Bringing years of experience in educational innovation, curriculum development, and school leadership back to where it matters most—the classroom.
Winter Park, Florida | October 2026
After years of building schools, developing curriculum, writing books, and helping educators rethink the future of learning, Marnie Forestieri is returning to where her passion for education began: inside the school.
As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Winter Park School, Marnie is stepping into the additional role of Head of School, taking a more active role in shaping the school's educational experience, supporting teachers, connecting with families, and guiding the continued development of the Innovation Advantage™ curriculum.
For Marnie, this new chapter represents more than a leadership transition. It is an opportunity to bring everything she has learned as an entrepreneur, educator, author, and curriculum developer directly into the daily experiences of children.
And at the heart of her decision is a question that has guided her work for years:
What should children learn today to thrive in a world shaped by rapid change and artificial intelligence?
From Building Schools to Shaping the Learning Experience
Before establishing The Winter Park School, Marnie founded Amazing Explorers Academy and Young Innovators Academy, growing her educational vision from a single classroom into a network of early-learning schools.
Throughout that journey, she observed something important: the success of a school depends not only on what children are taught, but also on how teachers are supported, how learning is organized, and how school leaders continually improve the educational experience.
While expanding schools gave Marnie the opportunity to reach more children and educators, her greatest interest has always been understanding what happens inside the classroom.
How do children develop curiosity? What makes an educational experience meaningful? How can teachers encourage independent thinking? And how can schools prepare children for a future we cannot fully predict?
Now, as Head of School, Marnie will have the opportunity to explore these questions alongside the teachers, children, and families of The Winter Park School.
A Living Laboratory for the Innovation Advantage™ Curriculum
At the heart of The Winter Park School is Innovation Advantage™, an educational approach developed through years of collaboration with educators, including Dr. Debby Mitchell, Sarah Sprinkle, university professors, school leaders, and classroom teachers.
Most importantly, the curriculum has been developed, tested, and continuously refined alongside the children it was designed to serve.
The approach is built around the CAPE Method™, which encourages children to move through four stages of learning:
- Challenge: Ask questions, identify problems, and explore new possibilities.
- Analyze: Investigate, observe, compare, and think critically.
- Produce: Create, build, experiment, and put ideas into action.
- Evaluate: Reflect, learn from mistakes, and discover ways to improve.
Rather than simply memorizing information, children are encouraged to become active participants in their learning.
A question about how plants grow might turn into a classroom garden. An interest in buildings might inspire children to design and construct their own structures. A conversation about community helpers might evolve into interviewing people who make Winter Park a special place to live.
These experiences help children connect what they learn to the world around them.
At The Winter Park School, we believe curriculum should never stop evolving.
As Head of School, Marnie will work directly with teachers to observe how children learn, evaluate classroom experiences, and continually refine the curriculum based on children's development, interests, and needs.
The Winter Park School will serve as a living laboratory for educational innovation—a place where ideas are put into practice, learning is made visible, and improvement is part of the everyday experience.
Introducing the Childcare Operating System™: Helping Great Teachers and Schools Thrive
Another important part of Marnie's vision is the Childcare Operating System™, a proprietary framework she has developed to help early childhood education schools strengthen their leadership, support their teachers, and create consistent, high-quality learning environments.
While Innovation Advantage™ focuses on how children learn, the Childcare Operating System™ focuses on creating the conditions that allow exceptional teaching and learning to happen.
For families, this means looking beyond curriculum alone.
A great school needs caring, well-prepared teachers, clear communication with families, thoughtful classroom routines, strong leadership, and systems that support each child's development.
The Childcare Operating System™ brings these essential elements together through four connected priorities:
TEACH — Strengthening the Learning Experience
Supporting teachers with an intentional curriculum, meaningful learning activities, and resources that encourage children's curiosity, creativity, and independence.
DEVELOP — Investing in Our Educators
Providing ongoing professional development, coaching, and mentorship so teachers feel confident, supported, and equipped to bring innovative learning experiences into their classrooms.
SEE — Understanding Each Child's Growth
Using classroom observations, assessments, and student portfolios to understand children's progress, recognize their strengths, and identify opportunities for additional support.
DIFFERENTIATE — Building a School With Purpose
Creating a distinctive school culture where educational quality, meaningful traditions, family relationships, and a commitment to innovation guide everyday decisions.
The Winter Park School will be a place where these practices are implemented, evaluated, and improved.
Over time, the insights gained from this work will also help Marnie refine tools, training programs, and leadership practices that can support educators and school leaders beyond Winter Park.
For our families, the most important benefit is simple: a school committed to getting better every day for the children it serves.
Rethinking What a School Day Can Look Like
One of Marnie's priorities as Head of School is continuing to shape a school day that balances strong academic foundations with opportunities for creativity, exploration, and the application of knowledge.
Our approach recognizes that children need both foundational skills and opportunities to use those skills in meaningful ways.
In the morning, children build strong foundations.
Through developmentally appropriate literacy, mathematics, science, and STEAM experiences, children develop essential knowledge and skills while learning to investigate, question, and reason.
In the afternoon, children put learning into action.
Collaborative projects, creative exploration, enrichment activities, public speaking, and age-appropriate life skills give children opportunities to apply what they have learned.
For our youngest learners, these experiences are built around play, relationships, sensory exploration, language development, and hands-on discovery.
For older children, they increasingly involve collaborative projects, problem-solving, communication, and independent thinking.
The goal is not to introduce more academics at an earlier age. It is to make learning more meaningful, engaging, and connected to children's natural curiosity.
Supporting the Teachers Who Make Learning Possible
Marnie believes that meaningful educational innovation begins with teachers.
As an author of thirteen early childhood education books published by Gryphon House and a TEDx speaker on the future of learning, she has spent years sharing ideas with educators and school leaders.
But she also recognizes that the most valuable insights often come from listening to teachers and observing children.
As Head of School, she plans to spend significant time in classrooms, collaborating with educators, observing learning experiences, and identifying ways to strengthen instructional practices.
Through the Childcare Operating System™, the school will continue building a culture of professional learning, mentorship, reflection, and continuous improvement.
Teachers will be encouraged not only to implement the curriculum but also to contribute their ideas and observations to its ongoing development.
Because when teachers grow, children benefit.
Building Stronger Partnerships With Families
Another important priority is strengthening the relationship between school leadership and families.
Parents deserve to know more than what their children did during the day. They should have opportunities to understand what their children are learning, how they are developing, and why their experiences matter.
At The Winter Park School, we want to make learning visible.
Through classroom projects, student portfolios, exhibitions, family communication, and school traditions, we aim to celebrate children's discoveries and help families recognize their growth.
Marnie's hands-on leadership will also create more opportunities to listen to families, understand their experiences, and incorporate their feedback into the school's continued development.
We believe the strongest educational communities are built when families and educators work together.
A School That Learns Alongside Its Students
The Winter Park School is entering an exciting new chapter.
With Marnie serving as Head of School, the school will continue developing as a model for two complementary approaches: the Innovation Advantage™ curriculum, which focuses on how children learn, and the Childcare Operating System™, which focuses on how schools support exceptional teaching and learning.
Together, they reflect an important belief: a school should be a learning organization, just like the children it serves.
That means asking questions, trying new approaches, evaluating what works, listening to teachers and families, and making thoughtful improvements along the way.
For Marnie, stepping into the role of Head of School is an opportunity to bring her career full circle.
After years of creating and growing educational organizations, she is returning to the daily work of nurturing a school community, supporting teachers, and shaping the experiences that influence how children see themselves as learners.
You may find her observing a classroom project, discussing a new idea with teachers, listening to a child's explanation, or connecting with parents about their hopes for their children.
Because no matter how much education changes, Marnie believes its greatest possibilities will always begin with the relationship between a child and a caring educator.
Looking Ahead, Together
As we begin this new chapter, our commitment to families remains the same: to create a welcoming, nurturing, and inspiring environment where every child feels known, valued, and encouraged to discover their potential.
We are excited about the opportunities ahead and grateful to the families and educators who make The Winter Park School such a special community.
For Marnie, this is more than a return to school leadership. It is an opportunity to demonstrate what education can become when curriculum, teachers, leadership, and families share a common purpose.
And that purpose begins with a belief that guides everything we do:
Where curiosity leads the way.
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Discover The Winter Park School
Located in the heart of Winter Park, Florida, The Winter Park School offers early childhood and elementary education programs designed to nurture curiosity, creativity, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.
We invite families to experience our approach firsthand, meet our educators, explore our learning environments, and discover what makes our school different.
