Rachel has worked with young children, mostly in not-for-profit settings for the past 44 years. Her work has included teaching children, coordinating parents, educating teachers, designing curricula, and directing child care facilities in the United States and several countries in Africa.

In addition to her work as an educator, Rachel has been active in the early childhood advocacy and public policy field. She served for over 20 years on the Palo Alto Child Care Task Force, the Palo Alto Child Care Advisory Council, and the Palo Alto Task Force for Family Support. She also chaired the Palo Alto Child Care Advisory Committee. She was involved in the creation of the Santa Clara CARES program, which uses First 5 funding to encourage professional growth and training for early childhood educators in Santa Clara County.

Rachel’s educational background includes a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and Multicultural Education.