Founding Team
Anna Caroline Tehan is an Early Childhood Special Education + Montessori Certified + Anti-bias Early Education Leader. She brings 15Y experience as a creative arts & early childhood educator internationally and locally in underserved communities, classrooms and foster care settings, centering our inclusion practices.
Anna Ellis Nesser is an Early Childhood Special Education + Montessori Certified Educator, and a School Greening and Gardening Consultant. Anna's 14Y experience in early childhood education in classrooms & in developing and leading NYC urban farm programs for all ages is key to our nature-based approach.
MariaClara Planel is Brazilian-American with two decades of experience growing businesses and launching new brands, with 15Y leading roles in tech and retail segments, and the last 5Y helping Collective Kind helping Collective Kind make the dream of Montessori accessibility come true for families of all backgrounds.
Our Incredible Team:
Kayla “Maay” Brice (she/they) Director of Enrollment + School Systems is an Early Childhood Specialist + Social Emotional Learning Certified Edu-carer from Richmond, Virginia. She brings 10Y+ experience as a childcare program director, teaching artist, and gentle instruction advocate. Since starting with CK, Maay has found a love for the anti-bias, care of self, and care of environment work we do in the classroom.
Ashely Dai (she/her) @ Clermont Ashley has known NY her whole life, and its diversity has led her to a fascination with individual experience. Knowing the importance of acceptance and advocacy, for both others and oneself, Ashley prioritizes social-emotional awareness through identity and intersectionality. She believes in Voice and that children speak loudest and proudest when you get down and dirty with them! She celebrates all things creative, playful, silly, and kind. Throw in a ton of laughter and a touch of chaos and that’s her favorite classroom!
Breanna Elleston (she/her) - break camp + substitute teacher - is a licensed social worker born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. With a background in counseling children, she brings a centering and mindful approach to the space. She is passionate about yoga, mindfulness, breathwork, and holistic health. Her goal is to provide the children with the tools and space they need to be their most authentic selves.
Carolina Lamiell (she/her) - Música y Canciones Para Grandes y Peques - is a Chilean educator, musician and singer. with nearly 15 years of experience in education and certified as a Canta y Baila Conmigo® instructor.
She has worked with children in Spanish through nature exploration and free play and led Multilingual Storytime at the Brooklyn Public Library. In 2023, Carolina created Música y Canciones Para Grandes y Peques, where she offers Spanish immersion music classes for babies, toddlers, and their accompanying adults.
As an immigrant and Latina, Carolina is proud to contribute her knowledge and love of teaching meaningfully to the community of Brooklyn, where she has found a home and raised her family.
https://www.instagram.com/musica_grandesypeques
Carly Zurcher (she/they) @ Slope is a passionate, early childhood educator who is constantly seeking new ways to engage young children in action-based learning. After graduating from Bank Street with a Masters in Early Childhood Education, she moved to Brooklyn and worked in a Reggio Emilia-inspired classroom in South Slope for four years. They have been teaching for over eight years, and enjoy developing emergent curriculum and centering open play in the classroom. They are especially passionate about social emotional learning with a strong emphasis on social justice and providing children with opportunities to use their powerful voices for action.
Cooper Otis (they/them) @ Rogers is an early childhood educator, freelance photographer, yoga instructor, amateur birder, and noticer of small delights. They are passionate about bringing play, joy, and laughter to the classroom. As a queer, neurodivergent person, Cooper is committed to fostering an environment where all students feel seen and supported as their most authentic selves.
Destiny Belgrave (she/her) @ Clermont Born and raised in Brooklyn, Destiny is a working artist who holds a BFA in General Fine Arts and over 5 years of professional childcare experience. She enjoys working with children because of their unabashed sense of humor and their inquisitive wonder. Outside of work, she loves creating, eating, marveling at natures beauty, and doing a little shopping here and there. Her goal as a teacher is to give every child a place to cultivate a sense of self while growing into an inclusive member of our community.
Emiliana Castillo (she/her) @ Rogers is an early childhood educator, Mom and Artist with 13+ years working as a teacher in New York City with a back round in visual art. A Native New Yorker born in the Bronx and raised in Staten Island, her family is originally from Chile. A passion besides teaching and art is singing and song writing, with songs placed in movies like the Eternals and commercials for Stella McCartney. She looks forward to bringing her love for music and art to the program.
Jessica Melendez (she/her) @ Gowanus is a dedicated early childhood educator with a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Social Welfare, from The City College. With six years of experience as a nanny and a Montessori preschool teacher, she understands the significance of introducing young children to diverse cultures, especially in a melting pot like New York City. Jessica is from Brooklyn, NY, and is bilingual, a skill she enthusiastically integrates into her classroom lessons to enrich her students' learning experiences. Outside of her professional life, Jessica is an avid runner and cherishes quality time with her family, with whom she shares a profound connection to her Mexican heritage.
Layla Keele (they/she) @ Rogers is an enthusiastic, and creative learner and practitioner of childhood education and care. After going to school for poetry they have now been in New York for 10 years, and are originally from North Carolina. Layla is passionate about creating a safe environment in which children can be fostered to develop and grow. They find individual expression and joy is very important. Layla is currently in Graduate school at City College for their teaching certification. Layla has worked at after school programs as well as babysitting and nannying all with excitement. And they are still a poet!
Alexis “Lexi” Kendall (she/her) @ Gowanus is a Brooklyn native working with children for over 7 years. Lexi started off volunteering at her childhood daycare center and knew since then that she wanted to become a preschool teacher. Also growing up as the oldest cousin, Lexi has been around younger children her entire teenage and adult years. So she means it when she says it’s nothing but a joy to work with kids. Lexi believes all children should be showered with unconditional love. From circle times to sensory to art to free play - Lexi feels being a teacher is one of the most rewarding jobs.
Kamaria Thomas (she/her) @ Park Slope finds purpose in guiding young children to find their place in the universe. Her journey into the Montessori world began with her daughter, a curious three-year-old who will be exploring alongside her at CK. Kamaria’s time at the West Side Montessori Teacher Education Program, combined with her experience as a stay at home mother and Two’s Guide, has solidified her commitment to nurturing young minds. Kamaria believes in thoughtful environments, where children feel safe to be themselves and create themselves. Inspired by Reggio philosophy, her ideal classroom is a blend of laughter, exploration, and a sprinkle of chaos, where mindfulness meets the wild imagination of young learners.
Margaret Ellis (she/her) social media, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY has developed and taught early education classes in dance and Spanish. She has worked in Montessori and public school classrooms in both NYC and Ohio over the past four years. She uses her background in Anthropology and early childhood anti-bias studies to foster social-emotional growth in children through play, art, and movement.
Melissa Gibb (she/her) @ Clermont is a native New Yorker with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and is currently earning her Master of Science in Early Childhood Education. She was called to her purpose as an educator and caregiver through her mindfulness practice and reconnecting to her younger self. Melissa is passionate about inclusive education and intends to provide meaningful experiences to the children in her care. She values the healing properties of artmaking and hopes to create space for creatively stimulating and empowering learning opportunities. Melissa takes a curious and open-hearted approach to her work and looks forward to continuing to learn alongside the children of this community.
MeryLay Saavedra (she/her) @ Slope is a native Colombian teacher and caregiver and connect to the child from where they are — through their personalities and interests. She likes to read, write, listen to music and sing and, most importantly, spend time with her family. Her greatest interest is to be able to teach children through affection and love, always taking care of their minds and hearts.
Saniyyah Khalilallah (she/her) @ Rogers is a certified Montessori educator with over fourteen years of experience teaching children aged 3 to 6 years old. A passionate advocate of the Montessori philosophy, she shares activities that focus on practical life skills on her website (skmontessori.com) and offers consulting and tutoring services to parents. Saniyyah is also an author of two books that encourage Montessori life skills at home for children. She lives in Brooklyn, New York where she continues to write, tutor, teach and consult.
Sherry Taylor (she/her) @ Clermont has been working with kids for over 15 years. Her philosophy of education is that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow.
She has worked with kids of all different age groups. Her experience ranges from developing engaging lesson plans to creating a safe and inclusive space where every child feels valued. The joy of contributing to child’s growth and being part of their early experience is incredibly rewarding and fuels her commitment to education.
Stacey Sukoff (she/her) @ Clermont is a career early childhood educator excited to join a community of caring and loving educators. She has spent time teaching in a variety of early childhood settings in the midwest and NYC as well as studying Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College with a special focus on bringing socially just and inclusive curriculum and instruction into the classroom. Her favorite part about being at school is building relationships and experiencing joy with children and families!
Vanessa Maldonodo Bates (she/her) @ Clermont is a British-Venezuelan AMI Montessori Certified Educator + Event Producer + eternally curious person. With background in Art History and Museum Studies . She is passionate about art, music, theatre, literature and dance. Vanessa is looking forward getting to know the children and helping them nurture and strengthen their individuality.
Our Founding Team:
Anna Ellis Nesser (she/her)
Anna Caroline Tehan (she/her)
MariaClara Planel (she/her)
Learn More about our Vision
Progressive Early Education Should be for All - This is Collective Kind