Teachers

Our teachers have extensive early childhood education experience, and many years at Poe Co. All bring to our children’s developmental experience an abundance of knowledge, skill, passion, and commitment.

Cara Lozano, Director and Co-Teacher Acorn Class

Mrs. Cara is our Executive Director and a co-teacher of our Acorn (3-4 year old) class.

Mrs. Cara has over 30 years of early childhood experience. She has taught in three area preschools and worked as a director for the past 20 years.

She received both her BS in Family and Child Development and Director’s Certification from Texas State University in San Marcos.

Mrs. Cara and her husband have three children as well as three dogs. She enjoys gardening and working outside with her husband, reading, and cooking.

Stacey Karr Ernstein, Co-Teacher Acorn Class

Ms. Stacey has 15 years experience in childhood education. She got her start at Mark Twain Elementary, where she served a number of specialized roles for kindergarten through 5th graders. Along with running the after school program, she focused on literary comprehension and reading skills. With the children, she loves reading, crafts, and creative outdoor projects.

She has a bachelor’s degree from University of Houston in Print Journalism.

She lives with her husband and dog, Esther. When she’s not teaching at Poe Co, she loves cooking and anything near the water.

Chiara Pereira, Co-Teacher Apple Class

Ms. Chiara received her bachelor’s degree in preschool education in her hometown of Caracas, Venezuela. There, she worked at a preschool for four years before moving to Houston in 2014.

Most recently, she completed her degree in early childhood education from Houston Community College. Ms. Chiara is the youngest of four sisters, and has always desired to be a teacher. She has experience working with children who benefit from additional support and children of all abilities. She enjoys nurturing children to explore their own natural curiosities. Ms. Chiara feels honored to work for a program like Poe Co which allows her to explore and discover with the families she serves.

Ashley Molina, Co-Teacher Apple Class

Ms. Ashley joined Poe Co in 2012 and is currently working toward her degree in early childhood education. Prior to Poe Co, Ms. Ashley gained three years of experience working with children and was the lead infant teacher at The Childhood Center.

Ms. Ashley has many interests, including crafts, sports, music, reading, and traveling with her family. She has two daughters. She loves being part of the Poe Co community and looks forward to working with parents, students, and staff to make learning and teaching an exciting experience.

The Rice Literacy Project

Our teachers have been trained in the Rice Literacy Project and use the program as an important touchstone for our students’ literacy development. This unique storytelling literacy curriculum, developed by the Rice University Center for Education, is based on the work of Vivian Paley, MacArthur Fellow and kindergarten teacher. The program aims to pave the way for high literacy standards with rigorous oral language and print-related activities.

On a student’s parent-helper day, they dictate a story of their own choosing to their teacher. The story is read by the teacher during closing circle and acted out by fellow students. At the end of the year, each student gets a compilation of their own stories, as well as the stories of their classmates. In addition, throughout each day, published stories and poems are read, discussed, and sometimes acted out.