Meet the Teachers
Creative & Caring
Sarah Colwell
Young 3's Lead Teacher
Mrs. Colwell is beginning her 4th year at FCP and her second year leading the Young 3's class. She is a mom of former coop students; two boys who are now in 2nd and 5th grade at Roxboro Elementary.
Tricia Stefanak
3's & 4's Lead Teacher
Mrs. Stefanak sets up a positive environment, helping children adjust to their first time being at school.
Mrs. Stefanak has three children and two granddaughters and has lived in Cleveland Heights for 25 years.
Megan Abel
Pre-K Lead Teacher
Ms. Megan started working professionally in Early Childhood Education in 2007 after graduating from college in Pennsylvania. She spent eight years working for Bright Horizons Family Solutions teaching toddlers and preschoolers. After her second child was born, she transitioned to staying at home and caring for several children in her home.
Ms. Megan and her husband, Steve, have been married since 2007, and have 3 kiddos. They recently moved to Northfield and have spent the last year renovating their new fixer upper.
Ms. Megan has been a part of the FCP family since 2016 when her oldest son joined the PreK class. Her younger two children also attended FCP. She held several positions on the board over the years as a parent and eventually moved into a substitute role, including long-term sub positions. She came on board as the full time PreK teacher two years ago and is looking forward another great year with this crew!!
Beth Zednik
Director
Ms. Beth is our school's director. She has a background working in education as 7-12th grade math teacher, and then as a director of curriculum and instruction.
She helps keep our school running and makes sure we meet all of the state requirements. She has two daughters - a 4th grader and a Kindergartener at Fairfax Elementary, who both went through the coop.
Jenny Metzer
Young 3's Assistant Teacher
Ms. Jenny is a born and raised Clevelander, now living in Cleveland Heights for the past 12 years.
She joined Fairmount Coop in 2016 when her son Joseph enrolled in the 3/4s class. She volunteered on the executive board in 2017 and remained there until her son graduated. After Covid, she joined the preschool once again and served as Board President from 2021-2023. In that time, she worked to shape the Fairmount Coop community and became a long term substitute teacher in our Young 3’s class.
Though she left the coop when her son graduated in 2023, her passion for learning through play in a cooperative environment remained and she has now joined us on as a FCP staff member. Ms. Jenny is excited to work as the Teacher Assistant in our Young 3’s class helping our littlest students grow in a safe and caring environment.
Danay Johnson
3's & 4's Assitant Teacher
Throughout her career Ms. Johnson worked with different industries from hospitality, travel, entertainment, manufacturing, and education. She graduated from Cleveland State University with a Bachelors Degree in international Business and a minor in Marketing. While earning the degree, she was working as Lead Learner Coach at Tri-C.
Ms. Johnson joined the Fairmount Coop in 2018 when her son Quinn was in the Young 3’s and fell in love with the FCP community. She became a substitute teacher for 2 years which lead her to be an Assistant Teacher. This is year her 4th year as Assistant Teacher at FCP. Additionally, she has worked as the Summer to Grow Lead Teacher at Ruffing Montessori School.
These broad experiences helped her learn to be flexible and patient. Helping people gives her satisfaction, and working with children is very rewarding for me because she can be a part of their journey and grow alongside them.
Amanda Wallace
Pre-K Assistant Teacher
Originally from Tennessee, Ms. Amanda spent her childhood in Chattanooga She and her husband called Chicago home for 12 years before moving to Cleveland. While in Chicago, Ms. Amanda worked at an independent school for junior kindergarten through 12th grade, where she oversaw admissions. Her love for being in a school atmosphere surrounded by curious students of all ages blossomed there. She has also served as a Sunday school teacher and vacation bible school counselor in various churches over the years.
Ms. Amanda and her family moved to the Cleveland area when her husband joined Fairmount Presbyterian Church as Senior Pastor. Ms. Amanda and her husband live in Shaker Heights with their three children Mae (9), Silas (6), and Cece (3). Her son, Silas, attended FCP, which is how she and her family found this warm and welcoming community. She was an assistant teacher in Young 3s last year and is excited to join Pre-K this year!