Our Goddard School Teachers

Jean Croft is the onsite owner for The Goddard School in Cumming. Known simply as Mama Croft to her 8 grand children, Ms. Jean has been working in early childhood education for more than 40 years, and opened this campus in 2006. This is the only Goddard School that Jean is a part of, and making this place the most loving, nurturing and educational environment for its students is her heartbeat and passion. Several of Jean's grand children started as infants on this campus and went all the way through the Goddard School program before seeing great success in elementary school and beyond. Jean is obviously extraordinarily passionate about working with young children, and it is a joy for her to see them learn and grow so much day after day and year after year. In her spare time you can often find Jean at her grandchildren's ball games in Georgia and around the southeast. Jean hopes to meet you and your family very soon when you come in for your tour of The Goddard School!

Shawn King is a long time Goddard School owner, and opened this location in 2006. Shawn and his wife Pam have three children, Shelby, Ryan and Lexi who are all graduates of The Goddard School's program. The Kings founded their first school in 2000. The Cumming location is the 4th school the Kings opened and represents the completion of all the things they learned over the years. It is truly a campus as opposed to your typical childcare center, featuring a state-of-the-art gymnasium with a rock wall, elite outside areas with specialized surfacing, a STEAM Learning Center and more. During a tour of this one of a kind preschool campus, you can discover all of this and more first-hand. But the heart of The Goddard School program is the experienced and talented faculty that deliver cutting edge education programs for your child. While touring the school, you can observe the multi-sensory approach in action for maximizing your child's learning FUNdamentals!

Ms. Jaclyn is our Business Manager and she joined The Goddard School as Assistant Director in 2023 after she and her family relocated to Georgia from Kauai, Hawaii. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master's Degree in Human Development. She has over 15 years of experience in the early education field in various settings including the US Navy Child and Youth Programs where she worked as Training and Curriculum Specialist and Kauai Head Start where she worked as a Program Manager. She is passionate about the early childhood field and believes it is our job to help children develop a lifelong love for learning. In her spare time, Ms. Jaclyn enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two sons - Andrew and Benjamin - both who attend The Goddard School.

Ms. Courtney is our director of operations and has been at this Goddard School since it's beginning in November, 2006. Courtney has been working in early childhood education since 1991, when she was just a teenager. Obviously, she loves young children, and it brings her great joy and pleasure to see them grow and learn. Though Courtney doesn't have children of her own, she has been a big part of raising her God son, now a college student at the University of North Georgia. It is her passion to make sure every child is receiving the very best from Goddard's amazing faculty each and every day!

Ms. Rachel is our Curriculum Coordinator and she joined The Goddard School in August 2024. She has a Bachelor's Degree from UNG and several years experience teaching elementary school. Ms. Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband and her daughter - who attends The Goddard School.

Ms. Hannah joined our Goddard Family in 2021 as an Assistant Teacher, worked her way up to Lead Teacher, and is now our Assistant Director. Before The Goddard School she had experience working with young children babysitting in the community, as well as doing hair for young girls at beauty pageants, one of her favorite hobbies. She is currently working on a degree in Early Childhood Education.

Ms. Leigh joined the Goddard Family in 2019 and is our Infant Lead Teacher. She has a Bachelors Degree in Sociology with a minor in Early Childhood Education. She enjoys reading, scrap booking, and cooking. Ms. Leigh is passionate about caring for infants and ensuring their needs are met and they are nurtured.

Ms. Emily has 10 years of experience working with children as an assistant teacher, a parent educator working with families of children from birth to age five and most recently she was an audiology technician testing newborn hearing. Ms. Emily believes that children learn best in a respectful and nurturing environment, full of enthusiasm and encouragement. She enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, doing yoga and spending time with her family and dog, Charlie.

Ms. Cierra joined The Goddard School as the First Steps Assistant Teacher in 2025. She enjoys painting, doing word searches, and spending time in nature. She believes that every child is unique and values taking time to understand each child's learning style to help them succeed.

Ms. Zunzeiry joined The Goddard School in 2025. She enjoys reading and traveling and believes children deserve a safe, happy space to learn and grow.

Ms. Lekia joined us in early 2023 all the way from New York. She started as a Toddler Assistant Teacher and is now Leading our Toddler 2 class while pursuing her CDA degree. She has experience working with children of all ages in various childcare facilities as well as babysitting her nephew. Lekia believes that all children should be loved and nurtured along with being taught as many new things as possible.

Ms. Maisie has experience as a babysitter for a couple of years. She believes that every child is different and that they all deserve to receive the help and support that they need to be successful. She enjoys reading, watching tv, going to the mall, the gym, and baking.

Ms. Taylor joined our Goddard Family in 2018, and now leads our Get Set classroom for older 2's - Young 3's. She has 3 children of her own: Adalyn, PJ, and Weston, all of whom attended The Goddard School. She came to our school with experience working with young children in other community settings. She believes patience and understanding are the keys to being a great educator.

Ms. Bridgett joined The Goddard School in 2025. She is currently the Lead Teacher in the Young Preschool classroom and is in pursuit of her Early Childhood Education Degree. In her spare time, Ms. Bridgett enjoys reading, crocheting and painting ceramics.

Ms. Lizbeth has experience as local nanny within her community. She believes that it is the teachers job to be there for the child as they grow and learn. She enjoys playing mandolin, singing, and reading.

Ms. Esmeralda joined the Goddard School in 2024. She is originally from Alpharetta and has experience working for two years in a peer facilitation group supporting children with special needs. She enjoys spending time reading, hiking, and traveling.

Ms. Brenda joined our Goddard family in early, 2022 and is one of our Lead Preschool Teachers. She has her Child Development Associate's degree along with a business degree from Wayne State University. She came to us with more than 10 years of education experience, both elementary and preschool. She brings a huge heart and lots of love to her classroom and understands that children are most successful in a loving, fun, and exciting learning environment.

Ms. Lakshmi has been in the childcare field for a couple years now and enjoys every minute of it. She believes it is her job to share every ounce of knowledge possible with the children in her classroom so that they have the best opportunity for success. She enjoys cooking, listening music, and spending time with family.

Ms. Kumar joined our school in 2025 as on one our Lead Preschool teachers. she has a Bachelor's Degree and several years experience teaching Preschool aged children. Ms. Kumar enjoys painting and gardening in her spare time and believes it is important to be open to children's thoughts and ideas as they learn.

Ms. Karen joined the Goddard Family in 2008, just a couple of years after the school opened. She currently Leads in the PreK Red classroom. She has completed her CDA degree and has been in early childhood education for more than 20 years. She loves watching the children grow, develop, and learn through play.

Ms. Cathy joined our Goddard Family in 2007. She has her CDA degree and has been working with young children since 1996. Ms. Cathy currently leads our Pre K Blue classroom, where she does an amazing job making sure students are ready to experience great success in our Kindergarten program or as they start in another outstanding public or private school in this area. She has been married to her husband Kevin since 1996 and they have 3 grown daughters, who have all enjoyed working for The Goddard School over the years. She also became a grandmother in 2021.

Ms. Ruchi joined our Goddard Family in June 2024. She has been in the childcare field for a number of years, working with children of various age groups. She believes that she should create a fun and nurturing environment to promote growth and learning.

Ms. Ryane has been babysitting ages newborns-10 years old for a couple of years now, She also volunteers at St. Brendan's pre-school. Ms. Ryane believes that children can learn the differences between right and wrong while learning to be the best versions of themselves, through healthy leadership by the teachers. She enjoys dancing, reading, and organizing events.

Ms. Emma joined our Goddard Team in 2024. She is currently enrolled at UNG. She has worked in the education field as a summer camp counselor and as a babysitter within her local community. She believes that children learn through experiences and it is her job to ensure those experiences occur.

Ms. Mary Ann joined the Goddard Family in 2020 as an assistant teacher. She has a bachelors degree in English from UGA. She came to us with nearly 20 years of experience working with children at her own ballet and dance studio. Ms. Mary Ann understands children will learn best when they know you love and respect them individually.

Ms. Victoria joined The Goddard School in 2025. She enjoys ballet, spending time with family and friends, and outdoor activities. She strives to create a classroom where children are valued, engaged, and supported.

Ms. Rachel joined The Goddard School in 2025. She has previous experience working in the nursery at her church, and loves working with children of all ages. She enjoys music and hiking in her spare time, and is passionate about creating a supportive and engaging environment in each classroom.

Ms. Caroline joined our Goddard family in 2022 assisting in our First Steps classroom for Young Toddlers. She came to us with more than 5 years of experience working with young children in various other environments. She loves leading children by example and feels that makes a huge impact on their learning.