Alison has been an educator in one form or another for her entire professional life. As a teacher at The Little School, Alison enjoys fostering a classroom environment in which motion, play, laughter and purposeful activities enliven the imagination of her students. It is her goal to utilize the experience she has gained from being a classroom teacher, an assistant head of school and a parent educator to create a welcoming, joyful learning environment for her students and families. Alison’s interests lay in how both adults and children learn to incorporate and act upon new information, work with one another and see themselves as agents for good in the world around them. Alison’s favorite thing to do in her spare time is to spend time with her sons, Aodhan and Malcolm, on tennis courts, trampolines and in the water.

Prior to joining The Little School, Braden's work was in corporate finance at Starbucks Corporation and Boeing. He also founded and runs his own small nonprofit, MotMot Coffee. He believes in the importance of partnering with teachers and parents to create an engaging and personalized educational experience for all children. Away from work, Braden loves trying out new coffee shops, baking and cooking, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Cindy remembers the wonder, discovery and creativity of play from her own childhood. She is excited to be a part of young children’s life-long journey of learning. Having worked with young children aged 2-5 years in early childhood settings for more than 12 years, Cindy is inspired daily by their natural curiosity about the world around them and enthusiasm for learning. She loves to play in her free time – hiking, cross-country skiing in winter, frequently reading books of all genres, watching and listening to opera, and spending time with her children and extended family.

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. 

Jenny loves working with children to explore strengths, embrace challenges and cultivate curiosity and metacognition. She is thrilled to be part of the Little School’s vibrant and beautiful community. Jenny has taught children and adolescents with a wide range of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive conditions across various settings, including Broadview-Thomson K-8, Yellow Wood Academy and ADHD Hallowell Todaro Center. In her free time, Jenny delights in learning new things, traveling, hiking, snowboarding, walking her dog, and laughing with family and friends.

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.

Mandy has spent time throughout her career working with young children in a variety of settings, including both public and independent schools. Before joining The Little School, her most recent position was as a preschool teacher at an art- and nature-based preschool in Brooklyn, NY. She also took part in a research study conducted by Bank Street College of Education looking into the impact of math enrichment in early childhood settings and served as an evaluator of public pre-kindergarten programs for the NYC Department of Education. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, reading and spending time with her husband and two cats.

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.

During her time at TLS, Tammy has worked in a variety of areas and been a tremendous support to students, families, faculty, staff and visitors. Before joining The Little School, she worked in retail and corporate accounting. Tammy spent several years volunteering for Panther Pride Unicycle Team, Unicycling Society of America and Girl Scouts of America. One of the things she loves is to see the wonder in the students’ eyes over simple everyday things. Away from work, she enjoys spending time with family, photography and always looking for new adventures.