My name is Mara Oblak and I am thrilled to join the Queen Anne Staff as the Developmental Preschool Teacher!

I have spent the past 18 years working in schools and clinical settings in New York, Louisiana and Washington. I completed my undergraduate degree in 2005 at Gonzaga University (GO ZAGS!!!), where I studied Special Education and got dually certified as a Special Education and Elementary Education Teacher. Following graduation, I moved to New York City to pursue my graduate degree at Teachers College, Columbia University in the Teaching as Applied Behavior Analysis Program. I completed my MA in 2007 and PhD in 2010. I then moved to Louisiana where I worked as a teacher in a full inclusion public school, serving as both the Special Education and General Education teacher of the classroom. I also had the opportunity to work with teachers in training from the local university. As a native Seattleite, my heart pulled me back to the PNW in 2012. For the past decade, I worked as a Behavior Analyst in a clinical setting here in Seattle. This is my second year working in SPS and I couldn't be more excited to be back in a school setting!

Outside of work, I enjoy skiing, hiking, traveling, photography and spending time with friends and family. I'm also a proud member of the Croatian community here in Seattle and play music (Tambura) in a local Croatian orchestra!

I grew up in South Seattle, completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Eastern Washington University and pursued my Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Washington.  I worked for the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) as a Child Protective Services Investigator, Family Assessment Response Specialist and Family Voluntary Services Specialist.  During my time with DCYF, I referred children and families to in-home mental health services, conducted home visits and partnered with community members to ensure families' unmet needs were addressed.  I also worked for the Developmental Disabilities Administration as a Case Resource Manager for children with disabilities ages 3-21.  As a Case Resource Manager, I worked with families and providers to prevent disruptions in services and collaborated with families and community partners to advocate for the needs of my clients. I love engaging with children and their families and look forward to working with you all to help remove systemic and social justice barriers for students and their families.  In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my son, listening to music and baking.