Our Goddard School Teachers

My name is Saeeda Shirzad, and I am honored to serve the Goddard School of Issaquah community as your On-site Operator. I hold a master’s degree in Early Childhood Development and bring more than 15 years of experience in education, including school leadership, project management, and program development. My work is guided by a deep passion for early childhood education and a belief that strong relationships are the foundation of high-quality care and learning . My leadership style is collaborative, empathetic, and grounded in consistency. I strive to create an environment where every child is celebrated, every family feels welcomed and valued, and every educator is supported in reaching their full potential. It has been a joy getting to know our community, and I look forward to continuing to build on

I love early learning and interacting with children as they learn, create, and grow. My favorite part of every day is invariably seeing the joy that children experience as they interact with the world around them. I earned bachelor's degrees in Elementary Education as well as Spanish Teaching from Central Washington University. I've been working professionally with children since 2010 and I have three wonderful sons of my own.

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!

I enjoy watching children develop their personalities and grow and form into who they are. I feel rewarded when I walk into a classroom and watch children learn and explore on their own. I have a Bachelor's degree in Family and Human Services from the University of Oregon. Prior to moving into my administrator role, I was a lead infant teacher for nine years and have been working with Goddard since 2018.

Hi, I'm Yassin! I hold a master's degree in education and have over eight years of experience in education across three parts of the world — Africa, Japan, and the United States. Living and working in such different cultures has given me a deep appreciation for inclusive, engaging learning environments that meet every child where they are. I care deeply about curriculum development and supporting teachers in delivering meaningful, play-based learning experiences. I love seeing how the right environment can spark curiosity and a lifelong love of learning in young children. I'm excited to be part of The Goddard School of Issaquah family and look forward to working alongside such a dedicated team to support our children, families, and staff.

I am passionate about learning, and I enjoy interacting with children as they learn and seeing how much they grow. I graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. I started working professionally with children in 2017 and became a dance and theater teacher until I joined Goddard in 2022. I work primarily in our annex building, supporting our administrative team, teachers, students, and families.

Hi, I'm Mr. Carlos! My favorite part about working with children is being able to see them grow in a safe environment. I like how excited they get when I come to their classroom with snacks as well! I enjoy outdoor activities like basketball, camping, soccer, etc. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

Children are great, and I really enjoy sharing in their joy of learning. Helping a child to learn and grow is such a satisfying experience! I have been working with children in early childhood classrooms since 2009 and I have been here at The Goddard School since 2012. Prior to that I was a stay-at-home mom, raising my wonderful daughters and taking care of the needs of our family.

I have been working with children since 2001. I have received my Bachelor’s Degree in Language Arts and Elementary Education. I am eager to help children learn about the world around them and develop their social interactions through play and circle time.

I've been a nanny and in childcare since 2003. My favorite children's book is, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?" because children love to sing along with it. Working with children is very rewarding for me. I like to watch their faces light up when they greet me in the morning.

I truly enjoy working with children. I love how they teach me to enjoy life and that every day is an opportunity to learn. I am from Romania and I am a mother to two lovely children of my own. I worked for 13 years as a Pharmacist in Romania until I transitioned to into teaching after receiving my Bachelor of Primary and Pre-School Education degree. I have been a part of the Goddard teaching team since 2022.

After volunteering to work with children for many years, I found I truly enjoyed the genuine smiles, joy, and love they show and share. I’m honored to participate in their growth, helping them achieve their personal and educational milestones.

It is my passion to create a healthy learning environment for children. I’m honored to have the ability to do that here at The Goddard School. I have been with Goddard since 2022 and worked with ages as young as three and as old as five. I have a Master's degree in Integrated Water Resource Management from University of Queensland in Australia. I have taught at the preschool and elementary school level to a variety of different ages groups.

I’ve been working with children since 2015. I started as a volunteer at a preschool and found my passion as a teacher for young children. I developed into a Lead Teacher and have experience in both Montessori and Play-Based teaching philosophies. I really enjoy the unique sense of pride that a child displays after learning something meaningful as the direct result of an activity that I have planned for them.

I have worked with children since 2015 where I supported infants, toddlers, staff, and parents at another preschool in the area. I look forward to the opportunities here at The Goddard School in Issaquah, to learn and grow along with my adorable students.

I enjoy seeing the children in my care grow and develop on a daily basis and I take pride in knowing that I am helping them grow. I’ve been working with children ever since my first babysitting job as a teenager. While I hold a degree in English Philology, I’ve worked as an Au Pair and a Tutor for many children, I’ve also helped coordinate and translate for others hopeful to become Au Pairs.

I love to engage with children and help them understand all the wonder in the world around them, especially through reading and playing. I was born in Uzbekistan but moved to Russia in 2015 where I graduated and studied at University. I moved to America and worked as a teacher in a Russian daycare and babysat whenever needed until formally starting as an Teacher here at The Goddard School in 2023.

I really enjoy seeing my students learn and grow, especially when I am the source of knowledge for their learning. I am first and foremost a mother to a wonderful son but I first began working with children in a preschool setting back in 2012 when I lived in New Mexico. I obtained a degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. I've been with Goddard since 2022.

Hi, I'm Aparna! I am originally from India and have a master's degree in literature and my bachelor's in special education. Before moving to the United States, I was a teacher in India. I have been in Seattle since 2019 and am a Pink Ribbon Survivor. I love that working with children brings the child out in me as an adult. I have a lot of fun working with kids and the fact that every day is something new. It is a joy to watch children play and grow and achieve different milestones.

Hi, I'm Sharal! I have experience working with a variety of ages as young as pre-k to as old as middle school age children as a lead teacher. I have lots of experience engaging with children and adapting to their needs and curiosity. I am passionate about working in early learning and love to be able to create a positive learning environment for them. My favorite part about working with children is seeing their curiosity and excitement as they learn new things. I love being able to play a role in their growth and development.

Hi, I'm Gautami! I am originally from India but moved to the US when my husband got a job with Boeing. I’ve raised two wonderful children and my experience with them made me want to help other children learn and grow. I was previously an elementary school teacher, but I love being around preschool aged children. I love helping them with all their curious questions! I always enjoy talking to children and answering their innocent questions. I love to read to children and it is so fun to listen to them make up their own stories.

Hi, I'm Sofia! I'm from Puerto Rico and I graduated from Savannah College in 2020 with my degree in Art and Design. I moved to Washington state in 2023 where I then joined Goddard as an assistant teacher with our Pre-Kindergarten class and then joined our Infant team. I love helping children grow emotionally; it's so fulfilling to see them learn. I also love how funny children are!

Hi! My name is Susana and I have experience of working with age groups from toddlers to school age. I grew up babysitting my younger sister and working in childcare since 2022, that background is what plays into my enjoyment of working with kids to help them grow and build relationships with classmates and teachers

Hi, I'm Lijuan (Cindy)! I moved to the United States in 2019. I live with my husband and sons. I completed my certificates in Early Childhood Education and have worked in many different childcare settings. I love to see children smile and I love their laughter, especially to laugh with them. I love helping them complete their goals and their excitement when they learn different things.

Hi, I'm Gustavo! As a part of a large family, I feel like I have been working with children most of my adult life. I started off early as a babysitter for more years than I can remember but eventually moved into a role as an official nanny, prior to joining The Goddard School. My favorite part about working with children is just simply getting to know their unique personalities and discovering how to best communicate with them.

Hi, I'm Hiba! I am an older Millennial :). My background is in Public Relations, I have previously worked with a PR agency in India. I have lived in many different parts of the world until I moved to Washington to raise my two children. I am excited to be a part of children's learning and be able to nurture and help them learn new things about the world and themselves.

Hi, I'm Maryam! I am from Iran and moved to the United States in 2012 and I have three daughters of my own. Since arriving here, most of my work has been with children at a number of other childcare centers. I am pleased to be here at The Goddard School and look forward to teaching your children. It makes me happy to see children happy and joyful and even more, so when I teach them something that brings this joy of learning.

Hi, I'm Meenakshi! I am originally from India, where I was a school counselor for over six years. I have worked with children in a wide variety of ages from four to eighteen years old. My favorite part of working with children is when they learn through play, I enjoy playing a role in their learning through their formative years.

Hi, I'm Mia! My mother has been a teacher long before I was even born. Growing up, I had the privilege of learning through her. Her passion for teaching is what inspired me to want to do it myself. I love to create art and stories. I enjoy watching them grow and helping them hit their individual developmental milestones. I also appreciate learning everyday how to be a better caregiver and eventual parent through each unique personal interaction.

Hi my name is Julie G! I have been working in child care since 2015! I have experience working with age groups of infants, toddlers and school age. I love engaging with children love seeing all their curiosity. Another thing to know about me is that I speak Spanish. Outside of work I love to spend time with my family my favorite holiday is Christmas.