Our Goddard School Teachers

Hi! We are Ms. JoEllen & Ms. Kimberly, the owners of The Goddard School of Peoria. We met in 2006 as members of the MOMS Club and quickly discovered our shared passion for early childhood development. Since our first school opened in 2009, we have served thousands of students and are excited to bring The Goddard School brand to the Northwest Valley. We own and operate The Goddard School locations in Goodyear and Buckeye and are proud West Valley residents. As active franchisees in the Goddard System, we are committed to excellence in the care and education of young learners and in serving our greater community. Learn more about our experience on our full bios on the Goodyear and Buckeye location sites or schedule a time to meet us. :)

Hello, My Name is Ms. Heather and I am the Director of Operations at The Goddard School of Peoria. I am excited to work alongside our team here in Peoria to bring the highest quality education and care to your families and the community. I have worked in the Early Childhood field for over 35 years. I have my degree in Early Childhood Education and am a life-long learner, always looking for new and innovative practices in the field. I am passionate about teaching young children social and emotional skills to be able to thrive in the world today. I am also a huge advocate for open ended, child guided art and projects that spark creativity in our students. Originally from Illinois, I have lived in Arizona for 23 years with my son who is in college studying child psychology and counseling. In my spare time I love to travel and take road trips around Arizona to see all of the beautiful scenery it has to offer. My door is always open so stop by with any questions or just to say hi!

Hello, my name is Ms. Karen and I am the the Education Director serving the students and families at The Goddard School of Peoria. Before helping start our beautiful new campus, I was the Assistant Director at The Goddard School in Goodyear for three years. I began working with children at an early age as a volunteer and that is how I discovered my love of teaching. I have an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education and have been working with children professionally since 2014. My passion is to create a safe and inspiring classroom for my students to grow and learn to be kind to all. I am so excited to be a part of the Goddard community and I am looking forward to serving you and your family.

*Goddard West Region Director of the Year 2025* Hello, my name is Mr. Ryan, and I am the Executive Director at The Goddard Schools of Peoria and Goodyear. I began my Goddard career at our Goodyear school in 2010 where I have served as lead preschool teacher, Assistant Director, and Education Director. I will now support the admin teams in both Goodyear and Peoria. I have AA in Elementary Education, a BA in Educational Studies, an MA in Applied Behavioral Analysis from ASU, and a Certificate in Early Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I am now pursuing my PhD in Developmental Psychology. I am passionate about introducing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) concepts to our young learners and enjoy bringing a fun and creative atmosphere to our schools. I am an avid learner, author, and podcaster. My beautiful wife, daughters, and I enjoy movies, drawing, painting, and creating images with Japanese ink.

Hello, my name is Ms. Cierra, and I am delighted to join the Goddard School of Peoria as an Administrative Assistant. I bring over six years of teaching experience in preschool settings, along with three years of in-home care for special needs children and eight years as a veterinary technician. I am a Certified Nurse Assistant and am currently pursuing my Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. My diverse background in healthcare, animal care, and education allows me to bring a unique perspective to supporting our school community. I am passionate about creating positive educational environments and look forward to working collaboratively with our faculty, staff, and families. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and writing—I have had two pieces of poetry published—and spending quality time with my family, including my two children, our boxer, and our Australian kelpie.

Hello, my name is Ms. Jaclyn and I am so excited to join The Goddard School of Peoria. I will be the Lead Infant Teacher in the Infant One Classroom. I earned my Bachelor's in Elementary Education in 2020. Infants are what sparked my passion for education over nine years ago, and caring for them is where my heart truly lies. I love drawing and reading as well as spending time with my family. I am so grateful to be working with the Goddard children and families.

Hello, my name is Ms. Niki and I am a Lead Teacher in the Twos program. I love being with children. Their smiles and the way they discover new things makes me smile. I have been working with children for over 35 years and have over 30 college credits in Early Childhood Education. I have experience with student who have different challenges and believe that every child grows from unconditional love and understanding. I look forward to meeting your child and to have the privilege of helping to provide them with a nurturing environment to learn and grow. It is rewarding to watch them develop their sense of the world. We will be doing a lot of fun activities in my class including reading books, singing and lots of open-ended art! Outside of school, I have two grown sons who live in California. I also have two miniature schnauzers. I love to hang out with family, watch movies, read books, play with my dogs and craft and Disneyland is my favorite place!

Hello, my name is Melinda and I am the lead teacher of the Pre-K classroom. I have worked with children of all ages since 2010. I am currently enrolled in school to receive my (CDA) child development certificate. I am a proud mother of three daughters, with two in college and one highschooler. Both my husband and I are dedicated educators and proudly serve both our church and school community. It is a pleasure working with your children and to teach them to learn and grow in such a positive environment here at The Goddard School of Peoria.

Hello, my name is Hollie. I was born in Waterloo Iowa but moved to Arizona when I was three years old. I have been working with children for over eight years in a variety of school settings. I also possess a Bachelor's degree in music education and have been teaching music privately for over 20 years. I love to do photography as a hobby in my spare time. I look forward to growing with the Goddard School of Peoria.