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.

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 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!

Hi! My name is Soghra Sadat, and I am truly honored to join Goddard School. I hold a Master’s degree in TESOL and bring over 13 years of experience in the field of education, primarily in leadership and teacher training roles. Since 2011, I have had the privilege of working closely with children, and I firmly believe that each child is unique, with their own abilities to learn and grow. I am passionate about creating opportunities for children to express their talents and reach their full potential, and I find great joy in supporting their happiness and development through meaningful, engaging experiences.

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 Jin! I have always been interested in art and animation. I graduated from SCAD with a BFA in 3D animation but after graduating became involved in tutoring and teaching which lead me to my journey in early learning! My favorite part of working with children is experiencing the way they think and act. I love watching them develop and grow. It's a fascinating process to watch them learn.

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 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 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.

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.

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.