We're Here for You and Your Child

Our work is about one thing above all else – the individual development of your child. Kent-Meridian Co-op Preschool has an amazing team of educators.  We have both teachers for the classroom and parent educators for the break-away parent ed sessions.

We're proud of our staff members and all that they do. This is who we are:

Cindy - Teacher

I am excited to be back at K.M. this year. This will be my 9th year here and my 23rd year of teaching co-op. Having participated in co-op with my own two grown children I have personally seen the benefits that come from belonging to a cocop. The sense of ownership and community is a wonderful aspect of being a part of a co-op. I feel like I get to know not only the children in my class but their families as well. I feel fortunate to work with children from 2 to 5 years old. I am looking forward to a great year and seeing some familiar faces again this fall.



Jen - Teacher

Hello and welcome to KM Co-op.  My name is Jen Hartvickson, and I currently teach the "Red Class". I was raised and schooled right here in Kent.  I attended the University of Washington and have a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics.  My intention was to get a job as an elementary school teacher, but I ended up teaching/supporting engineers at Boeing as a Computing Systems Administrator.  After 14 years I quit Boeing, to stay home when my husband and I had our daughter.  I have been with KM Co-op in some capacity for the last ten years.  My daughter Emma is now 10, and my first exposure to co-op was when she and I started in the "White" class when she was a baby.  I love the whole concept of co-op and am a huge proponent of DAP (Developmentally Appropriate Practice).  I love working with the kids and watching them grow and learn through the school year.  I hope your co-op experience will be as wonderful as mine was a parent and still is as a teacher.



Susanne - Teacher/Parent Educator

My name is Susanne Brach and I am a Parent Education instructor and Preschool teacher at KM co-op. I have been a preschool teacher at KM for the last 8 years. This will be my first year as a Parent Education instructor. I have a BA degree in Child Development and have worked with children for the last 24 years. I have two daughters who went to the preschool. They are 12 and 14 years of age. I embrace the co-op philosophy and believe children learn best through play. I look forward to working with all the families this coming year.



Sara - Parent Educator

I am very honored to be a part of KM Co-op Preschool as a Parent Educator. My experience with Cooperative preschool began in 1999, when I entered the baby class with my oldest son. My family remained at KM until 2008 when my youngest graduated from the 4’s class. I am the mother of three very energetic and remarkable boys. My husband and I often reflect on the positive impact that our cooperative preschool experience has had on our parenting. We learned numerous parenting techniques and gained lifelong friends to support us through our journey of parenting while at KM. For those reasons, I chose to return to KM as a Parent Education Instructor to support the cooperative model as new generations of parents enter the world of parenthood.
Before having children, I worked both with special needs children and mentally ill adults. My degrees in Psychology and English led me to pursue careers in education and later in job placement for mentally ill adults wishing to reenter the workforce. I have been teaching at KM for two years and enjoy facilitating the discussions that arise during parent education meetings. I am surrounded by inspiring parents everyday, and have the joy of watching their families grow and thrive.


Cari - Teacher

I am, first, a mom. My husband and I have 2 beautiful daughters ages 3 and 12. Both of my children are co-op kids and I treasure my role in that experience. For the last 3 years, I have been a stay-at-home mom, but I often call myself a "professional volunteer". I am the PTA President at Cedar Valley Elementary where I also teach an art class to preschool- first grade students after school.
I hold a degree in Early Childhood Education and have 12 years of teaching experience (6 years of co-op). I feel very strongly about co-op preschool, it's appropriately academic philosophy and the level of parent involvement. As a co-op teacher, my motto is "never miss an opportunity for fear of getting messy". Kids are washable and an excited classroom is a learning classroom. All curriculum is linked to real life experiences and beyond. As the teacher, I focus on art, music, movement and those one-of-a-kind experiences you can only have in preschool! After a 3 year break (filled with co-op fun with my youngest), I am excited to be Teacher Cari again.


Nan - Parent Educator

Nan has enjoyed working with children and youth for many years and is enthusiastic about the cooperative preschool experience. Her background includes an International Studies B.A., which she earned while studying alternative education and the effects of stress on preschool and elementary aged children in Osaka, Japan. She has been a youth camp director and currently is the director of a week-long community fine arts camp for families and children in the Bow, Washington area. Nan has taken several conflict resolution workshops and trainings for family communication through the staff from the Center for Conflict Resolution, Seattle, Washington. She has worked with abused and neglected children as a camp counselor at Camp Opportunity in southwest Washington and worked at a low-income daycare center with A.C.A.P in Auburn. She is the Art Docent contact for her son's elementary school as part of the Interurban Center for the Arts at Green River Community College that trains and provides materials for art education in the Kent and Auburn schools. She has an 8-year-old son and a daughter entering kindergarten this fall. They both spent their preschool years thriving at KM Co-op. Nan enjoys playing jazz and Celtic violin, gardening, reading and hiking with her husband, Todd, and spending time with family.