Our Team
Tiffany Schaefer, EdD
Dr. Tiffany Schaefer has been a passionate advocate for early education since she first stepped into a toddler classroom, more than a decade ago. Both as a teacher and a mentor, she has helped create empowering environments that engage children and demonstrate measurable learning objectives. One of her passions is encouraging early educators to utilize documentation to highlight the critical learning going on in early childhood. Knowing that new ideas require buy-in from teachers and families, she hopes to help early educators feel confident in their ability to justify and document the important learning that occurs during early childhood. Tiffany holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, with an emphasis on ECE, from Mills College in Oakland, CA. Her dissertation focused on the way in which novice educators viewed a common story about leadership analyzed with their views of gender and leadership characteristics. Her post-doctoral research focuses on raising a healthy and happy kiddo and understanding the complicated relationship between pedagogy and teacher motivation.
Mary Gaston, EdD
Dr. Mary Gaston received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills College in Oakland, California. Her research focused on identity development in school-based makerspaces and through her coursework at Mills she looked at different models for incorporating STEM-focused maker-centered learning into the early childhood curriculum. Dr. Gaston has thirty years of experience in education addressing educational equity issues for students of color in the Bay Area. She seeks to further that work by promoting engaging and inclusive ways for young children to engage in playful STEM-focused learning. She is also a passionate maker herself and owns the pop-up shop “mary made me”.
Lea Chan, MA
Lea Chin Yee Chan is a dedicated educator with a passion for young children. With over five years of experience in Early Childhood Education, she has excelled in creating nurturing learning environments. Lea's deep connection with children and families is always present and very evident. Her innovative curriculum development and effective communication skills set her apart. Her expertise in early childhood education and her ability to foster positive relationships have made a lasting impact. Lea's professionalism, accountability, and collaborative spirit have consistently earned her the respect of her peers. Lea’s dedication to young children and her talent for creating enriching learning experiences make her a valuable asset in the field of education.