Becca Allison
Teacher: 2’s Mon/Tues
Teacher Becca grew up in a remote town in the central Sierra mountains of California. She ventured down south to UC Santa Barbara for college, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in the History of Architecture and Design. While she loved her studies, her heart was always in teaching (she worked at the university preschool all through college).
Seeking a change, she moved to Seattle over a decade ago, and feels very at home here. After years of working in early childhood education as a classroom teacher, nanny and in-home care provider, she took time off to raise her daughter. A few years ago, she enrolled her daughter in the very two’s class she now teaches, and jumped at the chance to get back in the classroom when the position opened up. Becca loves her time in the classroom with the children and their families; especially leading circle times and the one-on-one interactions where she can really get to know her students (and use that knowledge to customize the curriculum!). Though this is only her second year teaching co-op, she says she can’t imagine being anywhere else.
When she’s not with her beloved students, you can find Becca spending time with her husband and daughter, her girlfriends, and just enjoying life in Seattle.
Sara Carter
Teacher: 2’s Wed/Thur | Pre-K
Teacher Sara grew up in the Seattle area and graduated from the UW with a B.S in Mathematics. She balances her math brain with a love of reading. She worked in her family’s bookshop for many years selling children’s books. Both of her two daughters went to co-op preschool and she liked it so much, she’s never left. Working first as a parent educator and then transitioning to teaching children. She loves to play, sing, and read with children. Patterning, counting, predicting, building, rhyming, stories, and emotional awareness are built into every day of her classes. When she’s at home she likes to read, garden, and bake. You may run into her walking to the farmer’s market or library or just out enjoying the day.
Jennifer Girou
Teacher: 3/4’s
Teacher Jennifer is from the Midwest, where she attended the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse, graduating with a B.S in Biology. Life moved her to the East Coast where she was a professional nanny for over 10 years. She moved to the Northwest in 2008 and resides in West Seattle with her husband, two sons (Admiral Co op Alums!) and two dogs. Jennifer heard about co-op preschool from a neighbor and fell in love with the community feel of the classrooms. She has been teaching at Admiral since 2017. You will find Teacher Jennifer engaging her students in creative play, fostering friendship skills and learning about emotions. She incorporates daily neighborhood walks and nature activities in her classroom curriculum.
Jen Schill
Parent Educator: 2’s Mon/Tues | 2’s Wed/Thur | 3’s Mon/Tues/Wed
Teacher Jen is a Seattle native, having grown up on a houseboat on Lake Union, and now lives in West Seattle with her husband Scott and her two children, Theo and Nate (alumni of Admiral Co-op Preschool!). She studied Marine Biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz, with a quarter abroad in Costa Rica, studying Tropical Marine Ecology and Tropical Biodiversity. After having her own children and experiencing cooperative preschool as a parent for seven years, Jen embraced a deep learning of child development and child psychology that continues to delight her to this day. She often says “Co-op was an exceptional experience for my own children, of course, top notch teachers, environments, and curricula, but I think I am the one that benefited the most!”
Jen believes strongly that parenthood is a challenging and sometimes isolating period of life, and that cooperative preschool can serve as an antidote to that experience. She is passionate about creating communities that are authentic, nurturing, and rich, allowing parents to connect with one another to create support systems that will carry them far beyond the preschool years. She is also a certified Positive Discipline educator and enjoys helping parents and caregivers find confidence in guiding and teaching their children.
Kim Seater
Teacher: Toddlers
Kim received a BA in Communications from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Her two children were in West Seattle’s SSC Preschool Co-op system for seven years- her son is an alumni of both Alki Preschool and Arbor Heights Preschool (now White Center) Co-ops and her daughter is a graduate of the SSC Toddler Preschool and West Seattle’s Arbor Heights Co-op. Throughout their Seattle Public school years, Kim volunteered in the classrooms, chaperoning field, band and outdoor education trips, worked in the libraries, lunchrooms, served on the PTSA Washington Middle School Board for three years, tutored in WMS reading classes, helped with school banking and numerous auctions and fundraisers.
Kim started teaching the Arbor Heights Co-op Preschool M/T Two Day class in Spring 2003 semester and continued teaching the Arbor Heights Co-op Preschool Two Day class until Spring 2015 semester. In the Fall of 2015 she returned to Alki Co-op where she is teaching the Two Day class. Kim has had the pleasure of teaching toddlers at the SSC preschool for the past seven years.
Kim loves her Toddlers and Two Day students. She is thankful for the wonderful kids, parents and families that bring smiles, hugs and joy to her classroom each and every year!
Charlotte Skeffington
Parent Educator: Toddlers
Teacher Charlotte is a PNW native; she grew up on Vashon Island and now resides in Fauntleroy, West Seattle. She completed undergraduate studies in International Affairs and Latin American Studies at Lewis & Clark College and spent the following 2 years in El Salvador serving in the Peace Corps. Upon completion of Peace Corps Service, Charlotte returned to Seattle and worked in community based social services with New Futures—A Branch of Southwest Youth and Family Services. Her interest in Early Learning and Parent Education developed while working as a Home Visitor in The Parent Child Home Program. Charlotte found both the child’s development and parent’s growth in recognizing and embracing themselves as their child’s first teachers during those years remarkable.
Charlotte naturally recognizes potential in others and it brings her great joy to support families in Cooperative Preschool classrooms. She is driven by the idea that each child deserves access to learning environments and services that set them, families, and communities up to thrive. When she’s not in the classroom she likes to be outside, play tennis, and spend time with her friends and family.
Kylene Ushimaru
Parent Educator: 3/4s
I started teaching 4 and 5 year olds in 1986 at what was Arbor Heights Co-op Preschool (now White Center Co-op Preschool) and have loved it ever since. Writing and setting up the curriculum for 4 and 5 year olds is one of my passions and a lot of fun. The children keep me challenged, as well as motivated, in finding new and fun ways to set up an environment for children to learn, socialize, and play. My Early Childhood education was through Central Washington University. I enjoy continuing my learning through professional seminars and conferences throughout the school year. Along with teaching a 4 and 5 year class I have also had the opportunity to be a Parent Education Instructor since September 2000.
Jane Wainwright
Teacher: 3’s
Parent Educator: Pre-K
Jane grew up in Massachusetts and still thinks of New England as “home” though she has come to love Seattle and can’t imagine ever leaving. Jane graduated with a BS in Sociology from Wittenberg University in Springfield OH and relocated to the Northwest in 1998. She lives with her husband, two children and her wheaten terrier, Bemus, who keeps her walking all over West Seattle.After working with children and families at the American Camping Association of New England, Big Brothers Big Sisters of King County and the YMCA she was inspired to teach preschool when she joined a co-op classroom with her own daughter. Jane has had the pleasure of working as a 3’s teacher of the Admiral Cooperative Preschool since 2007. She enjoys watching children learn to make friendships, create structures, solve puzzles, experiment with paint and gain skills to navigate their world. Jane has also served as a parenting educator since 2012.