ABOUT OUR SCHOOLHOUSE

Little Red Schoolhouse was dreamt up, designed, and built in 2001 by Jessica Rutherford and Jamie Johnson. Originally consisting of only a downstairs space with a capacity of 15 kids, they taught and administrated together up until Jamie moved away and Jessica bought her out in 2004. Since then, Jessica has done the expansion to the upstairs space and then the new Teeny Red building which opened in October of 2008. Little Red is an S-Corporation and is not non-profit.

Meet Jessica Rutherford,
Owner & Director

Jessica graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1990, Georgetown University in 1994, and got her elementary teaching certificate from Western Colorado University in 1999. She has lived in Crested Butte since 1994 and has one beautiful daughter Amelia, born in 2003. It has been a wonderful spot to raise a child!

Little Red Schoolhouse has been and continues to be an amazingly rewarding career for Jessica, and it is definitely a dream fulfilled. Kids are her passion and a great way to spend her days. Little Red celebrated its 20-year birthday in September of 2021, and Jessica is incredibly grateful for all of the wonderful years…we’ve almost come full circle!

 Meet our Teachers

Featured
Ms. Karla
Ms. Karla

Hi! My name is Karla, I was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and raised in Key West, Florida where I got an associates degree in tourism management in; which I later transferred to the University of Florida, where I graduated with a bachelors in Tourism, Events and Recreation. During my last year in college I did an internship at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole, in WY and fell in love with the outdoors and skiing. After graduation, I started doing seasonal jobs mostly out west, and in 2019 I moved to beautiful Gunnison, CO. I’ve always been passionate about the young, although most of my background was in the tourism industry I knew I had to at least give the preschool world a shot. I have now been at Little Red for over a year, and I do not want to stop. I am currently furthering my education, to soon get a CBA in early Childhood Education. Some of my hobbies besides playing with babies are skiing, camping, cooking, hiking, making art, and being outside as much as I can with my dogs Maya and Mona. It is my absolute pleasure to able to help raise your children, in such a beautiful environment in every way. 

 

Ms. Jamie
Ms. Jamie

Hello, my name is Jamie LaZear. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and am beyond happy to be living in the Gunnison Valley now. I enjoy living in the mountains and the many outdoor activities it offers all year long. I have over 20 years of experience working with children as a nanny, gymnastics coach, volunteer, and I was also fortunate enough to be an Au Pair in Italy and Australia. I have five years of experience working in Early Childhood Education and I love being a Pre-K teacher at Little Red. I earned my Bachelor Degree from the University of Missouri- St. Louis where I studied Education and Social Work. I am certified in Early Childhood Education here in Colorado. I believe that every child deserves a loving, safe, nurturing environment that fosters their natural curiosity and joy for learning. I provide this by creating a supportive environment where children are free to express themselves, take risks, and collaborate with their peers. This empowers them to become confident, life-long learners, ready to embrace the world around them. In my free time I enjoy reading, hiking, skiing, and spending time with my seven wonderful nephews! 

Ms. Kerri
Ms. Kerri

Hi my name is Kerri Councilman. I was born and raised here in Crested Butte. However spent my sophomore and junior year of high school in Corpus Christi Texas. I returned for my senior year and graduated in 2007. I then went to Western State College were I studied chemistry and English with an emphasis in creative writing. My interest in teaching came from a young age when I aided in classrooms with children from 1st to 4th grade. I’m currently working on getting my CBA in early education. Outside of school my passions are art (which I do like to bring in the classroom) cooking, skiing and anything outside. I feel it’s a privilege to be able to teach children in the town I grew up in because this place is truly special and I’m happy to be able to share it.

Brier
Brier

Hi everyone! I’m Brier and I have been working in childcare and Early Childhood Education for 7 years! I started as a counselor in training at 14, as an enrichment counselor for a summer program in my home state of Vermont. I am also currently pursuing a double major of History and Secondary Education at Western! I love creating art as an integrative form of education and love creating a fun engaging environment in the classroom. I am excited to see what the future holds at Little Red Schoolhouse!

Ms. Mary
Ms. Mary

HI! My name is Mary. I’m a Colorado native from Boulder. I grew up in Boulder and spent a lot of time traveling the world with my family. My mom is a middle school teacher and my dad is a retired professor for the University of Colorado. Because of them, I have always been interested working in education with the younger age groups. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Adult Fitness and Exercise Science from Metropolitan State University in Denver. I worked in Montessori for 5 years before joining the Boulder Journey School Teacher Education Program, and received my degree in Educational Psychology with a focus in Early Childhood Education and the Reggio Emilia Approach to Education from University of Colorado. While in the program I visited a few of the original ECE schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. I have worked with groups aging from infants to kindergarten for the past several years. I have always been passionate about young children and their desire to learn. Currently I am living in Gunnison Valley with my husband and 2 boys, Riker and Ridley. We love living in Colorado! In my free time I enjoy being outside, spending time with my family, and watching my boys grow.

Ms. Mikahla
Ms. Mikahla

Hi! I’m from Denver and originally moved to Crested Butte in 2007. I moved back in 2020 after living in Athens, Ohio for a couple years. I have a BA in Biology from WCU. I am a certified Infant/Toddler Lead Teacher and have been working with children for the last 10 years. I worked at Teeny Red from 2014-2018 and I’m so happy to be back! I enjoy working with children and watching them grow and learn, from infants all the way through PreK and beyond. I love being able to guide them to being independent, socially/emotionally confident, compassionate children. Outside of work I enjoy snowboarding, hiking, and being outdoors as much as possible.

Interested in working at Little Red and Teeny Red?

 

"We live in Lake Irwin now and commute by snowcat and then car to Little Red. Before that we commuted from Almont. We make the extra drive because we love the nurturing and stimulating environment Little Red provides our children. The teachers are extremely knowledgable and support our children’s interests and strengths as well as work on any areas our children need help with. There is great communication between children and parents which provides a true team approach to teaching our children as they grow older. Since joining Little Red my children have become more independent and confident in themselves and take a strong interest in the world around them. For those of you who don’t live right in CB South, it’s well worth the extra drive."

Samantha S.