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.

Since 1984, Michael has been working with information technology in direct support of K-12 education. A “jack-of-all-trades,” he has done everything from coding, system design, networking, web design, server management and training. But his favorite part of the job is providing direct tech support to teachers and staff. There is nothing more satisfying to him than supporting people trying to use the technology as a tool to do the important job of educating students. Because of the progressive education philosophy of The Little School and the wonderful spirit of the staff and students, this has been his dream job! Outside of work, Michael likes to play with his grandson, hike in the Cascades, row on the Snohomish River and build things, and he is desperately trying to learn the banjo.

Mike passionately facilitates social justice and equity learning at TLS, as well as with Eastside Race and Leadership Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing racism and xenophobia in East King County communities. He is also active in homeless and low-income outreach. When he’s not following these passions, you’ll likely find him at either Bellevue or Seattle Pacific Table Tennis clubs, both in Bellevue.

PJ has worked in multiple after school and extended day programs, including the Redmond/Sammamish branch of the Boys' and Girls' Club. He is honored to have the ability to positively impact kids and make a difference in their lives and our community. PJ likes to serve as his church and spend time with his friends.

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.

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.

Working at The Little School, Tiana has come to appreciate and thrive on the sense of wonder and excitement at the discoveries children make here every day. When not in her office at The Little School, Tiana enjoys spending time with her family, reading, gardening and DIY home projects.