Directors care for everyone.
Rooted cares for directors.
Rooted exists to help early childhood directors build sustainable, high-quality programs — by supporting the people who hold everything together: directors, their teaching teams, and the families they serve.
Early childhood leadership isn’t set up to be sustainable.
Running a preschool means juggling staffing, supervision, curriculum, enrollment, licensing, parent relationships, behavior challenges, and budgets — all at once, often without a roadmap.
We kept seeing the same painful patterns:
Directors burning out because they’re responsible for everything, with little support for their role.
Teachers undervalued and under-supported, even though they are the heart of the work.
Families craving guidance and consistency, but not always getting it.
We know this isn’t a “you” problem. It’s a systems problem.
Rooted is a support system built just for early childhood leaders.
At Rooted Development, our mission is to nurture the growth and well-being of early childhood directors, their teaching teams, and the families they serve. We do this through ongoing, high-quality professional development, reflective coaching, and a community of support grounded in best practices and systems theory.
We believe that when directors are truly supported, they can:
Build strong, connected teaching teams.
Create consistent, high-quality experiences for children and families.
Lead programs that are aligned in purpose, philosophy, and practice.
Rooted is the only platform designed exclusively for early childhood directors. That’s our lane — and we know it deeply.
Our philosophy
We grow strong programs by investing in people.
At the heart of Rooted is a simple belief: when directors and teachers are deeply supported, children and families thrive.
Our work is grounded in:
Systems thinking – What affects one part of the community affects the whole. Strong programs are built through thoughtful systems, not heroic effort.
Continuous learning and reflection – Teachers and leaders need ongoing, high-quality professional development and space for reflective practice.
Child-centered decisions – The best interest of the child should guide every decision — in classrooms, leadership, and school culture.
Sound financial and operational foundations – Stable, sustainable programs require strong leadership and smart financial management.
Partnership with parents – Supporting parents and building collaborative relationships between home and school changes the trajectory of children’s lives.
Rooted weaves these principles into everything we do — from leadership coaching to teacher trainings to tools and templates.
What we believe at Rooted
“Directors deserve more than survival mode.”
We believe directors should feel confident, grounded, and supported in their roles — not constantly on the verge of burnout. Rooted exists to give directors the leadership tools, reflection space, and community they’ve rarely had access to.
“Families are partners, not an afterthought.”
Parent education and communication are integral to our work, not a side project. When directors, teachers, and parents are aligned, children experience consistent, informed care across home and school.
“Teachers need systems, not just praise.”
We love celebrating teachers — and we also know they need clear expectations, supervision structures, and space to grow. By strengthening leadership systems, we help teachers feel valued, supported, and able to do their best work.
“Quality and sustainability go together.”
High-quality programs and financially healthy programs are not opposites. With sound operational systems and thoughtful leadership, programs can be places where educators, children, and families all flourish — for the long term.
Meet our founders
Robin Shapiro
Co-Founder & Chief Learning Officer
Robin’s story
Going against the grain to put children teachers, and families first.
Robin Shapiro has spent over 40 years as a teacher, director, therapist, founder, and leadership coach — all in pursuit of one vision: to create the highest-quality early childhood experience for children, families, and educators.
She started with one teacher and one child in a rented basement and grew that vision into four state-of-the-art early childhood centers serving over 300 students and employing more than 80 teachers. Her programs became known for exceptional quality and industry-leading staff retention.
Before starting her program, Robin kept noticing the same things:
Directors were burning out and program were under-resourced.
Teachers were exhausted and under-supported.
Families were not getting their needs met.
So she developed a new model of early childhood education grounded in four core principles:
Teachers must be continuously learning, growing, nurtured, and appreciated. Strong programs invest in teacher development and wellness.
The best interest of the child must guide every decision. Classroom practice, leadership choices, and policies all flow from this.
Sound financial management and strong leadership are non-negotiable. Quality can’t be sustained without stable operations.
Parents must be supported on their parenting journey. Collaborative relationships between teachers, directors, and families create optimal learning environments for children.
Rooted is the vehicle through which Robin now shares her knowledge, best practices, and experience with directors everywhere.
David Shapiro
Co-Founder & CEO
David’s story
Bringing world-class management and strategy tools to early childhood
David Shapiro began his career as a strategy and management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he advised CEOs of major companies, governments, and nonprofits on their hardest human and business challenges.
At BCG, he developed deep experience in:
First principles thinking
Business strategy and operations
Modern management practices
He then became a founder himself, launching a venture-backed software company in the fitness and wellness space, which was acquired in 2024.
Today at Rooted, David brings:
Expertise in strategy, operations, marketing, financial planning, and software
A toolkit grounded in 80/20 thinking and hypothesis-driven decision-making
A deep respect for early childhood educators and an unwavering commitment to Rooted’s mission
Together, Robin and David combine decades of early childhood experience with high-level strategy and systems design — giving directors access to tools and thinking usually reserved for the highly resourced organizations.
Our mission and vision for the field
We believe in a better future for early childhood leadership.
At Rooted Development, we are committed to catalyzing a nationwide shift in how early childhood education and its leaders are valued, developed, and sustained. Our vision is a future where every program is led by confident, capable, and inspired leaders — directors who have the support, training, and tools they need to thrive.
When directors are supported, teachers stay longer, children flourish, families feel connected, and programs become more stable and sustainable.
What directors say about Rooted
“Rooted has transformed my program. Before working with them I was on the verge of burnout. Now I have control of my time, have systems that support me, and feel much more connected to my teachers.”
— Catherine, Program Director & Owner
“Finally, someone who actually understands my job. I’ve taken leadership trainings, but nothing has come close to the quality of Rooted support. I felt like someone had finally built something for me that worked.”
— Michelle, Preschool Director
“Professional development used to be overwhelming, with teachers left to find their own hours. Since we began using Rooted’s trainings, everything has become easier. The sessions require little prep, offer meaningful content, and our teachers truly enjoy them. The group discussions—especially the case studies—spark real engagement and collaboration. Teachers now leave PD feeling inspired and energized.”
— Emily, Preschool Director
Let’s talk about your program.
Whether you're just getting started or have been a director for decades, we’d love to hear more about your challenges and goals — and see how Rooted can help.