Our Faculty

Dr. Gloria J. Walther

The faculty at The Walther School is headed by Gloria. She hails from Tampa, Florida and because her father was in the Air Force, Gloria grew up in London, Indiana and graduated from high school in France. She moved to Texas, then Ohio, graduating from college with a B.S. at Ohio State University. She completed her master’s degree at Florida State and then went scuba diving in Hawaii for about three years. Her love of children and curiosity of how they come to perceive themselves and their world led her to Los Angeles. She completed her doctorate at USC and has taught preschool teachers and Directors for 17 years. Gloria was the Director at St. Thomas Parish Pre-School, and she taught at the Portuguese Bend Co-op Nursery School in Palos Verdes and the USC Pre-School. Concurrently, she has been teaching preschool children for about 37 years or rather, they have been teaching her. She wakes up every day wondering what she will learn from the children that day. Her favorite thing is watching children evolve into thoughtful, respectful, loving, caring, solution-oriented adults that make this world a better place. Gloria also loves to play cards and golf and is wild about football.

Books by Dr Gloria J.Walther:

Brenda V. Garcia:

Brenda was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She began working with small children at an early age.  She began working as a part-time preschool teacher in 1995 and has completed her Certificate in Early Childhood Education.  It was always her destiny to work at The Walther School as Brenda and Gloria crossed paths many times.  She has been a part of the Walther Family since 1999 and has never looked back.  She loves the children and the life lessons they give her on a daily basis.  She is constantly reminded of individual learning styles and personalities and feels that she has grown to be a better person because of these experiences.

Zay WARFIELD:

Zay graduated from Western Michigan University in 2006 with a BA in Theatre Performance, having simultaneously started her first career in the circus, where she performed, produced, and taught circus arts all over the world. In 2012 she decided to plant some roots in Los Angeles, and as fate would have it, ended up as guest artist at the Walther School. Gloria was taken by Zay’s ability to invite children into risky play and in 2014 she asked her to join the teaching team. Zay’s been at the school ever since, becoming ECE certified with honors through UCLA Extension. During her studies she became enthralled with the subject of self-esteem and its importance in early childhood education, giving “street cred” to what she had been teaching all along - risk.  Her teaching mission statement: To endow children with the ability to tackle any challenge by fostering self efficacy through positive risk taking experiences.

All teachers at The Walther School are fully accredited in Early Childhood Education and are encouraged to seek professional growth. They demonstrate enthusiasm for learning on a daily basis and attend workshops and conferences.