Experts

Trusted Voices in Early Childhood Professional Development

Behind every training session is a team of educators who understand the challenges and opportunities of today’s classrooms. Our professional development leaders draw on years of hands-on experience to guide teachers, strengthen programs, and create lasting impact for children.

Professional Development Experts

Decades Of Experience In Early Education

Ali Oliver – M.Ed.

Vice President of Professional Development

Lisa Steinbauer

Director of Professional Development

Dr. Brian Mowry

Professional Development Director of Content

Mark Jasso

Professional Development Manager

Claudia A. Castillo- Magallanez – M.Ed.

Professional Development Bilingual Content Specialist

Melody Dunn M.Ed.

Professional Development Content Specialist

Monica Cordoba – M.Ed.

Professional Development Bilingual Content Specialist

Helen Moore

Professional Development Support Specialist

Esmeralda Aguirre

Professional Development Bilingual Content Specialist

Annie Ramsayer

Professional Development Content Specialist

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Curriculum Hub

See how family engagement connects to curriculum components.

SEL and Whole-Child Learning

Explore how social-emotional learning extends to home settings.

Professional Development

Learn about training that supports effective family partnerships.

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Ali Oliver – M.Ed.

Vice President of Professional Development

Ali Oliver is the Vice President of Professional Development for Frog Street. She has been in the educational field for over 25 years. Her career began as a classroom teacher and then as a reading specialist. Her true passion lies in Early Childhood Education, where she went on to train, mentor, and coach teachers. Ms. Oliver earned her Master’s degree in Administrative Leadership and spent 10 years as an Elementary School Principal in a large urban school district.

Lisa Steinbauer

Director of Professional Development

Lisa Steinbauer joined Frog Street over 10 years ago and is currently the Manager for Professional Learning. Her career spans 30+ years in education, including several years in classrooms teaching children from ages three to 2nd grade. Lisa received her degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Texas, with a focus on Educational Administration in post-grad work. She is a Master Trainer for the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System and a registered trainer in other states. Lisa is a certified trainer in Zero to Three’s curriculum, The Growing Brain: From Birth to Five Years Old, and a certified Toddler CLASS observer.

 

She has developed and facilitated countless workshops internationally in all areas of Early Childhood, providing classroom coaching and presenting at conferences. Lisa’s joy comes from successfully equipping educators with effective resources and solutions, including the support and mentorship needed to provide classrooms where students are thriving, and a love of learning is instilled. She considers herself a lifelong learner, striving for professional and personal growth. This passion is followed second only to her family: her husband Mark of 35 years, their three grown daughters, and her grandchildren: 3-year-old Harper and 1-year-old Riley.

Dr. Brian Mowry

Professional Development Director of Content

Dr. Mowry is a contributing author of various curricula and assessment tools, including Frog Street Pre-K and the AIM Observational Assessment. He has presented at several national and local conferences, focusing on topics in Mathematics, STEAM, Dual Language Learners, play, and Developmentally Appropriate Practices. Before joining the Frog Street Team, Dr. Mowry worked in the Austin Independent School District as a bilingual pre-school and kindergarten teacher and as a K-5 math and early childhood instructional specialist and administrator.

Mark Jasso

Professional Development Manager

Mark Jasso joined Frog Street with more than ten years of service in Texas public education. After moving back to the United States from Central America, Mark graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and began teaching English and Creative Writing. For the past few years, Mark has worked in curriculum and instruction, data analysis, and testing coordination in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

In addition to spending time with family, friends, and his eight-year-old boxer mix, Mark enjoys a good book, live performances, and discovering new places that have great coffee and/or interesting history.

Claudia A. Castillo- Magallanez – M.Ed.

Professional Development Bilingual Content Specialist

Bilingual Specialist and an Adjunct Faculty at San Antonio College. She has 24 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field, obtaining a Master of Education in Early Childhood with Bilingual Specialization from Texas A & M University – San Antonio.

 

Her career experience includes Head Start and Early Head Start administration, teaching, coaching, mentoring as a reliable certified Infant/Toddler /PreK CLASS observer, Master Trainer for the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System, and Family Engagement. She serves as the President for the San Antonio Chapter of TXAEYC. Claudia is an advocate for high-quality early childhood education and a support for Early Childhood Educators.

Melody Dunn M.Ed.

Professional Development Content Specialist

Melody received her degree from Grambling State University and a master’s from Grand Canyon University in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a dynamic early childhood advocate with a passion for training, coaching, and providing engaging, diverse professional development opportunities that grow and stretch educators. She believes teachers should model their love of learning. Melody’s philosophy on early childhood is to provide high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and engaging activities that meet the needs of ALL children.

 

Melody is one of Frog Street’s Professional Learning Specialists. She has 20 years of experience from Early Childhood to 4th grade. Melody implemented the Frog Street curriculum with three- and four-year-old students as a teacher. Eventually, as an Early Childhood Specialist, she supported administrators, teachers, and students across 15 campuses in creating high-quality early childhood classrooms. This support included providing professional development to administrators, teachers, and parents, assisting campuses with implementing district-wide instructional strategies, and evaluating student assessment data to inform district-level strategies for improving outcomes of early childhood students.

Monica Cordoba – M.Ed.

Professional Development Bilingual Content Specialist

Monica Cordoba is the Professional Learning Bilingual Specialist for Frog Street. Her career spans 14 years in early childhood education, including several years in a Head Start classroom as a certified bilingual teacher, teaching children from ages three to five using the Frog Street PreK Curriculum. She also served as a Pre-K Instructional Specialist for a major school district, mentoring 20 Pre-K and Three’s teachers, all of whom used the Frog Street Curriculum.

 

Monica received her degree in Bilingual Elementary Education from Texas A&M University. She has also obtained a master’s degree focusing on Educational Administration. Monica is a certified Toddler and PreK CLASS observer who has attributed to the development and facilitation of countless workshops in all areas of Early Childhood. In addition, she also provides classroom coaching to teachers across the continuum. Monica’s goal is to give educators an engaging environment where she can share effective strategies to provide joyful classrooms where students are successful and a love of learning is encouraged. She considers herself a lifelong learner who strives to grow professionally and personally.

Helen Moore

Professional Development Support Specialist

Helen brings to Frog Street over a decade of invaluable experience bolstering the Professional Development team with her knowledge, coupled with a profound dedication to empowering her colleagues and clients. Her journey began at Texas A&M, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture development, specializing in Leadership Education. Helen’s unwavering belief in the transformative power of early education propels her mission, viewing educators as the architects of tomorrow, entrusted with nurturing a fervent curiosity for learning in young minds. With her steadfast support, the professional development team is equipped with practical tools and inspired to cultivate a lifelong love for learning in every child they encounter.

Esmeralda Aguirre

Professional Development Bilingual Content Specialist

Esmeralda Aguirre is a Professional Development Bilingual Consultant with Frog Street Press, where she applies her extensive knowledge and expertise to help teachers enhance their skills and knowledge. She is an accomplished and experienced bilingual teacher, holding a Master’s Degree in Financial Management. She worked with PK-2 and Gifted and Talented students for over nine years and has also served as an Instructional Specialist with Dallas ISD for five years.

 

Esmeralda is particularly interested in STEAM and Computer Science and is passionate about promoting these subjects in Early Childhood classrooms. She is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology and Instructional Design, where she will learn new ways to integrate technology and innovative teaching approaches into her work. Esmeralda derives great satisfaction and joy in preparing teachers to equip the next generation of lifelong learners.

Annie Ramsayer

Professional Development Content Specialist

Annie is a passionate professional dedicated to education and child development. She is deeply committed to fostering a positive learning environment and offering training and coaching to empower teachers in creating safe and welcoming spaces for student exploration and growth. Her pursuit of furthering her expertise led her to become a certificated CLASS observer.

 

Her commitment to learning, expertise in curriculum development, and collaborative approach make her an invaluable asset to Frog Street.