Meet the Team
Head of School Co-Founder 1-3 Elementary Teacher
Rachel Gannon BAEd
Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. While completing her studies, she worked at Montessori Schools of Flagstaff, where she was first introduced to the Montessori Method and the philosophy of whole-child education—an approach that continues to guide her work in the classroom today.
After graduating, Rachel joined Mesa Public Schools, where she taught Pre-K and Kindergarten and developed a deep passion for early childhood education rooted in a child-led, whole-child approach that nurtures curiosity, independence, and a love of learning.
Rachel has been married to her husband, Steve, for 24 years, and together they have three wonderful children. As a family, they enjoy traveling, spending time at their cabin in the woods, and playing card games and pickleball.
She is grateful to be part of the Little Schoolhouse Co-operative and values the strong sense of community among the families and students, which makes the school a meaningful and rewarding place to teach.
Rachel Gannon
Co-Founder Gardening Teacher
Michelle Anderson, M.C., BAEd
Michelle's roots in education began over 20 years ago as an elementary school teacher with Mesa Public Schools. While teaching, she continued her education and earned a Master’s degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Educational Psychology from Arizona State University, along with endorsements in Reading, Early Childhood Education, and English as a Second Language.
She stepped away from full-time teaching when her two favorite students were born—her daughters. She is grateful every day to be their mom and to continue teaching and learning alongside them in this season of life.
Outside the classroom, she enjoys gardening, spending time with her chickens, and going on bike rides with her family. She also loves to travel, including a memorable teaching experience in Lima, Peru, and an adventure to the Amazon Rainforest.
One of her most meaningful recent journeys has been co-creating the Little Schoolhouse with her sister, Rachel. She values the opportunity to work together while serving students and families in such a beautiful and peaceful learning community.
Michelle Anderson
Lead 4-5 Teacher
Marissa attended Arizona State University where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Child Psychology and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Her teaching career began in Phoenix Elementary School District as a kindergarten teacher. While there, she was nationally recognized as a Lighthouse Classroom through the Reading First program. She was selected as her schools Reading First Coach, where she was instrumental in training the faculty in reading instruction and modeling effective lessons as well as a Math coach mentoring new and struggling teachers. After nine years in public education she opened her own in-home preschool where she spent eleven years connecting with children and families. Marissa is thrilled to now be a part of The Little Schoolhouse. When not teaching, Marissa loves to spend time with her husband, Jake, and their three children: Spencer, Lila and Gemma. In her free time she enjoys tending to my flower beds, cooking and teaching ballet at Inspire Entertainment.
Marissa Harris
Lead 6-8 Teacher
Jacque grew up in Arizona and earned her degree in Elementary Education from BYU–Hawaii. Post graduation, she served as a missionary in Italy and fell in love with the culture, language, food, people and places! Jacque started her teaching career as an 8th grade science teacher in the Kyrene district. She also enjoyed substitute teaching across grade levels while supporting her husband’s Air Force career, which took their family to several states and most recently Hawaii. After three years there, they returned to make Mesa their permanent home.
Jacque and her husband have been married for nearly twenty years and have four amazing kids. She loves sharing the cultures and experiences gained from living in many places. Jacque has three younger kids who are a part of The Little Schoolhouse. She is passionate about teaching and specifically making connections of students to the material they're learning, as well as connections with each other!
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Jacque Neil
Our Story
Our journey started as a group of parents who wanted to be an integral part of our children's lives and educational experience. We began teaching in a small one room schoolhouse with 2 teachers and 22 students. We combined experience from Montessori education, the public school sector and homeschooling platforms to create a hybrid learning experience. We worked with parents to support the work they were doing at home. We provided adequate time for play and learning outdoors in nature. What we experienced was inspiring. We knew what we had to offer needed to be available to more children and families.
