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.
Clara Planel is a Brazilian-American with two decades of experience growing communities and businesses, who took the leap of becoming an Early Childhood Educator since 2020, studying Special Education at Bank Street College and helping Collective Kind make the dream of progressive quality education come true for families of all backgrounds.
Our Incredible Team:
Carly Zurcher (she/they) @ Slope Teacher Director 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.
Emiliana Castillo (she/her) @ Rogers Teacher Director 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) 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.
Jo Solomon (they/them) @ Clermont Co-Teacher believes deeply in the wisdom of children. Originally from New York, they spent the past five years working as an early childhood and arts educator in the Bay Area, and are currently pursuing a Masters of Early Childhood Education at Bank Street. They are thrilled to be joining the Collective Kind community this fall! When not with little ones, Jo can be found sewing clothes, biking around Brooklyn, or tinkering with their miniatures.
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.
Sherry Taylor (she/her) @ Clermont Afterschool + Woodhull Teacher Director 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 Director 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 Montessori Guide 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