Early Childhood Webinars

About April Poindexter

Dr. April Poindexter is the director of early childhood education programs at Goddard Systems. In her role, she oversees the development of our proprietary educational programming and curriculum.

Prior to joining Goddard Systems, Dr. Poindexter was an education consultant at Primrose Schools. Her experience and expertise in the field of early childhood education was affectionately shaped by her career as an elementary classroom teacher, instructional specialist, trainer, coach and franchise education consultant.

Dr. Poindexter’s research interests include writing practices and pedagogy; children’s literature; critical literacy; and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belongingness work. Her research on how Black upper-middle class children experience writing in school spaces was recognized for equity-centered implications and research excellence.

She holds a Ph.D. in teaching and learning with a concentration in language and literacy education, as well as a master’s degree in early childhood education.

About Dr. Lauren Starnes

Dr. Lauren Starnes is SVP and chief academic officer at Goddard Systems. She is responsible for leading the development of The Goddard School’s proprietary education program, driving research-based innovation and implementing new accreditation standards across the franchise system.

Previously, Dr. Starnes served as vice president of early childhood education at Primrose Schools Franchising Company, where she oversaw the continued evaluation, development and implementation of Primrose’s early childhood curriculum and research models.

She has more than 20 years of experience in education, including curriculum development, evaluation and implementation, as well as teaching and consulting in the fields of preschool, special needs and elementary education.

A widely published author and lecturer, Dr. Starnes holds a doctorate in educational leadership, as well as a master’s degree and doctorate in child development.