referring dana

DANA SZARF
Brooklyn School Consultant

From Joyce:
I want to thank you all for your confidence in me. Your referrals have kept me busy and warmed my heart, but I am finding that I am stretched too thin. I am no longer taking new clients for early childhood, elementary, and District middle school consults. I have been looking for someone who can give you the same kind of advice that I am able to give, and I have found her!

I would like to introduce Dana Szarf. I am not only recommending her because her last name starts with Sz, but because she is a highly trained and experienced educator, a Brooklyn mom and a warm and empathetic person with a wide range of knowledge.

Dana can work directly with you via her consultancy Casa Parenting, and she and I will continue to collaborate as colleagues to ensure a seamless experience for the early childhood, kindergarten & District 15 middle school families.

Reasons why Dana is better than me:

1. While she is a parent and knows what you need to know, she is also a trained educator who can explain what is happening in the classroom more deeply than I can.

2. As a preschool director, she has assisted parents for 10 years in applying to ongoing Independent Schools. She has filled out Teacher Recommendation forms for years and understands what the schools are looking for.

3. Her oldest is deep into high school so she has been in the trenches as a parent through the middle school and high school processes and knows what you need to know in a very personal way.

4. She is younger and more energetic than I am. She is on top of the tours and open houses which is vitally important since so many principals and schools leaders have changed under Covid.

5. She is bilingual and knows the world of dual language education in and out.

6. While she is a wonderful communicator who will give you sound, thoughtful, and honest advice, she doesn’t use salty language before noon like I do. She has spent her adult life in class with preschoolers (not teamsters as I did).

Dana, has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and an Early Childhood Education degree from Universidad Metropolitana, Caracas, Venezuela. She was the Director and owner of Casa Montessori, a bilingual Preschool for 10 years in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Prior to that, she worked as a Montessori teacher for over 20 years in some of the top NYC preschools.  

Her experience as an educator inspired her to create Casa Parenting where she guides families in Brooklyn tackle their child's education journey. She helps families understand the admissions process and explore the school landscape, both private and public. From deciding between a day care vs a pre-school to understanding the ins and outs of the DOE, Dana also assists parents through the emotional side of the process.

As a parenting coach, Dana helps parents identify their strengths and challenges in their parenting journey so they can feel empowered and confident in their parental role.  She offers support, suggestions, and solutions as parenting situations arise or evolve. Parents gain new perspectives and skills which they may carry with them as they continue their parenthood journey.

 Dana lives in Brooklyn with her husband and has 2 daughters who attend public school.

See the Nursery and Elementary Services page for more information about contacting Dana.