Janise Cota

With over 15 years of experience in early childhood education, Janise brings a warm, child-centered approach to her role as Head of Early Childhood at Pine Street School, where she oversees the school's Montessori and PYP-based program for children ages 1 through Junior Kindergarten 4s. Janise joined Pine Street School in 2017 as a Kindergarten Spanish teacher, later moving into the Junior Kindergarten English classroom before becoming the 2s Education Director in 2021, in addition to her teaching role. She added Preschool Division Coordinator to her responsibilities in 2022 and later stepped into her current role as Head of Early Childhood. Across her time at Pine Street, she has contributed to the school's Apple Distinguished School application, served on the NEASC internal reflection team throughout the school's accreditation process, and partnered with the Director of Educational Technology and Innovation to bring new digital tools, including the Toddle platform, into the Early Childhood classrooms. Janise holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds NAMC Montessori certification and New York State certification in Early Childhood Education, and is bilingual in Spanish. At the heart of Janise's work is a belief in process over product, and in grounding every policy and practice in research. Coming from a long line of educators in both the U.S. and Mexico, she strongly believes in the power of education to change a child's trajectory, and she brings that same intentionality to her partnerships with families and staff. Mexico is Janise's home country and where her love of Spanish comes from. She grew up in Arizona before moving to New York over a decade ago. Outside of school, she volunteers with organizations supporting children experiencing homelessness. She's an avid reader and a devoted home cook of Mexican and South American dishes, and can often be found riding her bike around the city, at the beach, or grilling in her backyard.