Molly Simmons

Molly is the Director of Early Childhood at Bennett Day School and an Adjunct Professor of Child Development at Lewis University. Holding a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute, she brings over a decade of experience supporting young children, educators, and families through a progressive, relationship-centered approach.

An active voice in the field, Molly has presented on family partnerships and documentation practices through The Alliance for Early Childhood, ISACS, and NAEYC. She served as a panelist at the ACM Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Conference, speaking on empowering children as designers of their own learning, and authored an article on innovative literacy practices for NAEYC’s professional journal, Teaching Young Children.

Her journey began at Syracuse University, working in a Reggio-inspired preschool that sparked her passion for Project-Based Learning. Prior to her current roles, Molly supported diverse learning environments, including helping to pilot San Antonio’s PreK4SA schools and teaching in Montessori classrooms. At Bennett, she spent eight years teaching PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten while serving as Division Chair, coaching educators on brain development, cultural child-rearing practices, and family dynamics. She also founded Bennett’s family book club to foster community through early development education.

Molly is dedicated to ensuring Bennett’s early childhood program reflects a progressive, family-first vision. Fostering creativity and integrity, she looks forward to cultivating an inclusive, research-informed environment where children, families, and educators thrive together.