100+ years of experience. A growing team of intentional educators.
These are the people your children would actually be with — every day. Educators who think about kids, not just curriculum.
Jessica, Cayla, Marissa & Rajeev — the people your kids would actually be with every day.
Jessica Murray
Jessica is an experienced and dynamic educator with over 25 years of teaching across middle and high school classrooms, homeschool programs, and enrichment co-ops. A National Board Certified Teacher in English Language Arts, Jessica holds a Master's in Elementary Education from PennWest California and began her career in Pittsburgh before moving to Florida, where she taught 8th–10th grade English, including Cambridge-level General Paper, and coached cross-country and track at West Boca High School. After stepping away from the traditional classroom to homeschool her three sons, Jessica deepened her commitment to experiential, community-based education through history clubs, film workshops, and local co-ops. As a co-founder of The GROW Cooperative, she brings a love for literature, history, and project-based learning to every classroom — and a heartfelt belief that education thrives when rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and joy.
Cayla Coco
Cayla is a lifelong educator with over 25 years of experience fostering creativity and connection through the arts and environmental education. She led art and cooking classes for students from preschool to high school, and expanded her impact through programs with Abrakadoodle, where she brought creative learning into schools, homes, and community spaces. Cayla has led teacher workshops, student art shows, and public art installations, all while championing child-led, experiential learning. Today, she teaches Nature Education at the Delray Beach Children's Garden, where she hosts immersive field trips that emphasize cross-curricular exploration and environmental stewardship. Cayla brings her passion for hands-on, eco-centered education to inspire young learners through art, gardening, and nature discovery.
Marissa Manister
Marissa brings over 25 years of experience in childcare and education supporting young learners through a blend of social-emotional learning, hands-on play, and nature-based education. A certified Early Childhood Educator and Social & Emotional Intelligence Coach, Marissa has served in a wide range of roles — from special education teacher in a New York City private school to nature play teacher at Sunflower Creative Arts. She also works at the Delray Beach Children's Garden, gaining deep experience in homeschooling models and experiential outdoor education. As an educator and a parent, Marissa is passionate about nurturing curiosity, confidence, and community in every child.
Rajeev Arora
With over 30 years of experience leading high-growth education and technology companies — including key roles as GM, COO, CMO, and CPO — Rajeev brings a strategic, real-world perspective to financial literacy and STEM instruction. He has driven transformative growth at pioneering EdTech organizations like Nearpod, Parchment, and Blackboard, and now channels his expertise into empowering young learners with practical skills in mathematics, entrepreneurship, and responsible money management.
Thais Silva
Thais has spent the past 20 years working with children, drawn again and again to the ways she can support their growth and development. She holds a degree in Psychology and a Master's in Education, giving her a strong foundation in both child development and learning. Throughout her career, Thais has taught across a range of educational settings, including Waldorf-inspired classrooms, and is especially drawn to approaches that nurture the whole child — honoring not just academic growth, but creativity, emotional well-being, independence, connection, and each child's individual rhythm. She believes childhood should be filled with meaningful learning, imagination, hands-on experiences, movement, nature, and strong relationships, and she loves building classrooms where children feel safe, seen, encouraged, and excited to learn.
Sabrina McCranels
Sabrina brings a background in studio art and hands-on youth instruction to her teaching. A Florida Atlantic University graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, she has taught art to children and teens in settings ranging from summer-camp ceramics and woodworking studios to guided painting classes for groups of all ages. Before joining GROW, Sabrina led arts and crafts programming at Camp Towanda and instructed acrylic painting sessions at Muse Paintbar, and she spent two years directing a student performance program, building skills in leadership, organization, and group instruction along the way. Sabrina loves creating a studio environment where kids feel free to experiment, make a mess, and discover what they're capable of.
Doreen Griffiths
Doreen brings to Grow her love of teaching and support for the homeschool community. With her Master's degree in Business Administration and teaching certificates in Early Childhood Education, Business Education, and Career and Technology Business, Doreen has spent many years teaching children of all grades from Pre-K through middle school — as a preschool, kindergarten, and math lab teacher, where she built remedial and gifted math programs and led a school-wide initiative that greatly increased students' mastery of math facts. Doreen is excited to be teaching the Thursday enrichment class and will bring her experience, knowledge, and love of history, geography, art, and math to help students excel while having fun learning.
Interested in teaching at GROW?
We’re always looking for educators who believe kids deserve to be truly known — not just managed. If this team and this community resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you.