Our Team

Our Co-founder, Donna, is an early-childhood expert with over 20 years of experience and a diverse background, including positions at The Dalton School, Harlem Children’s Zone, and as an Adjunct Professor of Early Childhood Mathematics at Hunter College. Donna believes there is no better feeling than teaching a child to achieve something he or she felt impossible. As a mom of 3 kids, in her free time she is often leading them on an adventure of their own.

Co-founder, Cortney, has over 10 years of classroom experience at the JCC of Longmeadow, Montclare Children’s School in Manhattan and taught English in Paris, France. She holds a dual Masters Degree in Special Education and Early Childhood Education. Kids love her wacky humor and her silly jokes. Cortney especially loves teaching kids different math strategies. Cortney spends her free time exploring the city with her 2 kids.

Jane taught at Montclare Children’s School for 6 years and worked as an art teacher at MS 114 on the Upper East Side. She graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University with a masters degree in art education and K-12 certification.  She strongly believes that art education not only fosters creativity but also builds confidence and self-esteem.  Enhancing academic learning through art is something that Jane strives to incorporate into each of her lessons.  On the weekends, you’ll most likely find Jane and her husband enjoying a latte and exploring the Upper West side or FaceTiming her adorable two-year old niece!

Michelle, a Boston Conservatory graduate has been privately teaching piano and voice for the last 14 years. She is active in opera companies, including Opera Collective, an opera outreach program. Michelle loves helping children find their voice, on and off the stage. When not singing, she is spending time with her new husband and their cat and newly adopted pug.

Karen has been a teacher in both Public and Private schools in New York City for the last 30 years, She holds a dual Master's degree in both Special and General Education from Bank Street College making her NY State Certified to teach children Nursery through 6th Grade. A mother of two girls, one in college and one in graduate school, she can often be seen running in Central Park on the weekends with her husband. Karen's new favorite mode of transportation is scootering!

Bari has been a teacher on the Upper West Side for 15 years. She loves working with children and empowering them to take risks, build confidence and fostering a love for learning. She is beloved by all the students who meet her and Bari particularly loves to expose them to Science. When not teaching, she can be found drinking coffee, exercising or spending time with her husband and her baby daughter in Brooklyn.

Mary Hallowell is a second-year Associate Teacher at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with an honors degree in English Literature and also holds a Masters degree in English Studies at the University of Cambridge. As a reading tutor in London, she worked with students in Years 2-6 with a focus on decoding, fluency, reading comprehension, and writing skills. She now works across Reading, Writing, Math, and Social Studies at the 5th grade level at CGPS. She is passionate about working with children to build their skills and confidence through engaging, joyful lessons that encourage natural curiosity. 

Tora Nogami Alexander is a teacher, actor, singer, and musician. She has been a teaching artist, teaching theater based imaginative play all over New York City. Most recently, she was a teacher at West Side Montessori School where she immersed herself in the theory of Maria Montessori and early childhood education. Tora’s passion for teaching comes from the joy of observing a child figure their own way of understanding the world. Other than teaching. and acting,, Tora enjoys watercolor painting, embroidering and cooking. 

Molly is a born and raised New Yorker and taught in early childhood classrooms for over 7 years. She has worked in preschools in both NYC and San Francisco. Molly has a BS in Elementary education and a masters in special education from Bank Street College of Education. Molly loves to meet every child where they are and to build curriculum and activities based on each child’s interests and needs. When Molly is not working one-on-one with students, you will find her running her music class in Brooklyn, cooking lots of food or going to a yoga class.

Melissa has been a special education teacher in a New Jersey public school for the last 11 years. She holds a dual Master's degree in both Special and General Education from Long Island University making her New York and New Jersey State Certified to teach children 1st through 6th Grade. In addition to her Masters, she holds a postgraduate certificate in childhood literacy grades 1-6. Additionally, Melissa holds an undergraduate Bachelors of Fine Arts in Acting from Montclair State University. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys acting, singing, and dancing in productions in both New York and New Jersey, and spending time with her dog, Lannister, and her cat, Gordon.

Ilana has been teaching elementary school for 15 years and is currently in her eighth year as a fourth grade teacher at an Upper West Side private school. She loves teaching all subjects, but if she had to pick a favorite area, it would be talking about books with children. She obtained her undergraduate degree from University of Rochester and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Brandeis University. She particularly enjoys working with students one-on-one because of the opportunities to build strong relationships and help children find deeper understanding and joy in learning. In her spare time, Ilana likes to walk and explore the City, strength train, read, bake, and spend time with friends and family.

Christina holds a masters degree in elementary education and is NYS certified in grades pre-k through sixth. She has over 20 years of experience in the preschool sector, as both a teacher (3s, 4s, kindergarten) and an administrator.  She is well-versed in the world of NYC private school admissions as well as preparing all children for kindergarten.  Most recently, Christina worked as the assistant location director at an Upper East Side preschool, where she mentored teachers and created play-based curriculum for students.  She is also a skilled writer whose work was published as a guest blogger on a popular preschool curriculum website.  Christina’s favorite part of teaching young children is helping them learn and make connections all while playing, laughing, and having fun. When not in NYC, Christina can be found with her two sidekicks (aka her children), who keep her busy and provide her with lots of comic relief!

Madison thrives on sharing her love of learning and creative thinking with students of all ages. She has taught both Kindergarten and First Grade at Success Academy in Bedford Stuyvesant and recently completed her Masters in Art and Art Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Madison strives to help students build confidence in themselves as learners and to encourage their development as critical thinkers. In her freetime, she loves exploring her own creative practice and spending time in nature.

Sydney has been teaching for 13 years, and is currently in her ninth year at the Horace Mann Nursery Division. Previously, she taught in the
threes, Pre-K and Kindergarten, in addition to being the Literacy Specialist for two years. This is her third year teaching Kindergarten. Before she came to Horace Mann, she taught for four years at Park Avenue Synagogue Early Childhood Center in a 3/4’s classroom. She was born and raised in New York City and attended the Dalton School from K-12. She couldn’t leave the city she held so dear, so went on to Barnard College, where she graduated from in 2010 with a BA in
Sociology. Having always had a passion for children and education, she knew that teaching was the career path she wanted to pursue. She attended Bank Street College of Education and received a dual Master’s degree in Early Childhood General and Special Education in July 2015.

Math Specialist

Michelle has been teaching elementary school on the Upper West Side for the past 12 years. She graduated from Bank Street College of Education with a masters degree in Elementary General and Special Education and has taught Kindergarten, second, and fourth grade. She loves helping students build both their confidence and academic skillset. She strongly believes that all education begins with building a close relationship with the student, so she loves getting to know each child and their passions. While Michelle enjoys teaching all academic subjects, she particularly loves teaching math and helping student discover their own tool kit of strategies that will help them solve any problem they encounter. Outside of school, you can find Michelle watching the Yankees, seeing a Broadway show, or playing golf.

Estee has taught for 15 years in both Public and Private schools in New York City. For the past seven years, she has been teaching at a Kindergarten Gifted and Talented program in Brooklyn. She loves the opportunity to differentiate instruction and enrich each child’s learning experiences. She holds a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College. Estee truly loves being a part of early learning where she has the privilege to help students learn how to read, write and solve math problems. Most importantly, Estee loves to help Little Learners find a love of learning, become confident and independent thinkers! When not teaching, Estee can be found with her husband and two boys running, scooting and playing!

Mia is currently a preschool teacher at PS 198. She has previously worked at The Perry School and PS 142. She has been working with early childhood students for over 8 years. Mia earned an Early Childhood and Childhood Education degree at the State University of New York at Cortland. She also has a master's in Literacy education at the State University of New York at Cortland. Mia has experience working in Pre-Kindergarten, 1st grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of teaching students the skills and tools needed to grow and succeed in every facet of their lives- academic, social, emotional, cognitive, and physical. Mia enjoys finding the strengths and preferences of each student to target individualized learning. For fun, Mia likes to read, try new food, and explore Central Park.

Janelle has been teaching for 15 years. She received her undergraduate degree from University of Rhode Island before going to Touro College for her graduate degree in Early Childhood Education. She began her teaching career at the Brandeis School in Lawrence, New York, before moving to Manhattan and working at various private schools such as the Kennedy Children’s Center, William Woodward Nursery School and Montclare Children’s School on the UWS. In addition to work at Little Learners, Janelle also teaches at the Woodbury Jewish Center on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, twin 8-year olds, and her rescue dog, Hank.

Lauren has taught for 14 years, the past 12 of which have been in a public school on the Upper East Side of NYC. She has taught both 2nd Grade and Kindergarten. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from Tufts University and a Master’s degree in Elementary Inclusive Education from Columbia Teachers College. Lauren loves being able to build a relationship with each student, getting to know them as a unique learner. She also enjoys encouraging students’ critical thinking skills and love of learning as they develop confidence in their abilities. When not teaching, Lauren can be found exploring the Upper West Side with her husband, 2 year old son, and wirehaired dachshund!

Jen is an early childhood teacher who has taught for The Department of Education as well as private preschools and K-8 schools in Manhattan for the past 25 years. She has earned her master’s degree from NYU and is New York City and State certified to teach pre-K to grade 6. She loves to make learning fun for kids and tailor makes curriculum around a child’s interests and individual needs. She is also a mom of two teens who have navigated the private school admissions process in New York City. She has a fur baby named Percy and loves to take him for walks around Riverside and Central Park.

As a lead preschool teacher, Caroline is committed to nurturing the whole child and guiding young learners through every stage of their development. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Early Childhood and Special Education, Caroline specializes in fostering key skills such as literacy, fine motor development, social-emotional growth, and creative thinking. Her approach is both hands-on and highly personalized, whether through engaging storytelling, artistic exploration, or advanced problem-solving activities. She strives to create a warm, supportive environment where each child feels confident, valued, and inspired to excel.When she is not teaching, Caroline enjoys spending time with her munchkin cat, Huckleberry, writing, or refining her crocheting skills.

Admissions Writing Specialist

Kate Kirschner began working with Little Learners as a writing specialist in the midst of a career transition. After receiving a BA in English, Theatre and Secondary Education from Middlebury College and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, Kate went onto a 20 year career in the American theatre in which she worked with playwrights as a literary director, dramaturg and agent to help writers sculpt their stories and hone their voices. Kate then worked towards a Masters in Social Work at NYU, and now works as a psychotherapist focusing on perinatal mental health and parent support. As a mother of two boys in New York independent schools, Kate loves weaving her passions together to help students and parents navigate the intimidating world of school applications, guiding them towards a killer essay that is effective, stylish, and honest.