Executive Director

Hi, families! I’m excited to serve as the director at Parents’ Cooperative Preschool. I’m a mom to two smart, beautiful, and ornery little girls, and my husband works in the IT field.

I received my AA and AAT from OTC in Springfield. From there I received my B.S. in elementary education, with an emphasis in early childhood development and my m.s.ed in curriculum and instruction from Drury University.

I have worked in early childhood education most of my life, including teaching kindergarten for Springfield Public Schools and substitute teaching for many SW MO districts.

During my time at Parents' Cooperative Preschool I have fallen in love with the program, and I’m dedicated to furthering the school’s original mission. It is my hope and goal to make Parents' Cooperative Preschool a safe, loving, and welcoming environment for all families.

Preschool I Teacher

I have lived in Southern Missouri most of my life and graduated from MSU with a Bachelors in Anthropology. I worked for Springfield Public Schools for almost 5 years in Elementary Special Education before taking a hiatus from education to be a stay-at-home mom. During that time, I discovered PCPK for my own son and fell in love with the play based, family-centered approach of the program.

Now I’m back in the classroom with PCPK, encouraging kids to love learning, books, themselves and giving monthly cooking lessons to eager littles! I love reading, gardening, and cooking with my family. I hope to have a homestead someday with lots of flowers, garden beds and our own hive of bees!

Preschool Teacher

Bio coming soon!

Pre-K Teacher

I have been working with children for over five years and am currently finishing up my degree in Social Work. I plan to continue my education, and (eventually) procure my Master's of Counseling.

I have a deep love for learning and teaching, and a particular fondness for helping children learn to read and love books. I also love to plan stimulating sensory activities and watch my students understand the world around them through a play-based model.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, and spending time with my family (particularly my one year old niece!) I am excited to see what the future holds for each and every one of my students!

Kindergarten Teacher

My name is Kristi Shepherd, and I have been the Pre-K teacher at PCPK since June 2020. I have a BS in Elementary Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and my m.ed in curriculum and instruction.

Over the past 25 years, I have taught Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 2nd grade, as well as tutored children through 6th grade. During my time at PCPK I was the Pre-K teacher from 2020-2022 and have been the kindergarten teacher from 2022-present. I have also homeschooled my own two children since 2012.

Educating children is my passion. Every school year is an adventure, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for each and every child!