow.
Jenn - Lead Toddler II Teacher - Jenn has worked in this profession since 2005. She graduated in December 2011 with a Bachelor's degree in Language, Speech and Hearing Sciences from USF. She hopes to continue her education and eventually obtain her Master's degree and possibly a PhD. She has worked with all age groups and enjoys the unique characteristics of every stage of a child’s development. Jenn enjoys being busy and working towards a goal. She says, "The sense of accomplishment felt when achieving an objective is always worth the work it took to get there." She is motivated by seeing children reach milestones and knowing that she played a role in that achievement. Jenn also says, "I had a great childhood and have so many fond memories of that time. I hope to give children the opportunity to explore and learn in a comfortable environment while making wonderful memories of their own."
Clarice - Get Set Teacher - Clarice is a Teacher in the Get Set classroom. She has more than nine years of experience working with children. She earned a degree in Medical Assisting and is currently pursuing an Associate of Arts degree at Hillsborough Community College. Additionally, she studied early childhood education while in high school. Clarice plans to continue her education and obtain a Bachelor’s degree in order for her to continue to grow as an early childhood professional. She chose this as her career because she spent her entire life working with children. When she began babysitting as a teenager, she realized she really loves working with children. She is motivated by watching the proud looks on the children's faces when they have accomplished a task. Clarice also loves to watch them learn new things and see the excitement in their eyes.
Kristeen - Lead Preschool I Teacher - Kristeen is the Preschool I Teacher. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in December 2010. During her time at USF, Kristeen took some great classes such as Classroom Management and Reading & Learning to Read, which taught her so many things that she is able to use now in her preschool classroom. She chose this career because she loves working with children and enjoys teaching them new things and watching how they interact with each other. Children spend so much of their day at school and she feels that she can be a good role model for them to look up to. Watching the children learn motivates her. She sees how proud they are of themselves every time they learn how to do something new and she is so glad to be a part of that excitement. Kristeen is very excited to be teaching at The Goddard School.
Meshelle - Preschool II - Lead Teacher Meshelle graduated with honors from Springfield College earning a Bachelor's degree in Human Services with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. She has over 18 years of early childhood experience. As a highly qualified teacher, she always tries to utilize her gifts and talents that she brings with her from past experiences working with children and their families. Doing so, helps to enhance the learning and development of the children she teaches on a daily basis. Meshelle chose this career because she loves working with children. Working with children is a passion of hers and she enjoys the diversity of the children in her classroom. She is motivated as a teacher because she enjoys watching her children grow and develop into productive individuals with great potential moving towards a brighter future. Working with children allows her to showcase who she is as a teacher and a leader.
Jeanette - Preschool II - Teacher Assistant - Jeanette has been working with young children for over seven years. She has completed several courses in early childhood education and hopes to eventually pursue a degree in elementary education. Jeanette has learned how to deal with a variety of situations because of her work with children and she is proud to be a part of The Goddard School family. She chose this career because she loves to teach and observe the process in which children learn, especially when she is able to see that they understand the lessons she has taught to them. Jeanette enjoys bonding with children, getting to know their parents and thinks her coworkers here at The Goddard School are the best in the field. Jeanette loves seeing that children are excited to learn and have fun while learning.
Angie - Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher - VPK-A - Angie has been teaching in early childhood for over 25 years. She obtained an AA degree in Early Childhood from Hillsborough Community College and earned a BS degree in Human Services / Social Sciences from South Eastern University, with a special emphasis in counseling. Angie has always wanted to be a teacher since childhood. Her first experience in teaching was at a private Christian school, teaching three and four-year-olds. After 15 years, she became a director at another Christian school for four years. Angie then decided to go back into the classroom and taught two year olds for four years at an Early Childhood Development Center and then VPK for two years. She is a self motivator and does whatever it takes to reach her goals. Angie’s greatest accomplishment in life is having the privilege of raising her son.
Mae - Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher - VPK-C - Mae has over 12 years of experience teaching and working in early childhood education. Since 1999, she has worked with all age groups, but her passion is working with Pre-Kindergarten students. She taught VPK for many years and has been a VPK teacher at The Goddard School since 2009. She chose this career because she loves working with children and having two young children of her own, she knew it would be a great environment for all of us. Mae received her Child Development Specialist certification in 2001, and she continues her education and knowledge in this field by taking classes annually. She is very passionate about loving, nurturing and helping each and every child grow to their full potential. Mae continuously set goals for herself and the children in her class to achieve academic, behavioral and social success. Her motivation is her two beautiful boys and her wonderful husband of 15 years. Mae feels that teaching is a very fulfilling and rewarding career! She loves seeing the smiling faces of the children in her class every day!
Justin - Pre-Kindergarten Teacher / VPK-C - Justin has six years of experience in the education field. He received a degree in Criminology from USF in 2009, with a focus in Juvenile Justice. No matter what the venue, Justin finds himself wanting to enhance the lives of children through instruction and education. He has an upbeat, positive attitude that has not only helped him accomplish his goals, but also transfers to his students through his teaching. Justin chose to enter into the teaching field because he has always had a passion for working with children. Prior to teaching at The Goddard School, Justin worked for many years as an instructor of children ages 5 - 15 years at a youth sports camp instructing a variety of team sports. Justin believes the opportunity to work with children brings about a unique experience to observe rapid change in the growth of an individual. It also brings great reward and satisfaction to Justin to know that he has played a part in a positive learning experience for a child.
Brad Toston - Owner - Brad is the School’s on-site owner. With his strong business background, Goddard Systems University (GSU) training and the expertise of his staff, Brad's goal is to provide the very best care and educational experience for your child. In addition to the School’s Director and your child’s teacher, Brad is also directly available to meet with parents to discuss their child’s needs.
Brad has strong family values. Raised in a small mid-west town, Brad’s parents provided a wonderful family upbringing for him and his four siblings. The family has always been close and remains close today. He treasures every opportunity he gets to spend time with his parents, siblings, their spouses and his 11 nieces and nephews.
Brad learned a strong work ethic from his father who himself owned a small business. His father taught him to work hard, be honest and give your customers the best. Later, after moving to Chicago for college Brad was mentored by Ed Rensi, President and CEO of McDonald’s, who reinforced those values and taught him about McDonald’s Q, S, C & V which stands for Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. Brad worked in restaurant management at McDonald’s during his college years and has remained a friend of Ed and his family for almost 30 years.
Brad earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University and a Masters of Business Administration from Benedictine University both in suburban Chicago. He worked at the corporate headquarters for Allstate Insurance Company and Ameritech in Chicago. He worked on large scale development projects working with consultants from the largest and most prestigious consulting firms in the country. After completing his Master's degree he was recruited into the consulting world where he continued to provide technical expertise and project management support to clients.
He spent nine years working for Computer Sciences Corporation consulting to some of the largest companies in the U.S. and internationally. Brad managed large teams on multi-million dollar projects consisting of diverse domestic and international resources.
He also collaborated with Account Executives and Project Mangers in developing bids and proposals, creating statements of work, identifying project scope and developing project plans. He interacted with senior level executives during the sales cycle and delivery.
Brad was then given a sales and marketing assignment where he was responsible for a marketing campaign targeting potential clients in the southern U.S. with revenues of $300 million or more.
Coming full circle, Brad now wants to realize his dream of owning his own small business as his father did. Brad wants to leverage the business skills he learned in his corporate career along with his values and work ethic. Brad has been a Tampa Palms resident since 2002 and looks forward to providing a superior preschool experience for families and their children.
Ed Rensi - Owner - Ed devoted his entire professional career to McDonald’s, joining the company in 1966 as a grill man and manager trainee in Columbus, Ohio. He was promoted to restaurant manager within a year, and went on to hold nearly every position in the restaurant and field offices. In 1972, he was named Philadelphia district manager, and later became regional manager and regional vice president. In 1978, he transferred to the company’s home office in Oak Brook, Illinois, as Vice President of Operations and Training. In 1980, he became Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, and was appointed Senior Executive Vice President in 1982. He was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of McDonald’s USA in 1984. In 1991, he was named Chief Executive Officer. As President and Chief Executive Officer, his responsibilities included overseeing all domestic company-owned and franchisee operations. Ed's enthusiasm and commitment to the company during his 31-year tenure helped establish McDonald’s as the world’s most successful quick service restaurant. During his 14-year term as President, McDonald’s experienced phenomenal growth. U.S. sales doubled to more than $16 billion, the number of U.S. restaurants grew from nearly 6,600 to more than 12,000. Under Ed's leadership, McDonald’s became the most recognized brand in the world, the next being Coca-Cola, the only soft drink supplier to McDonald’s today.
While working in McDonald’s Philadelphia region in the 1970s, Rensi was instrumental in the development of the first Ronald McDonald House, a temporary residence for families of children with serious illnesses that has grown to include 274 houses in 30 countries. He is a member of the International Advisory Board for the Ronald McDonald House Program, and previously served as its chairman.
In 1988, Rensi received the distinguished President’s Volunteer Award from President Ronald Reagan for his extensive volunteer efforts with Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities and Ronald McDonald House. He has been active in the rights of America’s disabled, lobbying for the American’s with Disabilities Act. He was the keynote speaker on the President’s Council on Employing the Disabled. This involvement was in part motivated by the fact that 75 percent of all McDonald’s U.S. restaurants employ at least one person with a physical or mental disability. Over the years, Rensi has been extremely supportive of Hispanic causes, serving as the chairman of the National Hispanic Corporate Council Institute. He also served on the Board of Governors of the American National Red Cross, and is involved with the League Against Child Abuse. Rensi received various awards for his volunteer work. In 1985, he was presented with the Porvello Award by The University of Steubenville for humanitarianism, in 1989 he received the Prince Matchabelli National Hero Award, and in 1991 he received the Good Samaritan of the Year Award from Good Samaritan Hospital. In 1994 he received the Italian-American Award and in 1995 he received the Chicago Italian-American Man of the Year Award.
After 14 years as a President and CEO, Ed retired to pursue one of his greatest passions, auto racing. Ed is currently the CEO of Team Rensi Motorsports. He has always been a huge supporter of NASCAR and makes many appearances throughout the year to promote the sport.
Today Ed serves on the boards of directors for Snap On Tools, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Great Wolf Resorts and The International Speedway Corporation. Known for his speaking ability Ed is also managed by Premier Speakers Bureau. A graduate of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Ed holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education.
His special interests include antique trucks, fishing, aviation, photography, and motorsports. Ed and his wife, Anne, have one daughter and four grandchildren.