Alice’s connection to The Little School goes back to 1973 when she was a 4-year-old student. As an educator, she has spent most of her career as a teacher, and now an administrator, at TLS, where she feels incredibly fortunate to witness and support powerful teaching and joyful learning every day. She is dedicated to school leadership that serves the school’s mission. As assistant head, she is especially passionate about coaching and collaborating with teachers and staff so that they are continually growing, learning and doing their best work with children and families. Alice lives in Seattle with her husband, Sean. Their greatest joy has been raising two sons, now young adults, watching them flourish out in the world and welcoming them back to the nest whenever they’re hungry for a home-cooked meal.

Amanda has taught children aged 5-11 in several Seattle area schools and is happy to have found her home as an educator at The Little School. Her approach to progressive education is inspired by children’s natural curiosities, supporting students in developing their voices as members of a community, and engaging with their experiences to make learning exciting and relevant. She is especially passionate about teaching math and helping children discover the beauty and joy in playing with mathematical ideas. Outside of school, Amanda loves thinking about food – whether that’s planning her next cooking adventure, reading new cookbooks or eating with the people who are important to her. She also loves to be outdoors, soaking up the sun, biking and cultivating her tiny garden.

During the summer of 2018, Ashley participated in the Si Parla, Si Canta program over in Urbania, Italy performing opera scenes and operatic solos. She last taught at Van Duyn Elementary in the Syracuse City School District through a non-profit theater, RedHouse. There she taught PK through fifth grade music, drama, visual arts and dance.

When Cindy joined The Little School in 2012, it was after 23 years of teaching in a variety of other independent schools. She immediately found The Little School to be a refreshing and lovely place for children, families and teachers. The emphasis of learning through play and exploration meshed with her own teaching philosophy, and watching the children imagine and discover throughout the woods and this beautiful campus reminded her of her own childhood days. Throughout her career, Cindy has worked with children from kindergarten to fourth grade, enjoying each age for its special qualities. Outside of school, Cindy enjoys spending as much time as possible with her grandchildren, knowing just how fast they grow. She also enjoys gardening, quilt-making, and going hiking and cross-country skiing near her vacation home in the Methow Valley.

Having always worked with children, Colleen holds a degree in dance education and was the director of a school of ballet in South Africa before emigrating to the United States with her husband and four children. Coming from an education system that was structured and rigid, Colleen values the contrasting progressive education program at The Little School and appreciates the school's experiential approach that promotes both curiosity and critical thinking. She appreciates that The Little School environment fosters lifelong learners capable of becoming active and inclusive participants in their communities. She has taught ballet in and around Seattle, including at the Preparatory Division of Cornish College of the Arts, for 20 years.

Darlene has worked with children, ranging from birth to second grade, in a variety of educational settings. She taught in a one room schoolhouse for five years before moving to a preschool where she taught for 15 years. Her current work at The Little School allows her to work with children from all backgrounds and ability levels, which she greatly enjoys. When she is not working, she enjoys reading, traveling and collecting rubber ducks. She is married to a wonderful husband and has two adult children and three vivacious cats.

Jackie has worked with young children for most of her career. She was trained and then taught at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, where she gained her progressive approach to teaching. In the early 90s, she moved to Seattle where she and her husband had joyful teaching years at The Little School. Later, she founded Jackie's School, a home-based preschool which she ran and taught for 15 years. Jackie delights in developing caring bonds with her students, providing them with extensive opportunities for creative expression, and supporting engaging learning opportunities. Jackie and her husband, Richard, live in Seattle and have two adult daughters. In addition to cooking, art, traveling, cross-country skiing and Scrabble, she enjoys regular swims in Lake Washington. 

Jessie has spent her career helping youth build connections to the natural world in a variety of settings, from estuary education in Connecticut and Florida to forest and garden-based education for Seattle Public Schools on Bainbridge Island. Her time as an IslandWood graduate student provided opportunities to bridge place-based environmental learning with social-emotional growth and community stewardship. Having landed her dream job at The Little School, she is able to spend her days in the garden and forest, guiding young stewards as they fall in love with nature. What a dream! When not at TLS, Jessie loves to play guitar, get messy in the garden and meander along the Olympic coastline.

Jodi has extensive experience working in finance for non-profits, such as the Bellevue Arts Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Trinity Lutheran College and the Boston University Overseas Program in Heidelberg, Germany. She has an appreciation of how education and teachers impact a child’s life, both as a student and a parent. A love of travel and learning about new cultures kept Jodi in Europe for 15 years but, like the proverbial salmon, she returned to her native Issaquah to raise her two daughters with her husband. Away from work, Jodi enjoys taking classes in arts and crafts, playing and customizing board games, and exploring new local places.

Jules has over 30 years of experience working with children of all ages, as a nanny, a preschool teacher and teaching assistant. As a child in the military and throughout her collegiate years, Jules traveled extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. Her master’s degree in environmental science was directly based in the experiential education model. Jules is most passionate about experiential education in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values and develop the capacity to contribute to the whole community.

Julie is the Head of School at The Little School and is honored to steward the school’s culture of curiosity and collaboration. She is a passionate educator, leader and designer committed to fostering excellence. With a deep commitment to innovative progressive education, Julie has worked in independent schools and higher education for over 25 years. She has led the design and launch of multiple initiatives, including an international school in Mumbai and a graduate school of education in Seattle. Being nestled in the forest is the perfect setting for Julie. Throughout the year, she and her family spend time in the outdoors hiking, skiing and relishing in nature.

Katie has been working in education since 2006, serving at different Seattle-area independent schools and summer camps, as well as teaching English in South Korea. Discovering progressive education compelled her to pursue a master’s degree in teaching and become a classroom teacher. Katie is passionate about child-centered, differentiated education with a social justice mission. Outside of school, Katie loves cooking – especially perfecting the best possible homemade pizza – reading, swimming and practicing yoga.

Kelsey has worked as a librarian in independent schools since 2016 and is delighted to be working at The Little School. She believes that the community around you has the power to hold you and grow you positively and strives to foster that growth in her students. Her vision for the library is as a learning space to explore story and its place in our lives and grapple with information and its impacts in our world. While reading has a huge place in her life, when she’s not tucked behind a book she can be found camping, hiking, swimming or training her dog, Cider. After years in Brooklyn and Massachusetts she has returned to her native West Coast where she can appreciate our beautiful coasts, mountains and forests.

Kristin has more than 15 years of experience as an early childhood teacher, and she greatly appreciates teaching at The Little School, a place where children and families are deeply respected and learning is joyful and inspiring. Kristin finds that the most rewarding aspect of teaching is sharing in the children’s natural curiosity and excitement about the world around us. When not at TLS, Kristin enjoys traveling, reading, hiking and exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Mem has been teaching for more than 20 years, focusing on early childhood and environmental education during most of her career. Originally from New England, she and her two sons have embraced the Pacific Northwest as home for more than ten years. Mem has been both a parent and a teacher at The Little School and feels this is a wonderful place for kids to be themselves. Along with the progressive philosophy of the school, she appreciates the wooded campus and the overarching lean towards outdoor experiences. Mem has a love for all living creatures, but especially frogs, dogs and bears. When she is not teaching, Mem spends time with her family and friends, reading, taking long walks, exploring, traveling and enjoying different types of food.

Finding her inspiration during her own elementary school years, Michele has expressed a passion for working with children for most of her life. Growing up in upstate New York, she had woods to roam, a creek to investigate and an open field for play. These valuable experiences influence her approach to teaching as she encourages her students to learn through play and exploration. When not in the classroom, Michele continues to enjoy outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, skiing, biking and traveling with her family.

Learning never ends, and Sally is thrilled to continue the learning journey with her creative students through the expressive language of art. She is passionate about building webs of rich connections through curricular integration and student interests in art classes. With a multicultural background as a 3rd Culture Kid and a curiosity about diverse perspectives in a global context, Sally enjoys modeling the joys of life-long learning. When she’s not at TLS, you might find her contemplating nature’s mysteries, chiseling her New York Times crossword skills, challenging her yoga practice or embracing new arts experiences.

Taira is a creative and enthusiastic educator with over 14 years of experience working with children of various ages and backgrounds. She believes her role as an educator is to engage children in the learning process and develop lifelong learners. Taira has a passion for nature education and developing inquiry-based curriculum. Valuing process over product, Taira helps children develop a strong foundation on which to build a lifetime of knowledge. She loves being part of children’s growth and development and strives to make their environment safe, stable and nurturing. When not at school, Taira can be found enjoying all the beautiful Pacific Northwest has to offer, including rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking and skiing.