In early June, the Georgetown Hill Early School recognized educator Linda Tecler for her 43 years of service. The celebration was attended by an enthusiastic throng of teachers, school administrators, former and current students, plus her husband and two grown daughters.
Linda joined Ellen Cromwell, the school’s founder, when it first got off the ground in 1980. At the time, it offered a new concept of preschool as a place of learning instead of merely daycare or babysitting location. With 13 locations and 1,000 enrolled students enrolled, Georgetown Hill Early School has become a local fixture for growing families.
In tandem, Linda’s role evolved to be multifaceted—from working with preschoolers in cooking classes to teaching in different grades to running several of the school’s centers and helping to set up classrooms. She calls her retirement bittersweet, although she will remain working part-time, “I will continue doing the fun things I enjoy, including literary story time and puppetry,” Linda says.
No matter how her position changes, Georgetown Hill will always be her “school family.” “Some of my dearest and closest friends are colleagues because we share the same passion for nurturing young minds,” Linda notes. Peter Cromwell, the school founder’s son and current CEO, describes Linda as “a nurturer and a creative storyteller who has shaped the minds of three generations of kids.” Kristen Cromwell, the school founder’s daughter and current COO, adds “Linda has been my second mom and mentor and she is always there, whether it’s early morning or the middle of the night setting up classrooms.”
A new scholarship to Georgetown Hill Early School has launched in Linda’s name. To contribute or learn more about the Georgetown Hill Early School, visit http://www.georgetownhill.com or call (301) 284-8144.
“a nurturer and a creative storyteller who has shaped the minds of three generations of kids.”