Beth Clark

I've spent over 25 years in early childhood education, with most of my career as a teacher while raising my five children. I did office management for a short time and was in and out of the workforce as I raised my kids. Now I'm going into my sixth year in an administrative role and my third year as director. I'm a multi-hat wearer carrying many different responsibilities throughout the day. My main responsibility is ensuring our school is functioning and well-operated, following DHS licensing rules and staying compliant with all regulations. I manage 21 staff members and daily schedules for a school that's open 10 hours a day, ensuring our day is covered properly and our staff isn't exhausted. A lot of my time is spent on compliance, checking lesson plans, and making sure our educational philosophy and mission statement is reflected in the classroom daily. I ensure our environment is safe and thriving for young learners. Safety, security, and the well-being of both educators and children is my biggest responsibility. I also spend a lot of time on family engagement and communication because we're an extension of home and children are here for a very long time. Our focus is to make the school feel like a home away from home so parents feel safe, heard, validated, and loved, and trust us to partner with them in their children's education. Some days I'm a mediator, therapist, strategic thought partner, doing all the business admin side and managing billing with zero accounting background. Educating our educators is just as much of a passion for me as providing an educational experience for young children. Our preschool operates on a play-based model with no screen time because this is the time children get to continue to be children, and everything we do is done through play.