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.

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.

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. 

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.

Jo has always enjoyed being in the presence of children, their love curiosity and imagination. Jo has worked with children since 2013 in a wide array of settings. After stumbling across a job opportunity at TLS in 2016, she found her true passion of working in a classroom and being part of the learning journey of children. One of her favorite parts of this community is the constant support and inspiration from peers. Jo enjoys spending time with her friends and family, hiking and reading.

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.

Regan first came to The Little School as part of her teacher training through the Pacific Oaks Credentialing program. As a child she attended schools that focused on the development of the whole child, and she has always been associated with schools that teach using experiential and integrated strategies. Initially, she has worked as a teacher of preschool through fifth grade classrooms in gifted, parent cooperative and independent schools. More recently, her focus shifted to supporting teacher professional development. Having written her master’s thesis on how parents choose a school, she has assisted many families through the school search process. Away from TLS she enjoys gardening, kayaking and cooking with her family and friends.

Sophia has worked with young children in a variety of educational settings, and she believes strongly in fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity in children as they discover and construct meaning from their experiences and ideas. She sees herself as a co-learner and guide for children as they learn to become independent, responsible members of their community. Sophia feels at home in The Little School community. She loves sharing books and stories with children, as well as exploring various ways of expressing oneself through different forms of art. Outside of work Sophia loves finding new places to adventure with her tiny dog, watching hockey and taking time to create things.

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.