MEET THE STAFF

Our leadership and staff are the heart and soul of IPS.

Our philosophy to implement bigger, worldly ideas at the preschool level is unique, with a curriculum and methodology based on current research in education, psychology, linguistics, and the sciences. Degreed and certified teachers, who are continuously trained in the latest instructional strategies and child development, create a fun, engaging, activity-based learning environment where knowing and growing become synonymous.

Read more about our Leadership team here. 

IPS Faculty and Staff

Megan Adams

Ms. Megan was born and raised in southeast Texas, where, in 2007, she graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BS in Psychology. Taking a particular interest during her studies in child learning and development, she went on to pursue an elementary teaching certificate
while tutoring children in grades K-6. In January 2013, Megan moved to Atlanta and joined the IPS team as a co-teacher in the K class for the spring semester, and then welcomed the opportunity to take on her own 2K class over the summer, followed by four years of 3K. Her
favorite thing about working with preschoolers has been watching children on a daily basis enjoy success in reaching learning milestones at an early age. In her spare time, Ms. Megan enjoys exploring the city, reading classic literature, traveling, playing piano, catching up on TV
shows, and spending time with her dog, Vixey.

Dian Ansley

Ms. Dian is from southeast China. She relocated to the US to pursue her degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia in 2012. Deeply under the influence of her mother who was a preschool director, Ms. Dian likes spending time with young students, teaching them and learning from them. Ms. Dian joined the IPS team as a Language teacher in fall semester of 2016, and she is excited to now embrace and explore teaching her own class. In her spare time, Ms. Dian enjoys spending time with her husband, cooking Asian food, watching movies in the theater, gardening her plants, hiking on Stone Mountain, and video chatting with her parents.

Stacy Brodbeck

Ms. Stacy is a native Atlantan who earned her BFA right here at SCAD.  She began her teaching career as an English teacher in Himeji, Japan and has worked in early childhood education ever since.  She loves an engaging, imaginative classroom environment – with lots of art!  Ms. Stacy is constantly inspired by the creativity of her students. She lives in the neighborhood with her husband, Mark and dog, Cooper.  When she’s not at IPS, she likes to run, knit, dine and travel.

Aryel Chamroeun

Ms. Aryel graduated from Clayton State University with her Bachelor's degree in Biology. While in college she participated in the ESA SEEDS ecology organization which worked to preserve the environment and educate the community about the natural world. She has tutored in algebra, pre-algebra, elementary Spanish and chemistry.  Her interests are art and science, and she loves having the opportunity to create. From a very young age she has been singing in choir, writing poetry and painting. In her spare time she likes to compose songs, paint, attend art events and spend time with her two favorite people... her children.  

Joy Fredericks

Ms. Joy is a graduate of Atlanta Christian college, where she majored in Music. She has been teaching private music and theatre lessons for 6 years and was previously a dance and music instructor for ages 3-adult. She has experience working with all types of learners through music, art, dance, and tutoring, and especially loves the fun, energy, and creativity of working with toddlers. She felt a pull to the classroom and joined IPS in 2015 as a 2K teacher.

Sasha Friedman

Ms. Sasha began her teaching career about 20 years ago. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Theatre and then went on to Mercer University to receive a teaching certification in Early Childhood Education.  Due to her theatrical background, she loves to use drama in the classroom. She worked in Dekalb and Gwinnett counties as a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade teacher. Sasha has also taught at the International School in Israel for 5 years.   

April Heaton

Ms. April hails from Huntsville, AL. She received her Physics degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and worked with NASA! She moved to Atlanta a number of years ago, where she raises her four kids, Sydney and Atticus (twins), Tucker, and Sadie with her wonderful husband Chris. After staying home with her kids for a number of years, April decided to follow her love of children and joined the IPS team in 2018. In her spare time, she loves to cook and travel.

Dia Huszar

Ms. Dia was born in Budapest, Hungary. After getting her BA in English Linguistics, she moved to Austria and got her MA in Language Education at the University of Vienna. She has worked as a teacher in Hungary, Austria, China and Spain, before arriving in Atlanta in 2015. She’s fluent in English, Hungarian and German. She enjoys cooking, hiking, watching movies and reading – but her favorite hobby is traveling! She has been to every continent but one, and Antarctica will just have to wait a bit longer.

Tiffany Jefferson

Ms. Tiffany was born and raised in Georgia, where she developed a love for the natural world at an early age. In 2013, she began her teaching career in environmental education, and quickly realized a passion for teaching young children about the world around them. Tiffany has also
worked as a nanny since 2012, and enjoys developing critical thinking skills, confidence, and creativity in children; while inspiring them to learn through hands-on activities and structured play. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and spending time with her dog, Madison.

Njeri Jolly-Salmon

Ms. Jolly was born on the island of Jamaica but was raised in the hustle and bustle of New York City. Her passion for teaching started at a young age, when she always took delight in being responsible for and nurturing many of her younger cousins as a teenager. This passion continued to develop during her college intern experiences in both public school classrooms and childcare environments. She completed her Bachelors in Psychology at Hunter College in 2006, with two years of training in Elementary Education. She and her family migrated to Atlanta in 2016 and have been enjoying the more suburban and slow paced lifestyle. She is a wife and mother of two beautiful girls. She has been teaching young children for over 15 years and joined the IPS community in 2018.

Savanna Keo

Ms. Savanna originally grew up in D.C. but has been living and creating art in the city of Atlanta for the last 12 years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Literature from Georgia State University and personally works within the mediums of writing/poetry, paint, collage, photography, and more! She is passionate about cultivating emotional intelligence as well as cognitive development in children and strives to use art in her classroom as a means of understanding the self and the world around us. She has previously taught at the Atlanta International School, the Suzuki School, and also as an English Tutor at the high school and college levels. 

Caroline Miner

Ms. Caroline is a native of Georgia. She has a Bachelor of Science in Intercultural Studies and a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning. She taught English in Ethiopia for two years and that is where she discovered her love and passion for educating young children. She loves to use hands on projects to help students learn and grow so that they may in turn make a positive impact on their community. In her spare time she likes to spend time with her family, listen to music and enjoy good food. 

Rebecca Ogle

Ms. Becca was born in a small, rural town in northern New Jersey. She attended Bucknell University where she received her Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education. She moved to Atlanta and joined the IPS in 2018, and her favorite part about working with children is the inspiring way they see and interact with the world around them. She loves to emphasize the arts and the power of learning through play in her classroom. In her spare time, Ms. Becca enjoys reading, journaling, yoga, and watching cooking shows. She is looking forward to a new life in Atlanta and discovering lots of new food and coffee places. 

Jessica Rios

Ms. Jessica was born in Michigan and went to school to become a pediatric scrub nurse.  While living in California, she became involved in an after school program that helped kids from impoverished areas get extra schooling. Jessica became a lead teacher and then the director of the program for children ages 4-10. She moved to Atlanta with her husband and two children, Madalyn and Mason, who attended IPS. Interested in returning to the classroom, she joined IPS in 2016 as a substitute teacher and is excited to finally have her own class. She loves to be with kids every day - watching them grow and learn new things, while getting to be part of the learning process.  In her spare time, Jessica loves to spend time with her family, read, take her two dogs to the dog park, doing yoga with her kids, going running, and Kayaking. 

Angela Robinson

Ms. Angela joined International Preschools in Spring 2006. She now has 32 years of teaching experience and has over 60 education and child development certificates. Ms. Angela and her husband Ray have two children: her son Jamario and her daughter Shatara. In her spare time Ms. Angela enjoys shopping, reading, going to movies, and sometimes babysitting. When she gets time off from work, she loves to vacation at Disney World.

Shane Smith
Ms. Shane joined IPS in 2017. A native to the south, Shane Smith has been teaching for over 15 years. Ms. Shane's classroom is enriched by her travels, including touring as an international performer, studying arts and culture from a national tour of Sesame Street Live, to teaching and resort work in locations such as the Dominican Republic and Israel. In education, Smith has taught performing arts in Fulton, Dekalb and Gwinnett counties and loves a creative classroom setting.  In her free time, she loves hiking, camping and backpacking.

Susan Thomas

Ms. Susan joined the teaching team at IPS in 2014. She was born in Birmingham, MI and after spending her childhood there, her family moved to Roswell, Georgia. She attended Georgia Southern University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development in 2005. What she loves most about teaching is that there is never a dull moment! She loves to take advantage of every teachable moment that arises during the day. Her goal as a teacher is to provide children with a rich environment where they feel safe to explore, initiate learning, and feel free to express themselves. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, photography, and playing with her dog, Murphy. She also likes to visit family in Seattle, WA as often as possible!

Maia Vernon

Ms. Maia is a native of Atlanta and a graduate from Georgia Southern University with a B.B.A. in Computer Information Systems. She began her teaching career as a substitute teacher for Atlanta Public Schools and was then a Kindergarten Teacher's Assistant at Garden Hills Elementary School. After studying teaching techniques and mental development of children through United Way, she obtained a national certification as a Child Development Associate. During her time at IPS, she has taught 3K, 4K and 5K. 

Zalaha Harris 

Ms. Zee was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo., and has now lived in Atlanta for over 10 years. With a career background in property and salon management and hospitality, she took a leap of faith and left the corporate world to launch her own wellness camp to focus on healing mind, body, and soul through clean eating, exercise, and meditation. She is an avid cook & baker, and loves to go to the gym. She enjoys helping others, shopping at outdoor festivals, listening to audio books, and spending time with family.