Starting Points Child Care

Meet Our Staff

Starting Points prides itself on its qualified and experienced staff. All staff are required to complete a screening process which includes personal references, FBI and TBI back ground checks, and work references. All staff must also complete an extensive orientation training and a three month probationary period. Staff must complete a minimum of 18 hours of in-service training each year. The Director is required to complete 24 hours of training. Staff are also required to be certified in CPR and First Aid within the first six months of employment. Starting Points always has half of their staff certified at all times.

The Director

Janice Zimmerman is the Director and Owner of Starting Points. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Deaf Education/Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Special Education/Elementary Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has six years of teaching experience in private and public school systems. She also has over twenty eight years of childcare and administrative experience.

The Director is responsible for the overall administration of the Center. This includes direct supervision of the staff, serving as a role model for teachers, monitoring the program's operations, working with parents and assisting with the assessment of children's individual needs.

The Assistant Director/Lead Teacher

Lynn McGrath has been with Starting Points for over 14 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education/Music from New Jersey City University. She has endorsements in early childhood and elementary education. She has thirty one years of teaching experience and administrative experience.

The Assistant Director is responsible for parent communication and supervising staff in the absence of the Director. She is also responsible for the regular classroom duties of a Lead teacher.

Administrative Assistant/Lead Teacher

Kathy Lorenz has a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education from Kendall College. She has over twenty five years of teaching and administrative experience. Kathy has been with Starting Points for over 13 years.

Kathy is responsible for the regular class room duties of a Lead teacher. She also is responsible for the supervision of the staff during the Director/Assistant Director's absence. She also handles enrollment, immunizations and other office duties.

Lead Teachers

Starting Points requires all Lead Teachers to have their degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field, a Child Development Associate, thirty hours of TECTA training, or working towards a goal of achieving a higher education degree in a related field. All Lead Teachers are required to have previous teaching experience and complete a thorough background check.

Lead teachers are primarily responsible for supervising the classroom, planning age appropriate lesson plan, implementing activities, assessing children and their needs, working directly with and monitoring children and working closely with parents. They are also responsible for coordinating teaching efforts with the afternoon assistant teacher.

Teaching Assistants

Starting Points requires part time teaching assistants to be trained in childcare or child development and to have experience working with childen in a childcare setting.

The teaching assistants work directly with the lead teacher helping to develop activities around the theme related lesson plan. The teaching assistant works directly with the children, prepares materials, plans, and implements activites, monitors children, and works closely with all parents.

After School Coordinator

The after school coordinator (ASC) is a part time employee with experience working with school age children. The ASC has a degree in Education or a related field, or has a goal of achieving a higher education in childcare or a related field.

The ASC is responsible for supervision of the classroom, activity planning, implementing activities, field trip planning, interacting and monitoring children, and working closely with the parents. The ASC is also responsible for the supervision of other counselors.