Get to Know the Del Valle CDC Staff

In the Main Office we have…

Scott Wille is the current director of the CDC and joined us in August of 2012. He was formerly the school librarian at Creedmoor Elementary School in Creedmoor, Texas.  Before relocating to Austin, he worked at the Farias Early Childhood Center (Houston ISD) as the school librarian for four years.  Scott has 17 years in education and enjoys watching children acquire new knowledge.

Rose Castro is our Administrative Assistant and Registrar.  She is the “glue” for the CDC program and runs the front office.  Rose was previously a classroom teacher for 10 years at the Del Valle CDC.  Her favorite age to teach was the 2 year olds.  She loved seeing the children learn and grow.

Leticia Reyna Salinas works as the Child Inc. clerk and social worker for the Head Start program.  She has worked with Child Inc. for 13 years, two of which have been at the Del Valle CDC.

Gail Jones-Davis is the CDC Coordinator.  She assists the director with overseeing licensing regulations and caregivers.  She has worked for 19 years at the CDC with all ages from birth to age 5.  She enjoys working with 2 and 3-year-olds the most.  She loves watching her children grow and seeing how excited they get when learning something new.  Gail has countless hours in early childhood and 25 college hours in Early Childhood. She has her Director Certification. 

The Infant Team:

Alicia Downing is the Infant Team Leader.  She has worked for a total of 18 years with the Del Valle CDC in childcare with ages ranging from 6 weeks to 4 years old.  She prefers caring for newborn infants.  She enjoys seeing their big smiles first thing in the morning and watching them cuddle up while sleeping in her arms.  Alicia has her CDA.

Betty Edwards has worked for 19 years in childcare.  She has worked mainly with infants and toddlers.  She loves giving children love and attention and watching them as they progress through the developmental stages.  Betty has her certificate in Child Development.

Alice Haros has worked with infants and toddlers for 12 years at the CDC.  She enjoys watching babies and toddlers grow in their own special ways and reaching various developmental milestones.  Alice has her CDA.

Amalia Martinez has worked at the CDC as an infant teacher for 4 years.  Previously she cared for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in her home for 5 years as well as raising five children of her own.  She enjoys seeing her children grow, smile and begin to crawl.  Amalia has her CDA.

Julia Morales has been working with young children for 10 years, 7 of which have been at the CDC.  She has cared for children ages 6 weeks to 18 months and prefers working with one-year-olds the most.  She loves to see their smiling faces every day and continues to learn from every child.  She understands that parents need to work and wants to make sure she provides a safe and loving environment for each child.

Brittany Goldstien

Michelle Montana has worked at the CDC for 10 years and has 19 years in childcare.  She has worked with all ages of children from birth to age 5.  She especially enjoys working with toddlers and watching them grow and learn new things as they develop. She also enjoys developing a good relationship with her parents.  Michelle is currently working on her Associate's Degree in Early Childhood.

Anna Reynero has been with the CDC for the past 5 years.  She has worked with children from birth to 5-years-old as a relief teacher.  Anna’s favorite thing about working with young children is knowing that she can make a difference in their lives just by positively interacting with them through children’s books and songs they love.

The Toddler Team:

Griselda Cortez has her CDA and has been working with children for 14 years. She has been with the CDC for four years and has worked with both infant and toddlers.  Griselda enjoys watching her kids grow and learn though creative art. The best part of her job is getting greeted with good morning hugs. 

Elizabeth Almenar de Garcia recently joined the CDC team.  She has worked in childcare for 4 years.  She feels she learns from her children every day.  She enjoys seeing the children’s faces as they discover and learn new things and develop new ways of communicating and sharing.  Elizabeth has a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Master's Degree in Music Education.  She is a renowned opera singer in Venezuela.

Bertha Rodriguez just joined the CDC team and enjoys working with children.  Her favorite age group is 12-18 months. She loves playing with the children and teaching them different things as they grow up.

Dianna Haros has provided childcare to all ages birth through 5-years-old.  She has worked at the CDC for 7 years.  She enjoys working with 3 and 4-yea-olds the most.  She loves working with young children, watching them grow and learn.  She feels privileged to be a part of their leaning world.

Rita Escobarhas been working with kids for 19 years and has been with the CDC for 2 years.  She has her CDA, child development certificate and is working on finishing her Associate's Degree in child development.  Her favorite thing about working with children is that they greet her with the best smiles and fill her day with unexpected surprises.

Jessica Davis has worked at the CDC as a relief teacher for the past 5 years.  She has experience teaching all ages from birth to age 5.  She enjoys the hugs she gets from the children and watching them grow every day.  Jessica has her CDA.

The Preschool/PPCD Team:

Lucy Navarro has worked in childcare for 16 years.  She recently returned to the CDC after several years of caring for her precious grandchildren.  She has worked with children from babies to pre-k.  She enjoys watching children grow and develop into school age learners.  Lucy has her Associate's Degree in Early Childhood.

Courtney Duncan recently joined the CDC team as our Pre-K teacher.  She is currently participating in the Texas School Ready Grant.  Courtney has been teaching for seven years and enjoys working with Pre-K and Kindergarten. She has her B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, Early Childhood – 4 in general education and Early Childhood -12 in Special Education. She enjoys seeing the pride children develop when they acquire knowledge independently.

Meghan Barrientos is the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities Teacher.  She’s been working with children for 4 years and has been with the CDC for 2 years.  She enjoys working with 3 and 4-year-olds because the growth and improvement is unique for each child she cares for.  Meghan has her B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, Early Childhood – 4 in General Education and Early Childhood -12 in Special Education.

Ana Santillan is a Teacher Assistant for PPCD.  She has worked in the classroom for 10 years and has been with the CDC for 4 years.  She has taught ages from 3 to 12 years old and likes working with the younger children.  Ana knows she makes a difference in each child she works with because she sees the progress every day.  Ana has training in Special Education. She has her CDA and is working on her Associate’s Degree.

Doris LaBoy had been working with the CDC for 2 years and has worked in childcare for 10 years. Doris likes working with the 3-years-old because they teach her something new every day.  Doris is currently working towards her CDA.

Rhonda Tyler has worked for the CDC for the past 4 years.  As a relief teacher she has worked with all ages birth through age 5, but has spent the majority of time working with 3 and 4-year-olds.  She enjoys seeing the children’s faces light up as they learn something new.  Rhonda is certified in American Sign Language, has her CDA, and is presently working towards her Associate's Degree in Early Childhood.

The Head Start Team:

Thayer McCafree has been with the CDC team for 2 years, however she has 23 years of experience working in Texas public schools.  She has previously taught high school, middle school and elementary.  She is currently working in early childhood with the Head Start program.  She enjoys being treated like a rock star by her students when she plays the ukulele for them.  She believes that early childhood is the most important age to teach that gives children the most long-term success.

Shirley Shuler has worked at the CDC in the Head Start program for 3 years.  She has 22 years of classroom experience in early childhood.  She enjoys listening to and teaching children ages 3-5 and believes in their unique differences.  Shirley has her CDA.

Benita Rocha has worked at the CDC in the Head Start program for 3 years.  She has 33 years experience in the classroom and enjoys teaching ages 3-5.  She loves watching preschool age children grow and learn.  Benita has her CDA.

Joseph "Buck" Oslin joined the CDC recently this year but has been teaching for the past four years.  Joseph has his B.A. in Early Childhood Education and English.  He enjoys working with children ages 4-5 and loves that children are excited to come to school and eager to learn.

Adella Arias recently joined the CDC team this year but has 15 years of experience working with infants to Pre-K children. Adella has her certificate in Child Development and is currently working on her Associate's Degree in Early Child Development.  She likes that her children have a lot of imagination and keep her on her toes.

The Special Education Team:

Rosie Salcido is the Child Find Coordinator.  She has been with the CDC for 6 years and has 27 years in education.  She has worked with ages 3 through high school, but enjoys working in Early Childhood the most.  She laughs and enjoys the silly things children say and do.  Rosie has a Master's Degree in Bilingual Education.

Elizabeth (Libby) Dearden recently joined the CDC team last year.  She works with children ages 3-5.  She enjoys seeing the look of excitement on their faces when they learn something for the first time (the ah-ha moment).  Libby has Master’s Degree in Speech and Language Pathology.

Karin Edwards is the ARD Facilitator at the CDC.  She has 8 years of classroom experience working with children with special needs.  She loves working with early childhood and elementary age children the most due to their excitement about coming to school.  Karin has a Master’s Degree in Education from UT Austin and is certified as a diagnostician from Texas State Univeristy.