Dear Oyster-Adams Families,
Please give a warm welcome to the fabulous new crew we're welcoming for next year! As many of you know, we celebrated retirements for five staff members this year, said farewell to departing staff members returning to their home countries and states or new job opportunities, and welcomed staff members into new positions. The work of finding their torch-bearers involved student panels, LSAT family volunteers, SCAC hiring committees, and countless hours of vetting candidates from across the country (and Latin America).
As more new hires come on board over the summer, we will update them on this webpage too!
New Oyster Team Members and Position Shifts
Congrats to the following returning team members for their new roles:
- Congrats to Ms. Michelle VP for her new role as TAG Biliteracy intervention teacher! Check out Ms. Rigsbee's bio to learn more about who will be our new 3rd Grade ELA educator.
- Congrats to Ms. Reyna Rios for her new roles as Oyster SPED Teacher! Check out Ms. Stanford's bio to learn more about who will be our new 1st Grade ELA educator.
New Staff Members
Adriana Salcedo, Social Worker at Oyster
Hello! I am Ms. Salcedo, and I will be the social worker for the 2026–2027 school year. I am Colombian-Dutch-American, born in Honduras, and have spent the last six years living in Mexico. For more than 20 years, I have worked in schools and community-based agencies in New York and Washington, DC. Working with children is my passion and specialty, and I believe that the best outcomes happen when families are empowered with the tools, resources, and support they need to help their children thrive. I enjoy partnering with parents and caregivers to build strong, supportive environments where every child can succeed.
I am excited to be back in DC with my husband and our two children, ages 8 and 10. As a family, we love taking advantage of all that the city has to offer, including shows, hikes, museums, art, and dancing!
Liliana Garcia, Oyster Librarian
Liliana García is a 33-year-old librarian from Colombia. She loves biking and being outdoors with her dog, Data, a senior beagle. She cares about mutual aid, community building, and restorative practices. Liliana has been working with youth since 2017. She has taught and Spanish as a second language, she has done community archiving and museum work, and she has been a public librarian at Mt. Pleasant for many years. She is thrilled to join the Oyster-Adams team!
Rosa Valverde, Kinder Teacher
Hola familias de Oyster-Adams. Soy Rosa Valverde y estoy muy feliz de unirme al equipo de Kindergarten este año. Quizás algunas familias ya me conozcan, ya que el año pasado tuve la alegría de acompañar a muchos de sus hijos como maestra de Arte mientras cubría licencia de maternidad. Estudié Educación Inicial en la PUCP, en Perú, me especialicé en Pedagogía Montessori y he trabajado como maestra de aula en Perú y en Estados Unidos. Fuera de la escuela disfruto del arte, viajar, bailar y jugar pickleball.¡ Espero conocerlos pronto y compartir este año escolar con sus niños!
Victoria Stanford, 1st Grade ELA Teacher
Hello Oyster-Adams! My name is Victoria Stanford and I am excited to be a part of the OA team as a 1st grade ELA teacher. I am originally from Austin, Texas and earned my degree in Child Professional Services at Texas A&M University. I moved to DC last year and recently graduated from Georgetown University with a masters in Educational Transformation and a certification in teaching English as a Second Language. Prior to moving to DC, I taught kindergarten in Texas and this past school year I was a Partner Teacher at Oyster for 1A and 1B! My passion is teaching foundational literacy and guiding students in developing a love for reading and writing. When I am not in the classroom, I love exploring DC, trying new restaurants, and watching reality tv. I am so excited to be a part of this special community and can’t wait to see my students learn and grow this upcoming school year. Have a wonderful summer!
Payson Rigbee, 3rd Grade ELA
Hello! My name is Payson Rigsbee, and I am thrilled to be joining the Oyster-Adams community as a 3rd grade teacher this upcoming school year. For the past four years, I have taught 4th grade in elementary school in Raleigh, North Carolina. I earned my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from North Carolina State University and love helping students build confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning. Outside of school, I enjoy running, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I am excited to get to know the students and families of Oyster-Adams and look forward to a wonderful school year together! 💙🐯
New Adams Team Members and Position Shifts
Congrats to the following returning team members for their new roles:
- Congrats to Mr. Braswell for his new role as 4/5th Grade SPED Literacy teacher! Check out Ms. Williams' bio to learn more about who will be our new 7/8 SPED Teacher.
- Congrats to Ms. Cienfuegos for her new roles as 5th Grade Math Teacher! Check out Ms. Maya Taft-Morales' bio to learn more about who will be our new TAG Teacher.
New Staff Members
Nicole López (7th Grade SLA Maternity Leave Sub)
Nicole López is originally from Colombia and moved to the United States at age 16. She graduated Cum Laude from Trinity Washington University with a B.A. in Education and a minor in Psychology. She is excited to begin her first year of teaching at Oyster-Adams! Outside the classroom, Nicole works with a D.C.-based nonprofit, helping organize educational programs and outreach for students across the D.C. area. She is also a proud mom to a 4-month-old baby and loves dancing and spending time with her family. Fun fact: she loves karaoke and never turns down a chance to sing!
Alejandro Gomez, 4th Grade SLA
Mr. Gomez was born in Mexico and moved to the states at an early age. After graduating with a degree in second-language pedagogy he taught English in Spain for two years. In the States, his experiences include teaching Spanish and English as a second language as well as core subjects in both languages in Oklahoma, Virginia, and Washington D.C. He enjoys gardening, cooking, music, and is finally learning how to dance cumbias.
Alayna Williams, 7th + 8th Grade ELA SPED
Alayna Williams discovered her passion for teaching multilingual students while serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Rustenburg, South Africa teaching 8th and 9th grade English. Most recently, she served as an English teacher for 9th graders at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School in Petworth, where she specialized in supporting multilingual learners. Mrs. Williams earned her M.A. from Georgetown University’s Educational Transformation program with a concentration in learning and teaching. She was so impressed by the Oyster Adams students who participated in her demo lesson and is excited to join our community! Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband and tuxedo cat, weightlifting at the gym, and trying to meet her annual reading goal.
Maya Taft-Morales, 4th and 5th Grade TAG (Math Interventionist and Maternity Leave Sub for Sra. Tafur)
Maya Taft-Morales grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, and went to high school at the Edmund Burke School in Washington, DC. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tufts University with a double major in Child Development and Latin American Studies. After earning a Masters in Elementary Education, she enjoyed being a 4th grade inclusion teacher in Boston Public Schools. After 5 great years as a bilingual 4th grade teacher at Bancroft Elementary in Mount Pleasant, she spent some time travelling in Asia, New Zealand, and Europe. She is looking forward to being back home in DC and working with the students, families, and staff at Oyster Adams Bilingual School!
