Primrose Schools, Atlanta, Georgia, United States: Jo Kirchner, Chief Executive Officer

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• Jo Kirchner’s many accomplishments both for Primrose Schools and the early care and education industry can be read about on the Primrose Schools newsroom and interviews she has participated in, which are linked below. The organization’s consistent growth through the pandemic as a result of Kirchner’s guidance can be read about in the press releases titled "Primrose Schools® Opens 450th School, Continues Expansion in D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland" and "Primrose Schools® Dedicates 40th Year to Expansion of Early Education and Child Care.” 

• Kirchner’s purpose-driven leadership style is proven through her advocacy for public-private partnerships. Primrose was honored to partner with AdventHealth, Lift Orlando, Purpose Built Communities, West Lakes Partnership and the Bainum Family Foundation to support the opening of the West Lakes Early Learning Center — an innovative pilot partnership that marries scholarship, high-quality early education and care with on-site health, wellness and social services — a first in the childcare industry.  Kirchner details the partnership in the video on the Primrose Schools YouTube channel. 

• Primrose Schools can be compared against its competitors in the childcare industry, specifically as it relates to competitors with a franchise business model like The Goddard School and Kids ‘R’ Kids, by viewing the Franchise Times Top 400 and Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Ranking lists.  

• The dedication and mission of Primrose to serve more children through its constant expansion and development of new schools is displayed through the press release titled "Primrose Schools® Continues National Expansion as Child Care Needs Surge." 

Written answers to the questions

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• As CEO of Primrose Schools, the leader in early education and care, Jo Kirchner expanded the organization from four schools to nearly 475 schools across 33 states. Kirchner joined the organization in 1990, assuming the role of CEO in 1999, and led the strategic direction to transform Primrose into the industry-leading national brand. She is passionate about providing children and families with the highest-quality education and care, supporting the organization’s principle that who children become is as important as what they know. 

• Kirchner’s dedication to the Primrose mission of forging a path that leads to a brighter future for all children goes far beyond accelerating Primrose growth: it includes her work with the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC), advocating for public-private partnerships and a more equitable and sustainable version of early education and care, and supporting the Primrose Schools Children’s Foundation (PSCF), which she founded in 2005 to combine fundraising efforts at Primrose schools across the nation for an even greater impact on the lives of young children.   

• Through Kirchner’s passion, people-first and purpose-driven leadership approach, Primrose celebrates its 40th anniversary and reaching $1 billion in revenue. 

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• In 2021, despite the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, Primrose celebrated the opening of its 450th school and has since grown to nearly 475 locations with industry-leading occupancy. The company awarded 27 franchise agreements, opened 22 new schools and achieved a 340% increase in inquiries from individuals seeking to become Primrose franchise owners compared to 2020.  

• In the first quarter of 2021, Kirchner helped lead ECEC’s efforts to lobby for federal COVID-19 support resulting in over $50 billion in pandemic emergency federal funding, the largest ever in the childcare industry. 

• In October 2021, Primrose was the first and only national system of preschools to launch the use of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ®-3) and Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ®:SE-2) evidence-based screening tools in all schools. 

• Primrose and its schools across the country joined forces in 2021 to donate more than $350,000 to charity and gift over 342,000 items to those in need. Through the Primrose PromiseSM CSR program, 75,000 students and families across the country engaged in giving efforts to raise more than $215,000 for local and national non-profit organizations and $140,000 for the PSCF. 

• Primrose recently outperformed all childcare competitors on the latest Franchise Times Top 400 report, earning the 108th spot overall, and Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® awards ranked Primrose number one in the childcare category for the sixth consecutive year.

• In 2022, Primrose celebrates its 40th anniversary and the school system achieving $1 billion in revenue.  

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• In the face of the pandemic’s detrimental impact on the child care industry, Primrose Schools weathered shutdowns and re-openings, remaining agile and resilient in its support of franchise owners, helping them to ensure health and safety in the schools, recruit and retain teachers, provide support and guidance for families, and grow enrollment. Through its hard work and dedication to serving more children during this time of adversity, Primrose currently leads the industry in occupancy. Now in its 40th year, Primrose is focused on helping both veteran franchise owners and new entrepreneurs meet the early education and care needs of families in their communities by opening more schools and accelerating growth. 

• Through her work as co-founder and co-chair with the ECEC, Kirchner is leading the development of transformational solutions to achieve a more equitable and sustainable early care and education system for America. In 2021, she helped produce the largest government relief in history for the country’s child care industry. 

• The pandemic made clearer than ever before the need to address social-emotional development in early learning, as children have had to adjust to remote learning and greater social isolation. Compared to its competitors, Primrose is the first national system of preschools to track developmental milestones and learning holistically in children from birth through age five in all schools. Through the launch of the ASQ®-3 and ASQ®:SE-2 tools in October 2021, Primrose has a greater likelihood of improving children’s developmental outcomes and increasing their chances of reaching their full potential.