Our qualified and dedicated teachers are at the core of the program. The school employs two full-time preschool teachers and two part-time teachers, as well as three teacher's aides. All are native or fully bilingual German speakers and are also fluent in English. Every teacher/teacher's aide has extensive credentials in early childhood education. A high teacher-child ratio (1:6) ensures that each child gets the attention s/he needs. The monthly staff meetings and yearly staff training inspire new ideas and resources for the program. Each staff member brings special skills to the table, contributing with their unique rich life and work experience.

BAKS is administered by the director under the guidance of a volunteer board of directors made up of four parents.

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Rabea Walker (Director)

Rabea joined Kinderstube in August 2019 as a full-time preschool teacher. She was born in Kiel and grew up in Berlin, where she attended Gymnasium. After graduating, she moved to the Bay Area. Rabea studied Psychology and has 27 units of Early Childhood Education. She holds a Site Supervisor Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and is a Certified Infant CLASS Observer. 
As an educator, Rabea is devoted to the concept of a well-rounded curriculum that is designed entirely to help each child reach his or her full potential in all areas of life. She believes that children are competent and thinks of herself as a lifelong learner and co-learner to the children. She is also committed to fostering a learning community, where each child is known, cared for, and is being supported to achieve the best version of him/herself. 
Rabea enjoys participating in all that the Kinderstube program has to offer. She especially enjoys facilitating a special time for the Igel group, where they explore sensory materials, art, or simple science concepts.

Marion Krieger (teacher)

Beatrix Lehmann (substitute teacher)

Bea was born and raised in Austria, received a degree in economics at the WU in Vienna. She worked in marketing in Vienna and in various business capacities in San Francisco. She earned 12 ECE units at Merritt College in Oakland. At Kinderstube she is involved in cooking with the children, biweekly science projects with the foxes and the learning garden. She loves being around children and see them grow, and very much enjoys being part of the Kinder Stube community. Her work with children began as a teenager when she worked as a summer camp counselor. For many years she volunteered in the classroom at a Berkeley public school. In the Bay area she also volunteered at the San Francisco Zoo, the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors and at the moment as a feline foster provider with the East Bay Humane Society. In her free time she enjoys the outdoors, hiking, bicycling, camping, sailing and gardening.

Katrin Borek

Katrin grew up in a small town in Germany near the Dutch border, where her childhood was mostly spent on a bike, exploring green fields and practicing 'forest breathing'—though back then, we just called it playing in the woods and screaming at the top of our lungs!
She was always passionate about helping others, which led her to a degree as a Diplom Sozialpädagogin. Her studies have taken her all over the globe, from supporting street children and orphans in Africa and South America. Back in Germany, she helped young homeless mothers to change their situation to reunite with their children and minor aged unaccompanied refugees to build a stable future. Those experiences shaped her deep belief that every child deserves a safe, nurturing place to grow, be loved, and just have fun.
Katrin’s family spent three years living in Málaga, Spain—including the pandemic years—and a few years ago they moved to the Bay Area, and now that both of her girls are in school, she’s back in college again to specialize in Early Childhood Education. When not at school, you’ll usually find Katrin out hiking, in the library or enjoying a scoop of pistachio ice cream.

Tina Michel (teacher)

Tina grew up in a small town in Thuringia, Germany. Later she moved to Dresden to study at the Technical University and earned a Magister Artium degree in Linguistics and Education. After finishing University Tina worked in Public Relations and Marketing.
In 2018, her husband and first born son Vico moved to Oakland. Shortly after they arrived her second son Nevi was born. Tina decided to become a Stay-at-home-Mom and take care of her children. Now both of them are in Elementary school and Tina was looking to take on a new challenge and go back to work. She volunteered a lot in her sons preschools and school and realized how satisfying and joyful it is to work with children in different settings. 
Eventually she started working as an aide at Kinderstube in 2023. Now she has earned her degree as an associate preschool teacher degree and is excited to be a part of the Kinderstube family.

Malin Dang (teacher’s aide)

Malin is excited to join Kinderstube as a classroom aide, though she has been part of the Kinderstube family for many years. Her son began attending Kinderstube in 2019, followed by her daughter in 2023. As a parent, Malin loved being involved in the school community and served on the Kinderstube Board as Parent Coordinator.
Inspired by her experiences at Kinderstube, Malin is now earning her Early Childhood Education (ECE) credits and is thrilled to be part of the Kinderstube team. Malin believes every child has unique gifts to offer the world. She is passionate about creating a warm, nurturing environment where children feel safe, seen, and accepted for exactly who they are, while encouraging them to discover their strengths, grow with confidence, and delight in learning.