Leadership & Staff

Administrative Team

  • Christa Edwards

    Executive Director

    Christa began at BlueSkies in 2010 following five years in the publishing world. She has been a volunteer, a Teacher and Head Teacher in the Infant Toddler program, and was the Assistant Program Director 2016-2021 before leaving for a year and returning as Interim Executive Director. She was hired for the permanent position in Fall 2022. Christa holds a B.A. from Scripps College. She is fascinated by how children learn, how children develop a concept of self and, on the adult side, in building teaching teams and strengthening and supporting staff.

  • Ameena Muhammed

    Program Director,
    Ellen Sherwood Nursery School

    Ameena holds an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of Jos in Nigeria and has been at BlueSkies since 1989. She is the go-to expert for infants and toddlers as well as inclusion for children with special needs, was the Infant Toddler Program Director for more than 20 years, and has been the overall Program Director at BlueSkies since 2016, ensuring high standards of program quality through teacher coaching and support. Ameena trained in the R.I.E. philosophy with its founder, Magda Gerber and has completed four years of training at Children’s Hospital Oakland in Early Childhood Mental Health and Reflective Supervision, as well as having taught early childhood education courses with the N.A.C. through Cal State Hayward.

  • Sandy Quach

    Program Director,
    HedCo Infant Toddler Center

    Sandy started working with Blueskies in 2012. She has Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and over 42 units in Early Childhood Education. She has been Head Teacher for the Todds for the last 10 years and shifted into this new role starting in fiscal year 2024.

  • Omid Jalali

    Operations Director

    Omid started at BlueSkies in fall of 2022 as an Office Manager. He now manages the office and executes our payroll, manages hiring and acts as our Human Resources liaison, and supports with other business administration.

  • Evan Smith

    Bookkeeper

    Evan joined us in summer of 2025. He has his AA and AS in Business and Accounting, respectively, and has worked in accounting for a decade. He now keeps our books clean and tidy and helps with payroll and billing support.

Reception

  • Daniela Rocha

    Office Coordinator

    Daniela joined BlueSkies in 2021 as our Receptionist, then moved into the Office Coordinator role, supporting with admissions, children’s files, and supporting Housekeeping and Kitchen with ordering and tracking supplies.

  • Seth Dyer

    Receptionist

    Seth joined BlueSkies in summer 2025 after graduating from University of Michigan with a B.A. in Sociology.

Baby House

  • Sandra Rodriquez

    Head Teacher

    Sandra has been at BlueSkies for over 17 years. She has 12 Early Childhood Education units and two children of her own.

  • Alice Hallaman

    Supervising Teacher

    Alice’s grandparents, Anne and Richard Copenhagen, founded BlueSkies (then AOCS), and she attended the school as a child. After two decades of nannying and teaching experience, she now works back here alongside women who were trained by her grandmother, worked with her mom when she was a baby, and were taught English by her parents in ESL classes the school offered upstairs! Alice has a B.A. from Mills College in Public Policy and Child Development.

  • Mu Da

    Teacher

    Mu started at BlueSkies in September of 2019 as an Assistant Teacher. She has worked in most of the classrooms. Her son Dylan is in the Wobbly Walkers. She is pursuing her BA degree in Child Development, and currently has an AA.

  • Moneka McAroy

    Teacher

    Moneka joined BlueSkies in 2022. She has a B.A. in Collaborative Health and Human Services from Cal State Monterey Bay and has 12 Early Childhood Education units.

  • Ashley Arcos

    Assistant Teacher

    Ashley was referred to us by a current parent and alumni of BlueSkies for Children. She graduated in 2024 from Madison Park Academy in Oakland. Ashley is currently the bridge teacher between Baby House and Wobbly Walkers.

Wobbly Walkers

  • Michelle Lollock

    Head Teacher

    Michelle has been at BlueSkies since 2014. She has 20+ years of experience working with children. She earned her Master’s Degree in Developmental Psychology from SF State University.

  • Kea Seng

    Master Teacher

    Kea started in the Wobbly Walkers in 1988. She moved to Southern California in 1991, returned to us in 1993, and has been here ever since. She has 18 ECE units.

  • Yasmin Moreno

    Teacher

    Yasmin joined BlueSkies in July 2025 after working at The Boys and Girls Club in San Leandro. She has 19 units of Early Childhood Education.

  • Shantell Hoyt

    Teacher Assistant

    We met Shantell through a substitute agency and she started working with us through them in January 2025. In March she became one of our full-time employees! She is enrolled in her first ECE units now.

  • Damaris Hernandez

    Teacher

    Damaris started at BlueSkies through an internship at Castlemont High School in Oakland in 2024 and has completed her 12 Early Childhood Education classes to become a Teacher.

Todds

  • Sandy Quach

    Program Director, HedCo Infant Toddler Center

    Head Teacher

    Sandy started working with Blueskies in 2012. She has Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and over 42 units in Early Childhood Education. She has been Head Teacher for the Todds for the last 10 years.

  • Kiki Parnell

    Head Teacher

    Kiki worked at BlueSkies for many years before leaving to take care of her children and pursue other interests. She has an AA in Child Development. We are thrilled to have her back as a Head Teacher in HedCo starting in mid-September 2025!

  • Anna David

    Teacher

    Anna joined BlueSkies in early 2024. She has B.A. in Human Development with a focus on Adolescent Development. She is currently working in the Todds and Wobbly Walkers.

  • Rita Gonzalez

    Teacher

    Rita graduated from Castlemont High School and joined BlueSkies in 2023. She is enrolled at Chabot College and is currently working in the Playroom classroom after starting in the Todds.

  • Veronica Garcia

    Teacher Assistant

    Veronica started in the Baby House and as a Housekeeping substitute. She joined BlueSkies in 2024 and is starting her Early Childhood Education classes.

Playroom

  • Miriam "Mimi" Martin

    Master Teacher

    Mimi has been at BlueSkies since its founding as AOCS in the early 1980s. She has worked in many classrooms at the school over the years but primarily with the 2-4 year olds. She is now also supporting with training!

  • Malika Tiguercha

    Teacher

    Malika was hired in early 2024. She has an AA in Child Development, an AA in Business Administration, and a BA in Construction Management. Her daughter Leia attends in the Homeroom.

  • Eboni Bolton

    Teacher

    Eboni started at BlueSkies in September 2022. She has an AA in Child Development from Merritt College and has more than ten years of experience working with young children. At BlueSkies she has worked in Wobbly Walkers, Todds, and Playroom.

  • Rhodora Maung-Quitoras

    Teacher

    Rhoda started at BlueSkies in fall of 2025. She has a BA in Secondary Education from the Philippines and 12 units of Early Childhood Education. Her son, Taylor, attended during his Playroom and Homeroom years and is starting TK.

  • Corsiana Moala

    Assistant Teacher

    Corsiana recently graduated from Castlemont High School and is currently attending Chabot College for a Nursing degree.

Homeroom

  • Benjamin Haywood III

    Master Teacher

    Benjamin has been working at BlueSkies since he was a teenager. He has 12 Early Childhood Education units and has worked in most of the classrooms at the school.

  • Rosalia Arteaga Romo

    Head Teacher

    Rosalia holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State University, became a teacher in the Wobbly Walkers in 2012, and the Head Teacher in 2014. She worked in the Wobblies until 2019, at which time she shifted to be Head Teacher of our Schoolroom classroom, where she has been since. Rosalia has also generously served on the Board of Directors for BlueSkies since 2021.

Schoolroom

  • Brittany Hudlin

    Head Teacher

    Brittany has a Master’s degree in Education with the Early Childhood Education option from California State University, East Bay. She has been at BlueSkies since March of 2021. Her son, Rashaad graduated from BlueSkies and her daughters Nia and Nariah currently attend.

  • Joselyn Longares-Cortes

    Assistant Teacher

    Joselyn started working at BlueSkies as a temporary summer hire in 2024. She returned full time in March 2025 and is currently in the Homeroom classroom.

Substitute Teachers

  • Dyana Arteaga

    Substitute Teacher

    Dyana started at BlueSkies in 2019. She has an AA in Child Development, and her son, Alessio, attends BlueSkies.

  • Keneesha Fowler

    Substitute Teacher

    Keneesha joined BlueSkies in September 2023. She holds an A.A. in Early Childhood Studies with over 15 years of experience as a teacher.

Support Services Staff

  • Melesio Santiago Sanchez

    Director of Support Services

    Melesio joined BlueSkies in summer of 2023. He is an excellent chef with great experience running a kitchen and ensuring food is safe and well prepared for the children, a well as ensuring any dietary accommodations are seen to. At the end of 2024 he was promoted to Director of Support Services, adding helping to supervise housekeeping and janitorial services for the school to his duties.

  • Hilda Rocha

    Head Housekeeper

    Hilda started at BlueSkies in 2016 as a housekeeper in HedCo. She is now our Head Housekeeper, managing the rest of the Housekeeping staff and ensuring the school stays up to her high standards of cleanliness and order.

  • Kalaya Maw

    Housekeeper

    Kalaya joined us in 2022 to support with Nursery School housekeeping.

  • Von Chu

    Housekeeper

    Von joined us in 2024. She is currently supporting Todds and the front of school.

  • Guillermina Mendoza de Ortiz

    Housekeeper

    Gia joined us in March 2023. She works primarily supporting the HedCo program.

  • Jamie Sanitate

    Property Manager

    Jamie is a father of two and both of my daughters went to a preschool co-op where he participated weekly for 4 years. During his last year he served on the board as a maintenance director, and he has been helping BlueSkies with small projects around the school since early 2025.