Primrose Schools
Education Advisory Board

Helps Primrose Continue to be a Leader in Early Learning
Child Care

Primrose Schools Education Advisory Board helps further enhance the high quality early childhood education that Primrose Schools delivers nationwide, while also strengthening the relationship between Primrose and the communities it serves. Education Advisory Board members specifically focus on issues that affect Primrose students and families, their communities, national initiatives, and Primrose's Balanced Learning^® curriculum.

The Board will provide strategic counsel for Primrose Schools by helping to set priorities, making recommendations for the continuous improvement of Primrose's education and training programs, and by serving as a sounding board for initiatives and curriculum enhancements.

Meet the 2008 Primrose Schools Education Advisory Board Members

Dr. Joanne Nurss
Joanne Nurss is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Georgia State University in Atlanta and is the former director of the Center for the Study of Adult Literacy. Joanne founded the Department of Early Childhood Education at Georgia State University and served as the Chairperson of the department for eight years. She served as the Associate Dean for Academic Programs for the Georgia State University College of Education and as a Professor of Early Childhood Education. Joanne has done extensive research in the fields of children’s literacy development, second language learning, and adult literacy and has published numerous articles related to these areas. She is author of the Metropolitan Readiness Test published by Psychological Corporation.

Although Joanne has retired from teaching and directing the Adult Literacy Center at Georgia State, her dedication and interest in literacy continues as she tutors and works with homeless and refugee families. She is also a regular volunteer at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

Dr. Steven Sanders
Steve Sanders is a Professor and Director of the School of Physical Education, Wellness, and Sports Studies at the University of South Florida. The School has academic units in Physical Education Teacher Education, Exercise Science, and Athletic Training. Steve is closely involved with teacher preparation programs working to prepare teachers to assist children in becoming physically active for a lifetime. He has taught and promoted the concept of being physically active for life throughout his career while working with all age levels from university students to infant/parent and toddler movement classes, to teaching preschool elementary, and high school physical education.

Steve is author of the Books "Designing Preschool Movement Programs (1992)," and "Active for Life: Developmentally Appropriate Movement Programs for Young Children (NAEYC, 2002)," along with over one hundred scholarly papers.

Dr. Suzanne Thouvenelle
As Director of Training and Development and co-founder of MOBIUS Corporation, Suzanne Thouvenelle has a variety of research, development, management, financial and administrative responsibilities. Since the inception of MOBIUS Corporation in 1983, she has directed a number of educational research projects. Additionally, she has worked directly with major business partners including Childcraft Education Corporation and the IBM Corporation in efforts to integrate computer technology in the field of early childhood education.

Suzanne served on the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Technology Panel that developed the Position Statement on Appropriate Use of Technology for Young Children. She has also held faculty positions at The George Washington University, Wheelock College and Johns Hopkins University.

Donna Thornton
Donna Thornton's love and zeal for those who lead child care and its quality are infectious. Donna has spent the last 20 years motivating, sharing, and inspiring people to reach new levels of quality with relevant and practical training. She inspires, teaches, and equips child care professionals to make the small but important changes that make a big difference in their programs.

Donna is the author of Motivating Staff through Exceptional Personnel Policies; Stop Being a Chicken in a Buzzards World; and Child Care is a Business, too. She has written a Management Curriculum for Child Care Administrators and been published in Child Care Information Exchange and the Association of Christian Schools International.

David M. Schwartz, Ph.D.
David M. Schwartz, Ph.D. was the Senior National Measurement Consultant for The Psychological Corporation, Harcourt and Pearson Inc., for 10 years. He is a Clinical Neuropsychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, and teaches the School Neuropsychology cohort in the Southeastern United States. Dr. Schwartz also consults with local school districts and clinical settings. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Kennesaw State University.

Dr. Schwartz holds a joint Ph.D. in Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Neuropsychology. He has extensive experience in the area of assessment and treatment, and he serves the child, adolescent, and adult populations. Dr. Schwartz utilizes a “consensus building” approach when working with individuals, families, professionals, and community resources. He is known for his practical recommendations and his easy accessibility.