Our Staff

Danielle (she/her)

Head of School

Danielle has been involved in Montessori education since 1987 and loves not only the hands-on materials, but particularly the philosophy of students’ hands and minds working together to gain understanding. Danielle has AMI primary certification, a BA in history/minor in Broad Field Social Studies with an emphasis on Secondary Education, and all 3 levels of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training. She enjoys cooking, entertaining, reading, hiking, and binge watching series on Amazon/Netflix.

Susan (she/her)

Office Administrator

Susan has been involved in Montessori education since 2009 and, as a Montessori parent, deeply appreciates the way it has taught her children to be independent, creative, and inquisitive. She has been active in the Cascadia community as a member of the PTO, Development Committee, Shopper, Chaperone, and Auction team. Susan holds a BA in Psychology from Pacific University and has worked in the field of children’s mental health. She enjoys adventures with her family, history, astronomy, coffee, and chocolate.

Alicia (she/her)

Admissions Coordinator, Reading Support, & Billing Coordinator

Alicia has been involved in Montessori for over 25 years. She values the community and relationships her family has found within Montessori schools and the freedom the children have to explore their individual interests. Alicia holds an AMS primary certificate, studied Biology in Durango, Colorado, and has taken Orton-Gillingham training to support students with dyslexia. Alicia enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, woodworking, reading, and learning new skills. 

Joya (she/her)

Director of Education

Joy believes Montessori is highly relevant to children today, and is honored to be a part of a community that strives for kindness and a life-long love of learning. She joined Cascadia as the Lupine guide in 2015. Previously, she guided a 6-to-12 classroom (herding children and chickens). She balances her work with parenting two Montessori-raised teens, enjoying good friends, family, food, music, and books, and just appreciating this insanely beautiful part of the world that she is lucky enough to call home. She holds multiple credentials, an AMI elementary diploma, and a M.Ed.

Angie (she/her)

Administration Support

Angie has been part of the Cascadia community since 2008. From 2008-2020 as a parent and volunteer with two boys who went from 1st through 8th grade. Then as a Board member from 2021 to 2025. Angie loves working with the students and staff, and being a part of the Cascadia community.

Helen (she/her)

Events Coordinator & Music Specialist

Helen has been involved in Montessori education since 2014, when she began work in an international Montessori school near Vienna, Austria. In 2016, she received her AMI elementary diploma from the Montessori Institute of Prague, where she fell in love with the many ways in which the Montessori materials open up a world of learning to people of all ages. Helen has taken an Orff-Schulwerk teacher training and holds a BA in transcultural communication from the University of Vienna. Helen enjoys music, books, good food and time outdoors in the beautiful Northwest.

Laurie (she/her)

After Care Lead

Laurie fell in love with the Montessori philosophy while her three daughters were in primary classrooms, beginning in 1993. They each attended Cascadia and the strong sense of community that continues today has always been deeply valued by her and her family. Laurie was a Toddler Guide for 13 years, receiving her AMI Assistance to Infancy certification in 2007. When she is not working, Laurie enjoys camping, her dogs, and her granddaughter.

Erin (she/her)

After Care Assistant

Erin is a Cascadia Montessori alum. She recently completed a naturalist certification through the Mount St Helen's Institute and is especially interested in lichen. She's excited to return to Cascadia in a new role!

Jane (she/her)

Huckleberry Guide

Jane has been working in Montessori education since 2015, beginning as an assistant before becoming a guide in 2023. She holds a Master of Education in Elementary Montessori Education from Whitworth University, an AMI Elementary Diploma from Montessori Northwest, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from St. Petersburg College. Jane believes deeply in the potential of every child and is passionate about helping children develop a lifelong love of learning. Jane and her family of five relocated from Florida in 2021, and have enjoyed embracing the natural beauty and outdoor opportunities of the Pacific Northwest. In her free time, she enjoys learning new handwork skills, trying recipes, exploring creative crafts, gardening, and spending time with her family and their two dogs.

Jacinda (she/her)

Huckleberry Assistant

Jacinda joined Cascadia in 2025, and previously worked with children in public schools and after-school programs since 2022. She's new to Montessori and excited to learn more about how children learn and grow, as well as how she can support this process. She especially appreciates the sense of community and responsibility developed in a Montessori school. Jacinda has a BA in Japanese and a TESOL certificate both from Portland State University. In her free time, she enjoys beading, attending local events and markets, and spending time with her loved ones.

Brooks (he/him)

Larkspur Guide

Brooks has been involved professionally with Cascadia School for ten years and is a Cascadia School Alumni (Class of 2009). Brooks loves the hands-on nature of Montessori, the responsibility it promotes, and the love for learning it instills in children. He holds an AMI Elementary Diploma (6-12) from Montessori Northwest in Portland, OR and studied computer science at Western Washington University. Brooks enjoys photography and drawing, singing and playing guitar, and exploring the Pacific Northwest. He also enjoys spending time at Lake Merwin with his dogs, Piper and Ziggy.

Zayleigh (she/her)

Larkspur Assistant

Zayleigh joined the Cascadia community in 2026. She always loved working with kids, and knew it was something she wanted to do as an adult. Zayleigh attended WSU Pullman. She joined Montessori school in Vancouver, and worked with toddler and primary aged students for several years. She developed a deep appreciation for the Montessori pedagogy and how it respects the child. The Montessori style of teaching aligned with her beliefs of building children up to be contributing and innovative members of society. In Zayleigh's free time I enjoy learning new things, camping, hiking, exploring, and creating. Anything from crafts and structures, to cooking and sweets!

Michelle (she/her)

Lupine Guide

Michelle has been involved with Montessori education since 2017, when she earned her Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level I certificate. She completed her AMI Elementary Diploma in July 2025 and the accompanying Master's in Education from Whitworth University in May 2026. She also holds a Master’s in Pastoral Ministry from St. John’s University. Michelle is passionate about the Montessori philosophy, particularly the idea of the child’s self-construction. Outside the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her five adult children, reading, hiking, and playing pickleball.

Jennifer (she/her)

Lupine Assistant

Jennifer has been involved in Montessori education since 1993 when she began attending a primary classroom as a student. She appreciates the freedom of the Montessori classroom and the opportunities for children to follow their interests and learn at a pace that is comfortable to them. She has a BA in English. When not at school, she enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her family.

Olive (they/them)

Trillium Guide

Olive has been involved in Montessori in various capacities and settings from 2014. They joined the Cascadia School community in 2026 after teaching and working in Oregon, Wisconsin, and California. Olive’s mission is to create a learning environment led by the children and their curiosity. They have experience in both public and private Montessori settings and are appreciative that both have given them a new perspective. Collaboration and curiosity are two main tools they use in their daily work. Olive believes that within the classroom setting children benefit from discovering their connection to hard work, liberation, community, and joy. When Olive isn’t talking to anyone who will listen about what makes Montessori education special they are making art, planning their next trip across or out of the country, and singing to their parrot Pecan.

Brandi (she/her)

Trillium Assistant

Brandi joined the Trillium community in 2021. She first learned about Montessori in college, and has been involved ever since. Brandi obtained an AA degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the independence and opportunities to learn life skills that Montessori provides for children.

Mercedes (she/her)

Trillium Assistant

Mercedes joined Cascadia in 2026, after discovering Montessori and falling in love with the philosophy. Mercedes was drawn to its emphasis on advocating for the child and fostering independence. She looks forward to continuing to learn about Montessori pedagogy and all it has to offer. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Washington State University, and plans to pursue a career in English education. Outside of work, Mercedes enjoys hiking, exploring art, and reading.

Kim (she/her)

Willow Guide

Kim has been involved in Montessori for over 20 years. She appreciates the freedom that Montessori gives kids to move around their space, ask questions, be in tune with their own bodies, and explore what excites and fascinates them. Kim has a BS in Education from The University of Portland, an AMI elementary diploma from Montessori Institute of Milwaukee, and a Washington state teaching certificate (elementary and secondary). She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening, and bird watching.

Amy (she/her)

Willow Assistant (mornings) & Reading Support

Amy has been involved in Montessori education since the mid 1990s and has always been interested in the way Montessori gives children a concrete foundation upon which to build their knowledge. She has Primary Training through the Montessori Teacher Preparation of Washington and recently completed Orton-Gillingham training to be a tutor for students with dyslexia. Amy’s hobbies include trying new arts and crafts projects, designing succulent gardens, canning (especially unusual flavors like peach/sage, strawberry/vanilla, and pear/ginger), and textile arts.

Kasy (she/her)

Willow Assistant (afternoons) & Student Support

Kasy has been in public education for the past few years. When she learned about the Montessori philosophy, she immediately fell in love with this way of teaching. She finds great value in giving children the freedom to explore their interests as

Amy Renae (she/her)

Cedar Guide

Amy Renae has been involved in Montessori education since 2010 and is fascinated by the way Montessori conceptualizes breaking large ideas down into small parts to stimulate student learning. She has a BA in mathematics, an AMI adolescent certificate, and has spent her teaching career in both international schools and Montessori education. Outside of school, Amy Renae likes to celebrate made-up nerdy holidays, host food swaps and pizza nights, fiddle, and show her students that adults have adventures too.

Lars (he/him)

Cedar Guide

Lars has been involved in Montessori education since 2011 in both elementary and adolescent programs. He has completed the AMI adolescent orientation and started a thriving Montessori adolescent program just outside of Oslo, Norway. He is very enthusiastic about the way the Montessori method allows for more freedom, agency, and curiosity in the way that children learn. Lars enjoys reading, writing, playing music, playing sports like basketball and running, being out in nature, hiking and camping, and producing the podcast "Lars og Pål" (mostly in Norwegian).

Kileah (she/her)

Cedar Assistant

Kileah joined the Cedar community in 2026. She has been a Charlotte Mason home educator for 14 years and is a mother to 3 students and one graduate. Through her passion for education, children, and nature, she has discovered the many beautiful overlaps of Mason and Montessori philosophies, and is thrilled to bring her experience as both a former homeschooler and current home educator into the Cascadia community. She is an avid reader, knitter, gardener, and lover of Tolkien's works. She is deeply involved in local youth community theater as both class coordinator and music director and draws on her Royal Conservatory classical piano experience to enhance her role in singing and directing in English and Slavonic in her local Eastern Orthodox Church.