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.
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
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.
Erica Couben
Ms. Erica is a native of Atlanta. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Master of Education in Reading. Over the course of 6 years, she has taught Pre-K through 2nd grade at schools in the Atlanta area. She has a daughter named Eliya. She enjoys spending time with family, writing, crafting, and mentoring young girls in her non-profit, Girls Empowered. Her favorite part of teaching young children is witnessing the joy they have when discovering something new about the world we live in.
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.
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.
Ashley McAdoo
My name is Ashley Mcadoo and I was born in North Carolina and raised in Marietta, Ga. I have a Bachelor of science in Sociology. I have 15 years of experience working in formal childcare settings and have worked with all ages at IPS. I enjoy fishing, putting together puzzles, and, traveling. My favorite part of working with young children is seeing the world through their eyes because their imaginations are limitless!
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.
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.