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Early Learners Academy Team
At Early Learners Academy, we hire passionate, dedicated and caring teachers who are committed to making a difference in children’s lives. Take a look below to learn more about our team, and reach out with any questions.
Marissa Crawley
Owner / Director
She’s our leading lady as the owner of ELA, as well as two other centers. Miss Marissa has been working in the field of Early Childhood Education for about 25 years and opened ELA in March of 2020. Her favorite part about working with children are the moments when you can SEE a child learn something. She loves witnessing their sense of pride! Outside of work, Miss Marissa is a mom of two and sings in various wedding bands in Rhode Island and Boston. All of our staff and families are so lucky to have Miss Marissa as our fun-loving boss!
Danielle Dragon
Education Director
Miss Danielle is the Education Director of ELA. Previously, she was the K-Prep teacher, but we’re lucky enough to now have her full time in the office to dedicate more time to this role! She enjoys developing a year-round educational curriculum for ELA that is efficient and in line with the latest education standards and developments. She also gets to spend time in each classroom and get to know all the children in the center. It's rewarding for her to provide a pathway for implementing age-appropriate goals and standards through fun and engaging activities. Miss Danielle has been working in early childhood education for 25 years. She has a degree in Early Childhood and Psychology, as well as her Director II certification! Miss Danielle is also certified to teach in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. At home, she is a wife and mother and enjoys home decorating and interior design. She also is a musician and played professionally in a band with her two sisters! We love Miss Danielle and couldn’t ask for anyone better to support this school and curriculum!
Lynn Nadrowski
Operations Director
Miss Lynn is our Director of Operations here at ELA. She’s previously been a program Director, then unit director at her neighborhood Boys and Girls Club. She also taught performing arts to children ages five and up at Kats Dance Centre & Performing Arts, as well as serving as drama coach at Lincoln Middle School for several years. Miss Lynn loves to sew and create things, and build items for our lobby and classrooms that reinforce themes in our curriculum! Her favorite part of the job is being able to do all the things she loves every day, and to be greeted with smiles and hugs when she enters a classroom! In addition to creating things, Miss Lynn loves being a grandmother to her 7 grandchildren outside of work!
Andrea Frasu
Social Media Director & Administrative Support
Miss Andrea is ELA’s social media director and the face behind our Instagram and Facebook posts. She was previously a toddler teacher, but as of Spring 2023, she now floats amongst all the classrooms and works alongside admin in the office. She has her Bachelor’s degree in Early Education and Care from Bridgewater State University, and is Director II certified. Her favorite part of her job is getting to be a part of so many children’s lives and forming a special bond with families! Outside of work, Miss Andrea is a wife and expectant mother of a baby boy! She has also been a dancer for over 20 years, and loves all things Disney!
Elyn Estram
Enrichment Specialist
Miss Elyn is our enrichment teacher, as well as a float when needed! She holds a Bachelor’s degree in classics, languages and civilization, with a minor in literature. Her childcare experience began as a therapeutic teacher 10 years ago, and continued through all the age groups in the center! She received her early childhood certificate from CCRI. Miss Elyn’s favorite part of her job is seeing the children get so absorbed in an activity that they don’t want to stop! In her free time, she loves to dance, read and garden! Miss Elyn is a cherished member of our team and we’re lucky to have her!
OUR TEACHING AND CARE TEAM
TEACHERS
All staff members are carefully chosen after a rigorous interviewing process which includes reference checks, a CORI check (criminal history) and a BRC check (abuse and neglect history).
Children learn best when their teachers are deeply committed to delivering high quality care and education. We carefully select our team members based on their education and experience in the field of early childhood education. We dedicate time to ensure that each team member is trained in our methods of curriculum development and delivery, our mission, and our dedication. We also mandate twenty hours per school year of professional development in the field of early childhood education.
Miss Tiffany
Infant Teacher
Miss Tiffany is one of our infant teachers! She is an EEC certified teacher who completed Early Childhood coursework when she was in highschool. Previously, Miss Tiffany worked as a toddler teacher before making the switch to infants. She loves being able to care for the babies in her room! When she’s not working, Miss Tiffany loves gardening and going to the beach. She’s also engaged and planning a wedding for 2024. We love Miss Tiffany and we’re so happy to have her a part of our team!
Miss Ashley
Infant Teacher
Miss Ashley is one of our infant teachers, as well as one of our ELA parents! She has 4 years of experience in the field, and her favorite part of the job is getting the babies to smile! Outside of work, she’s a devoted mom who loves spending time with her kids at fall fairs and parks! Miss Ashley has been an excellent addition to our ELA staff- we adore her!
Miss Tristen
Infant Teacher
Bio coming soon!
Miss Rita
Infant Teacher & Float
Miss Rita is one of our infant teachers, as well as helping out as a float when needed. She has a degree in Early Child Development, a Director II certification and 40 years of experience in the field. She loves her babies and coworkers! In her free time, Miss Rita enjoys yoga and going for walks, as well as spending time with her grandson, Grayson! She’s one of our most outgoing and loveable staff members and we are so lucky to have her!
Miss Danielle
Toddler 1 Teacher
Miss Danielle is a Toddler 1 teacher here at ELA! She’s been working with children for awhile as she’s been babysitting since she was 16 years old, and completed Early Childhood coursework in high school. Miss Danielle has worked in a child care setting for a few years now, with ages ranging from 6 weeks old to 4 years. Toddlers are her favorite age group to work with because she gets to help them say their first words and encourage their developing vocabulary! Their energetic personalities and eagerness to learn new things make her so happy to come to work every day! When she’s not working, Miss Danielle is a mother to an 18 month old, with another on the way! She also loves being outdoors and going on family walks with her dog! ELA is so lucky to have Miss Danielle as a part of our team!
Miss Rachel
Toddler 1 Teacher
Miss Rachel is a Toddler 1 teacher here at ELA! She’s worked with children for many years, specifically as a 1 on 1 for children with behavioral disabilities. She loves the toddler age that she works with now! In her free time, she loves couponing and spending time with her dog, Scar, and 2 children, Maddie and Kasey! She is also married with 2 step granddaughters and 1 step grandchild on the way. We’re so lucky to have Miss Rachel with us!
Miss Amber
Toddler 2 Teacher
Miss Amber is a Toddler 2 teacher! She’s been working in child care for 3 years now. Her favorite part of the job is helping the kids develop their own personalities. In her spare time, Miss Amber loves to hike and fish, as well as spend time with her dog, Piper, and cat, Moe! Outside of work, she has also been babysitting her favorite little girl, Ellie, for 3 years now! We love having Miss Amber on our toddler teaching team!
Miss Hannah
Toddler 2 Teacher
Miss Hannah is a Toddler 2 teacher here at ELA. She’s going into her 5th year of working at a child care center. Her favorite part of her job is developing connections with the kids. In her free time, Miss Hannah likes to read, play the clarinet and clean cars! She is an amazing asset to our school!
Miss Sarah
Toddler/Preschool Teacher
Miss Sarah is one of our Toddler/Preschool teachers! She’s always had a passion for working with children, and plans on using her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology to continue to do so. Her experience in early education comes from taking several courses at Rhode Island College, on top of being at ELA for 3 years. Miss Sarah’s favorite part of her job is having the opportunity to watch the kids grow, both physically and developmentally. When she’s not on the job, she enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors and being creative! Miss Sarah is a great teacher here at ELA and we love having her!
Miss Danielle
Toddler/Preschool Teacher
Bio coming soon!
Miss Sarah
Preschool Teacher
Miss Sarah is one of our preschool teachers! She has her degree in Child Psychology and has been in this field for over 20 years, teaching Infants through High School. Miss Sarah plays drums and guitar and has a background in art, theater and movement also. She loves bringing these elements into her lessons, making voices of the characters in the book, or even making up random songs about their day just to make sure the children are always laughing and smiling. When she’s not at work, Miss Sarah spends time with her husband and 2 stepchildren!
Miss Sandi
Preschool Teacher
Miss Sandi is one of our preschool teachers here at ELA! She absolutely loves working with children and has been babysitting and around children since the age of 13. At the beginning of this 2023, she got her child development certificate and puts it to use in her classroom! Miss Sandi loves to see the children smiling and happy! As a previous float, she gets to know every child in the building. In her free time, she’s a mom who loves to spend time with her son! Miss Sandi is a great asset to our school!
Miss Heather
Pre-K Teacher
Miss Heather is one of our Pre-K teachers! She carries a lot of experience as she has been working in the child care field since 2010. Her favorite part of her job is watching the children grow and learn! In her free time, Miss Heather enjoys hanging out with her two nephews and discovering new parks with her new puppy George! We all love Miss Heather and we’re so happy to have her!
Miss Nancy
Pre-K Teacher
Miss Nancy is one of our Pre-K teachers! She has been teaching for 8 years at various centers and she’s learned a lot throughout the years. She’s looking forward to learning more! Miss Nancy’s favorite part of the job is being with the kids! When she’s not in the classroom, she enjoys having fun with her kids! We’re so lucky to have Miss Nancy and her fun personality with us at ELA!
Miss Jasmin
K-Prep Teacher
Miss Jasmin is one of our K-Prep teachers at ELA! She has been teaching since 2016 in the Preschool, Pre-K and K-Prep setting in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Miss Jasmin has also worked as a behavioral therapist for three years in a center based setting, as well as in home ABA services for two years. Watching her students grow up into respectful and independent little humans is her favorite part of her job! When she’s not in the classroom, Miss Jasmin is a devoted boy mom and dog mom! She has been an amazing addition to our ELA team- we are so happy to have her with us!
Miss Rosemary
K-Prep Teacher
Miss Rosemary is another one of our K-Prep teachers here at ELA. She has 10 years of classroom experience, and she was previously one of our preschool teachers. Her students are her favorite part of her job- she loves the kids she works with as if they were her own! When she’s not teaching in the classroom, Miss Rosemary enjoys tennis, music and cardmaking! We are so lucky to have her as a part of our ELA team!
Miss Kelly
Float/Support Staff
Miss Kelly is another one of our floats. She comes from a long background of working with children! She is a foster parent and has raised children from birth to 12 years old, and she’s previously been a camp counselor, babysitter and nanny. Miss Kelly loves this job because of the kids she gets to work with! As a float, she gets to interact with all of our age groups! When she’s not working, Miss Kelly is chasing her 4 year old around. We are lucky to have her working with us!
Miss Lizzie
Float/Support Staff
Miss Lizzie is one of our floats here at ELA. She’s majoring in Elementary and Special Education at Rhode Island College! Miss Lizzie’s favorite part of her job is being able to help the children learn and explore, while also learning so much from them herself. In her free time, she loves to write, draw and paint. Miss Lizzie is a wonderful asset to our school!