Our Goddard School Teachers

As the Executive Director of The Goddard School of Federal Way, I am honored to lead a team dedicated to providing exceptional early childhood education in a nurturing and stimulating environment. With a robust background in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Management, I’ve spent over 18 years honing my leadership skills and deepening my passion for fostering growth and development in young children. Since 2006, I’ve been committed to blending educational excellence with effective leadership to create a space where every child can thrive. I am continually inspired by the joy, curiosity, and progress I see in our students each day. I believe in building a strong, supportive community that empowers both children and staff to reach their full potential, while celebrating the milestones along the way. At The Goddard School, we focus on creating a foundation for lifelong learning, and I am privileged to guide our efforts in shaping the future of our students.

Hi, I’m Jo. I’m the Regional Director of Operations for five Goddard Schools in the Seattle area and an active board member with the Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC), and I am a current student at the University of Washington. I’ve worked in early childhood education for over 10 years, and I’m especially passionate about advocacy - making sure policies truly support educators, children, and families. In my role with Goddard, I support school leadership teams in building strong programs, staying aligned with licensing, accreditation, and Quality Assurance standards, and creating meaningful experiences for children and families, and developing the systems to support the schools. Outside of work and school, I enjoy spending time with my family & my dog, Lucy, and I love reading and cars!

My name is Ms. Kayla, and I am so excited to be here at the Goddard school! I have been teaching for over four years and working with children for 7. Being able to guide a child and nurture their growth is amazing, and something I absolutely love is seeing each and every kiddo have that 'Ah Ha' moment when they finally meet a milestone or achieve a personal goal! My favorite part of teaching is connecting with the children and families, I constantly strive to create a warm and welcoming environment for all who enter our school. In my free time I love to paint and immerse myself in the arts, along with I want the kiddos in my class to be able to explore and extend their creativity! I look forward to meeting and getting to know all of you and your kiddos!

Hello, my name is Fitima. I'm the Assistant Director at The Goddard School. I have been in the early childcare since 2011. I'm currently pursuing my education in early childhood and excited to gain more knowledge in this field! I work closely with the families and teachers building relationships. I thrive on providing the best education at my school. I truly believe in Goddard's F.L.EX (Fun, Learning Experience) philosophy and Wonder of Learning. Our goal is to meet where the child and the family is. My strength is solidifying the bridge between teachers and parents. I have experience working with kids ages 6 weeks to 12 yeard old. I enjoy every moment of the children's journey. To say I enjoyed every minute of it will be an understatement, I truly enjoy teaching children. A little about myself; I enjoy cooking and reading, which are my favorite hobbies. When I feel inspired, I’ll either paint or draw. I’m excited to start this journey with you and your child can’t wait to get started.

Hi I am Madi, I work through BrightSpark Early Learning Services to help provide coaching supports to staff as well as support the Goddard School of Federal Way through the Early Achievers Quality Recognition Process. I worked in childcare centers for 7 years before becoming a coach in 2023 and received my Bachelors in Early Care and Education from the University of Washington. I am a mom to twin boys and love being outdoors!

Hello. My name is Tammy. I was born and raised in Washington State and raised my 2 daughters in Federal Way. I began my career working with children right here in Federal Way at a local elementary school in March 2002 where my daughters attended school. My previous work was with children with Special Needs in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade. My goal and passion are to help nurture the children that I work with, and to help them to feel loved and included. I look forward to building relationships with the children and families at The Goddard School.

My name is Tayanna. I was born and raised in federal way. I’m excited that I get to begin my journey of working with children here at Goddard school and I love the team I am able to be a part of. My goal as a child educator is to communicate and elaborate more with the children’s family. On my free time I like to spend time with my family and friends

Hello, my name is Miss Brittany. I’ve been working in childcare for about two years, and I absolutely love it! I started my journey in the infant room, then moved to another center where I worked with 2- to 3-year-olds. Now, I’m a lead teacher in my own classroom, and I couldn’t be happier. I love seeing how excited the children are to learn something new every day! I’m also a proud mom to my 4-year-old son. On weekends, we enjoy going for walks, playing basketball, and dining out. One of my favorite moments is watching him proudly read his flashcards to me. Being both a mom and a teacher brings me so much joy!

Hi, I'm Anjanette, the lead teacher at the Federal Way Goddard School. I've been working in childcare since 1999, serving in various roles including assistant teacher, lead teacher, cook, and supervisor. I have five children and 13 grandchildren, and I love teaching children from infancy to Pre-K. One of my favorite parts of my job is connecting with parents and engaging in the Wonder of Learning curriculum to help children reach their goals and prepare for the next stage in their development. In my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and family. I'm excited to be part of this wonderful community!

My name is Alisha Bird and I am currently the toddlers 3 lead teacher. I have been at Goddard since mid-June and I have loved it here. I grew up in Federal Way and had been going to school at Brigham Young University of Idaho since graduating high school. I plan to soon transfer to a school in this area to finish my elementary education degree. I have always loved teaching and watching kids learn so working here has been an amazing opportunity for me.

Hi, my name is Inna and I’m from Ukraine. From an early age, I babysat my three nephews. So they are the reason I dove into child development. Also, in Ukraine I was a teacher in a Christian Sunday school. My friends and I participated in many camps for children of different ages. Children are our future. And no matter what, no matter what we do, humanity always strives for one thing - to make the world better for its descendants and I'm so happy to be a part of this! I am very happy to join The Goddard school family. I hope that together we will help your children make the world a better place.

My name is Emalee, and I’m passionate about working with preschoolers. I love getting to know each child’s unique personality and helping prepare them for pre-K by teaching skills like colors and more. As a parent myself, this work not only fulfills me but also helps me grow and learn alongside my own child.

Hello! My name is Macaria, or Maky. I am from Belize, and I have lived in Washington for 28 years. I am bilingual, I speak Spanish and English. I enjoy road trips with my family and going for walks in nature. I am honored to be a part of the Goddard community, and assist in molding the minds of young children.

While working in childcare/early childhood education for two years I found a great passion for assisting in the growth and development of young children. Initially I wanted to become an elementary school teacher but after working at my first early learning center I knew I wanted to change career paths. I have found so much fulfillment and joy in educating young children and am eager to continue to grow in this field.

Hi I'm Kimmie! I'm a cancer, I love camping, longboarding, and spending time with my friends. I love working on my 2015 BMW 435I, it's my baby. I'm in college for I.T and project management. I've been working with kids for about three years now.

My name is Mariia. I was working as a child psychologist in Ukraine. I like to spend time with kids. I have three of my own children. I like to learn something new all the time. I also like to travel.

My name is Faith! I was born in Seattle, WA. I have been working with kids since I was 10 and I started babysitting. I am excited to grow and further my education in ECE here at The Goddard School.

Hi there! I am Ms. Madison and I am so excited to be teaching Preschool 1 is school year! This will be my first year as a Preschool lead teacher. I have previously substituted preschool, pre kindergarten, and kindergarten classes. My teaching philosophy stems from recognizing each child individually. I believe all students have a different way of comprehending information. As a teacher it is my job and privilege to discover how they learn and accommodate them. There isn’t one way to learn therefore there isn’t one way to teach. I strive to meet children where they are at as a sole individual.

Hello, my name is Alison! I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and just graduated with my BFA in Musical Theatre from Pacific Lutheran University! I have been dancing for 15 years, and teaching for 7. I am passionate about giving children a safe space to learn dance, and tap into their most creative self’s! You will see me helping out in your little one’s ’s classroom and teaching ballet, jazz, hip hop, and tap in the Gym! I’m so excited to meet you!

Hello, My name is Keilani. I was born and raised in Washington state. I left for 3 years to live and Georgia and then came back. I recently started in Childcare and am going to college to become an elementary school teacher. I am so excited to begin my journey here and work towards my teaching career. For hobbies, I like to do my nails for fun, hang out with my friends, paint to relax my mind, and play with my dog. My love for childcare began after volunteering at Whittier Elementary in a Kindergarten classroom. I fell in love with the learning environment, watching children grow and being apart of their early learning journey. 

I’m Ms. Elvina, and I feel so lucky to spend my days with your curious toddlers who are learning and discovering the world around them. I love bringing creativity and joy into the classroom, whether that’s through playful activities or celebrating small victories together. I can’t wait to get to know your little ones and your family as we share a year full of growth, laughter, and memories!

Hi, I'm Dina and I'm from Ukraine. In my country I worked with children by leading music classes. I created small music groups where kids could explore sounds, rhythms and enjoy making music together. I love playing the violin and sharing the joy of music with children. I believe music helps kids grow, express their feelings and be happy. I'm excited to bring music into their everyday learning!

Hi friends, my name is Maryna and I’m from Ukraine! I lived in Canada for two years, where I started helping with kids at a Sunday school. That experience showed me how much I enjoy working with kiddos — teaching, playing, and learning together.