Get to know the Best in Class team who work with program administrators and teachers in child care, Head Start programs, and schools to make sure every child has high-quality learning experiences the year before kindergarten.
Shannon Brown - Best in Class coach
Shannon Brown graduated from Valley City State University in 2002. She has spent her career supporting best practices for young children.
Shannon has worked as an early childhood coach for over 16 years. She has also been a Best in Class coach since the program began in 2021. She loves her work and strongly supports teachers in early childhood education.
Shannon believes that strong, positive relationships are the key to successful coaching. As a Best in Class coach, she helps teachers improve their skills so they can create high-quality, play-based learning experiences that lead to better outcomes for children across our state.
Fun Fact: Shannon is very friendly and enjoys starting conversations with just about anyone.
Taylor Krieg - Best in Class coach
Taylor has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She has spent her career supporting young children and their families. She started working with children at the age of 12 as a nanny. Since then, she has had many roles, including Early Head Start Education Coordinator and Developmental Disabilities Program Manager for children from birth to age three.
For the past two years, Taylor has worked as a Best in Class Coach. In this role, she supports high-quality learning for 4-year-olds across North Dakota. She is passionate about early childhood and works hard to help all children succeed. As a mother of two daughters, she brings both her work experience and her personal experience to what she does.
Fun Fact: Taylor was on her high school dance team when they won the first-ever State Dance Championship in 2009.
Tasha Lind - Best in Class coach
Tasha Lind has worked in early childhood education for more than 18 years. She started her career as a preschool teacher and later became a coach. For the last five years, she has worked with Best in Class. In this role, she helps programs across North Dakota provide great learning experiences for 4-year-olds before they start kindergarten.
Tasha is dedicated to growing Best in Class throughout the state. She takes great pride in the progress and success of the programs she supports.
Fun Fact: Tasha is a big hockey fan. Her family even has a rink in their backyard where her husband and two sons play every night.
Shonda Wild - Best in Class program administrator
Shonda Wild has more than 30 years of experience in early childhood. Over the years, she has worked in many roles, including child care provider, substitute teacher, preschool teacher, early childhood coordinator, coach, trainer, and administrator. These experiences have helped shape her belief that high-quality early learning can make a lasting difference in a child’s life.
Today, Shonda is the North Dakota Best in Class Administrator. In this role, she works to grow and improve Best in Class programs across the state. She is passionate about supporting programs so they can create engaging and meaningful learning experiences for young children.
Fun Fact: Shonda once traveled to Italy to learn about the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. This experience helped her better understand the importance of child-led learning, creativity, and well-designed learning environments.