My name is Saeeda Shirzad, and I’m honored to join the Goddard School Issaquah community as your new On-site Operator. I hold a master’s degree in early childhood development and bring over 15 years of experience in education, including school leadership, project management, and program development. I’m deeply passionate about early childhood education and believe in the power of positive relationships with children, families, and educators. My leadership style is collaborative, empathetic, and grounded in consistency. I strive to create a space where every child is celebrated, every family is heard, and every educator feels supported. I look forward to learning from each of you and continuing the tradition of excellence and care that defines the Goddard School. Please feel free to stop by and say hello. I’m excited to connect and grow with this amazing community.

Hi, I’m Jo. I’m the Regional Director for five of our Goddard Schools in the Seattle/King County area and an active board member with the Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC). I’ve worked in early childhood education for over 10 years and am especially passionate about advocacy and ensuring policies actually support educators, children, and families. In my role with Goddard, I support school directors and leadership teams in building strong programs, staying aligned with licensing and accreditation 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 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.

I love to participate and witness that moment of excitement in each child as they learn new things. They really enjoy those little moments in life and that is something that most adults forget to do. I’ve worked in childcare since 2012 as a preschool, school-age, infant, and toddler teacher, as well as a manager at a center.

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.

I love building relationships as well as being a resource for families. I enjoy seeing children get excited when they learn something new. I started in childcare in 2000 because I had young children and wanted to stay close to them. I have been with Goddard since 2023 and have enjoyed being a part of the administration team. Over the years I have completed my AA, my CDA, and have enjoyed learning as I go!

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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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’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 truly enjoy guiding each individual child to reach their unique milestones while playing and having fun. I'm passionate about teaching children to learn and grow in all areas of their lives. I have worked in early childhood education since 2012. I have my Master’s degree in Arts and I am currently working on completing an additional Child Development Associate (CDA) degree.

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.

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.