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. As Head of Operations, I will oversee the day-to-day operations ensuring educational quality, family satisfaction, regulatory compliance and over all operational excellence. 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 strive to help families find the best experiences for their little learners, where the culture is more than a just a school but a community. Originally from Illinois, I have lived in Arizona for 22 years with my son who is in college studying child psychology and counseling. Thank you for choosing The Goddard School of Peoria, I cannot wait to see our students grow and blossom.

Hello, my name is Ms. Karen, and I am the Education Director serving the students and families at The Goddard School of Peoria. Before opening our beautiful new campus, I was the Assistant Director at The Goddard School in Goodyear for three years. I am a Mentor for our Wonder of Learning Curriculum and am excited to share my extensive knowledge with the staff in Peoria. 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 your 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.

Hello, my name is Mr. Ryan, and I am the Executive Director at The Goddard Schools of Goodyear. As the Executive Director, I will be mentoring the Education Director at our new Peoria location and training staff on Goddard best practices. I began my Goddard career at the Goodyear school in 2010 where I served as lead preschool teacher, Assistant Director, Education Director and Executive Director. I have an 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 concepts to our young learners and enjoy bringing a fun, 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. *Goddard West Region Director of the Year 2025*

Hello, 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.

Hi my name is Ms. Audrianna and am currently pursuing my degree in education at ASU. I am newly married, so I just moved to the Peoria area am super excited to be a part of the Goddard family. I have worked in childcare and as a nanny for ages 0-4 and love all the ages and stages. I especially love the infants as you can see so much growth and development during their time with us, not to mention on all the snuggles. I look forward to getting to know all the families and taking quality care of children while your away.

Hi, I’ve been working in Childcare for five years. My experience ranging from infants up to third grade. I have my associates and arts in early childhood and currently pursuing my CDA certificate. I am a true believer that when children start their education early, it sets them up for success, and if there is anything I could do to help guide them down their path, then I will be by their side, teach love and care for them.

I was born and raised in Woodstock Georgia. I moved to Arizona in January to pursue my college education. I previously worked at a different Goddard through-out my senior year up until I decided to come out West. I developed my love for children and education from my time at Goddard and I am excited to continue my pathway. I find joy and spreading kindness and helping others while I spend my days learning new things and my evening in the gym.

Hello, 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!

I was born and raised in Chicago. I moved to Arizona in 2015. I have many years of experience working with all ages. I enjoy long walks. I have four dogs and spending time with my family. It is very rewarding and uplifting for me to teach learn and grow as well. My goal is advancing young minds into future learners.

Hello, my name is Ms. Jayme. I have been working with children since 2018. I am almost finished with my BA in social work. I am also a registered behavioral technician (RBT) specializing in applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy. I love working with children of all ages. I find great joy in being a part of shaping the future and creating new leaders. I could not do any of it without the support of my two beautiful daughters and my husband. I look forward to being a part of the Goddard family.

Hello, my name is Ms. Cierra, and I am delighted to join the Goddard School of Peoria. 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 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.