Our Goddard School Teachers

Ms. Harvey has worked with the Goddard School since 2010. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Hood College. She began her Goddard career at the Goddard School in Gaithersburg as a teacher in the Early Preschool program and continued into the Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten programs. In 2013, she made the move to administration and proudly opened the Goddard School in Silver Spring in 2015. Ms. Harvey also has three sons all of whom have attended/ are attending the Goddard School in Silver Spring! As a parent as well as an educator, she knows the benefit children gain from a phenomenal early education program. They are not only gaining academic skills, but also the social and emotional preparation to be ready to "take on the world" as they head to "big kid" school and the world! She proudly accepts the Maryland Child Care Scholarship and MoCo Working Parents Assistance Program, working with families to ensure all children access quality early education.

Mr. Worley obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, from the University of Maryland and his Master's degree in Engineering from Stanford University. He has Business Administration training from both Georgia State University and The University of Maryland. Mr. Worley has over 25 years of professional experience in Engineering and Business Administration. Mr. Worley and his wife, Jill, have been with Goddard since 2003 and also operate the award-winning Goddard School located in Gaithersburg.

Ms Landa holds her bachelor's degree from la Universidad Alfredo Perez Guerrero in Ecuador where she was born and raised. After moving to the DC area in 2006 with her oldest son, she began working in Early Childhood Education and has continued to be an educator and administrator since, having her younger son join her on the journey when he arrived in 2010. She is a level 4 Administrator in Maryland Credentialing Program; the highest level achievable! Her favorite children's book is The Kissing Hand by Ruth E Harper and Nancy M Leak because it helps children as they begin new experiences to know they are loved and safe! She is always dedicated to ensuring our students not only have a superior educational experience but also feel loved and nurtured so their social and emotional skills thrive as well!

Ms Hart received her bachelor's degree from Salisbury University before starting with Goddard in 2009. She taught our in Early Preschool, Preschool, and Prekindergarten programs as well as teaching up to the School Age program during the pandemic with kindergarten through fifth graders! She joined our administrative team in 2021 and has loved working with families and teachers in her administrative role! She also welcomed her first child and became a Goddard parent in 2022!

Mrs. Shaffer holds her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland as well as her Maryland Teacher's Certificate. Before joining our school, Mrs. Shaffer taught at Montgomery County Public Schools. She is excited to bring her love of learning to our younger students and to make our school a fun place to learn and grow!

Ms. Ancheta holds her Master’s degree in Elementary Education and has 5 years of experience teaching in her home country of the Philippines. She joined us in 2023 and enjoys working with our PreK students as they prepare for "big kid" school!

Ms. Anthony holds her Bachelor’s degree from Bowie State University and has worked with young children since 2015. She joined us in 2021 and has worked with our Early Preschool and Preschool programs since! She is also mentors our Preschool teachers as the Preschool Team Lead!

Mr. Balie earned his Master’s degree from his home country of Cote d’Ivoire, where he taught for several years before moving to the United States. He joined us in early 2024 and has enjoyed training in all of our “big kid” classrooms upstairs throughout the spring.

Ms. Begzada earned her master's degree in Turkey before moving to the United States with her daughter. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. as well! She joined us at Goddard in early 2024 and spent several months training in our "big kid" classrooms before settling into her own this fall.

Ms. Brown holds her Bachelor’s degree from Shaw University. She began her career in Early Childhood Education with Goddard in 2022 and has worked with our Preschool and Prekindergarten programs during her time with us!

Ms. Fitzgerald ("Ms. Coco") is certified as both an infant-toddler and preschool teacher and has been teaching/coaching children of various ages since she was 10 year old! Her favorite part of being a teacher is seeing the children understand and use what she shows them! In addition to teaching, Ms. Fitzgerald is also the program manager for our school's Leadership Development Program where she mentors our LDP members. She is always happy to help support any class in our school!

Ms. Giron holds her Maryland State Department of Education certifications in Infant and Toddler as well as Preschool Education. She comes from a family of six and has spent her life working with children. She joined us at Goddard in 2019. She says that the best part about being a teacher is bringing out the best in all of the children. Ms. Giron enjoys seeing all of our students reach their best while she teaches Music to each of our Early preschool through Kindergarten classes each week!

Ms. Hernandez holds her certifications in Infant and Toddler Education from the Maryland State Department of Education and has been working with young children for most of her life! She joined our school in 2022 has spent most of that time teaching in our Toddler program!

Ms. Joseph holds her Maryland State Department of Education certifications in Infant and Toddler Education. She joined the Goddard school in 2023 and has worked primarily with our Toddler and Early Preschool programs during her time here!

Ms. McFadden holds a bachelor’s degree from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania and has been working with young children since 2019! She began her career at Goddard in 2022 and has worked in our Early Preschool and Preschool programs since joining us.

Ms. Mendez has both her 90 hour preschool and 90 hour school age certifications and is currently working towards her Bachelor's degree. She has worked with children since 2014, joining Goddard in 2018. She enjoys getting to be a part of each child's journey as they learn and grow. In addition to her work in her classroom, Ms. Mendez is our School Age Program Manager, serving as a mentor to our school age team in this role as well as in our Leadership Development Program!

Ms. Pollak holds her bachelors degree and has been working with preschoolers since 2022! She knows the importance of a caring educational experience at a young age and loves to be a part of helping her little ones get ready for "big kid "school"!

Ms. Pooja holds her certifications through the Maryland State Department of Education in Infant and Toddler Education. She joined us at Goddard in 2020. She loves reading to her children and believes that a key part of working with children is being able to understand how they are feeling. Ms. Pooja grew up in India! She is a member of our school's Leadership Development Program in addition to her work in the classroom!

Ms. Pujols holds her Maryland State Department of Education certifications in Preschool Education. She has been working at our school since 2021 and loves seeing her students light up as they learn new things! She also enjoys working to support the teachers and classrooms in our Early Preschool program as their Team Lead!

Ms. Quintanilla completed her Maryland State Department of Education certifications in Infant and Toddler education to enhance the knowledge she has gained with her own 3 children. In addition to her role in the classroom, Ms. Quintanilla serves as the Spanish Specialist, sharing her native language with our Early Preschool and older classes.

Ms. Ricker has her certification in Infant and Toddler Education from the Maryland State Department of Education and has been teaching at Goddard since 2017! She is also a mother of 2 girls, her youngest joined our infant program in 2024! Her favorite part of being a teacher is being a part of the children's learning experience. Ms. Ricker grew up right here in Maryland and loves reading "Fox in Socks" to her students. In addition to her classroom, you will find Ms. Ricker teaching American Sign language to all of our Early Preschool through Kindergarten classes and serving as a member of our school's Leadership Development Program!

Ms. Sharma graduated from Guru Nanak Dev University with a Post Graduate M.A. and has her 45 hours certification. She has six years of experience teaching a range of ages from infants to middle- schoolers! Her favorite book is "Panchtantra", it is a group of stories that all give a message about life. The best part of teaching for her is the joy and love that she receives from her students each day. Seeing their immense growth amazes her everyday and she loves that gets to be a part of that.

Ms. Silva has a Bachelor's degree from University Methodist of Sao Paulo in Brazil. She joined us in 2018 and has over 9 years of teaching experience. Her favorite children's book is "The Little Prince" because it teaches about friendship. The best part of being a teacher is the love you receive from the children and having fun at work! As a veteran teacher, Ms. Silva also supports our faculty as the Prekindergarten team lead, lending her knowledge and experience to the team to help all of our big kids!

Ms. Taurone has a Bachelor's degree in Child Development and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in education as well. Ms. Taurone says that she is never bored when she is with her students. She adores their imaginative stories and loves how much they make her laugh. Ms. Taurone enjoys reading Dr. Suess' "Oh the Places You'll Go" because it is relevant throughout every phase of life.

Ms. Vallely earned her bachelor's degree from Oberlin College in Ohio and spent time aboard in Paris where she studied French! She loved teaching science in a Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom before she joined us in 2024. She loves building relationships with her students and being able to share in their excitement as they learn new things!

Ms. Abdi joined us in 2024. She is currently pursuing her degree during the morning hours and joins us in the afternoons!

Ms Ayele ("Ms. Mulu") has been working with Goddard since 2022. She loves working with all of the age groups in our school!

Ms. Camilo holds her certifications in Early Childhood Education through Maryland State Department of Education. She has worked with students in all of our age groups since joining us in 2021!

Mr. Canales holds his MSDE certifications in school age and preschool education. He joined us as a summer intern in 2025 and we were thrilled to have him begin full-time that fall! Ms. Canales loves getting to work with all our Preschool and older classrooms as the Playground Coordinator and working with the Big Kids in our School Age program!

Ms. Cruz holds her Maryland State Department of Education certifications in Infant and Toddler education and has been working with young children for 5 years. She began at Goddard in 2022 and worked with every classroom before joining the infant program this past school year!

Ms. Gaines has been working with young children since 2022. She loves getting to know her students and their families while she helps them to learn and grow!

Ms. Hernandez holds her Maryland State Department of Education certifications in Infant/ Toddler Education. She began with Goddard in 2021 and worked in many of our classrooms over her time with us before officially accepting a Lead Teacher role in 2025! In addition to her formal experience, Ms. Hernandez has learned a lot as the mother of 4. Her youngest 3 children attend Goddard and she knows the importance of having a loving teacher to leave your babies with!

Ms. Hernandez is currently pursuing her certifications in early childhood education through Maryland's Department of Education. She joined our school in 2025 as a part-time assistant and we were thrilled to have her join us full time in 2026!

Ms. Martinez is currently studying early childhood education in school. She joins Goddard in the afternoons and loves helping our faculty and students as they close out the day! During the summers, she is able to join us full time and has enjoys helping with all the summer fun during visitors, water days, and field trips!

Ms. Martinez holds her certifications in Early Childhood Education for Infants and Toddlers, Preschoolers, and School Age students! She joined us in 2021 and has worked with students in all of our age groups over her time at Goddard.

Ms. Maxwell holds her certifications in Preschool education from the Maryland State Department of Education. She joined Goddard in 2022 and has worked with our Toddler, Preschool, and Prekindergarten programs during her time here.

Ms. Maxwell holds her certifications in early childhood education through MSDE and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree as well! She began working with Goddard in 2025, joining her sister who has been with us since 2022. Ms. Maxwell loves greeting her little ones every morning as they arrive and seeing how much they grow!

Ms. McNeely holds her certification in Preschool education through the Maryland Department of Education. She began with us in 2021 and has worked with every age group during her time at Goddard!

Mr. Mendez has worked as a part-time teacher and summer intern since 2021, so we were thrilled to have him join us full-time in 2025! He enjoys helping students to overcome challenges and loves to see their excitement when they accomplish a skill for the first time! He is looking forward to seeing all of our students learn and grow!

Ms. Raj joined Goddard in 2023 and has worked in nearly all of our classrooms during her time at Goddard. Most recently, she has loved getting to know our Toddlers!

Ms. Kanta earned her certification in Infant and Toddler Education through the Maryland State Department of Education and loves working with our toddlers! She has worked with our school since 2021, but also worked with young children in her home country of India before moving to the United States.

Ms. Rajesh joined our school in 2024 and has quickly learned the ropes as our Kitchen Manager, preparing snacks and the beloved Pizza Fridays! She loves helping in the Infant rooms as well!

Ms. Sangeeta holds her Maryland State certifications in Infant and Toddler Education. She has been working at Goddard since 2021 and has worked in nearly every age group, first as a part-time teacher before transitioning to a full-time assistant teacher role with our infants and toddlers. Ms. Sangeeta loves watching her babies grow and working with their families!

Ms. Sunita is certified through the Maryland Department of Education in Infant and Toddler Education and has worked with young children since 2016. She joined us at Goddard in 2022 and has been working with primarily with our Toddlers since then!

Ms. Rolands holds her MSDE certifications in preschool and school age education and is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree as well! She joined our school as a summer intern in 2025, accepting a long term for the start of the school year. She has loved working with our Big Kids as well as helping in nearly every classroom during her time here!

Ms. Thomas holds her certification in preschool education from the Maryland Department of Education. She has been working with young children since 2022, transferring from our sister school in Gaithersburg to our school in 2025. In addition to working in her classroom, Ms. Thomas loves sharing her Sign Language knowledge with all of our Early Preschool and older classes as the ASL Enrichment Specialist!