Calmer classrooms start with effective program operations.
Rooted was created by directors for directors - we understand the realities of running early childhood programs and the operational systems to make them sustainable for leaders and teachers.
Hear from our founders
Our approach to leadership development
Learn more about our approach to early childhood program leadership and the routines and program supports that reduce daily stress and help directors and teachers feel supported, appreciated, and sustained in their role.
Your leadership playbook for a sustainable program
Rooted’s annual membership gives directors everything they need to strengthen their program — self-paced trainings, expert-guidance, and time-saving tools and templates from leaders who have been in your shoes.
1. Leadership trainings for directors
A complete leadership development system built by people who’ve actually run high-quality programs.
You’ll get expert-led trainings on:
Teacher supervision and observation
Difficult conversations and conflict resolution
Program culture and staff retention
Financial planning, budgeting, and tuition strategy
Family communication vehicles and supports
Every training includes:
Step-by-step systems you can apply immediately
Real-world examples from high-functioning programs
Tools, templates, and reflective exercises
Eligible for professional development hours
Outcome: You move from crisis mode into sustainable, empowered leadership.
2. RootedAI: your on-demand leadership coach
Real-time answers, grounded in Rooted’s frameworks and best practices.
RootedAI is your 24/7 thought partner and personal assistant — trained on Rooted’s tools, templates, and systems, and designed specifically for early childhood leaders.
Use RootedAI when you need to:
Prepare for a difficult conversation with a teacher or parent
Walk step-by-step through budgeting, tuition setting or other business decisions
Think through a schedule, policy, or boundary you’re trying to set
Create emails, documents, or other resources using relevant training concepts or best practices
Instead of Googling “what do I do about…?”, you can ask an AI coach that understands the realities of early childhood leadership and your program’s context.
Outcome: You’re never truly “on an island” when big decisions or tricky situations come up.
3. Time-saving tools & templates
You get access to ready-to-use tools and templates that level-up your skills, reinforce your systems, and save you hours each month.
Examples include:
Budgeting models and tuition planning templates
Teacher supervision and observation forms
Hiring guides, interview questions, and onboarding checklists
Annual planning and rhythms templates
Checklists for key leadership tasks throughout the year
Outcome: Less spinning your wheels, more following proven processes.
4. Personalized program roadmap + 1:1 support
Every member starts with a personalized program roadmap and gets 1:1 coaching with experts who have run high-quality programs themselves.
Together, we’ll:
Understand your goals
Map your current systems (supervision, PD, operations, family communication)
Identify your biggest leverage points
Build a realistic plan for the next 6–12 months
The option to check in regularly to adjust, troubleshoot, and celebrate wins
Outcome: You have a clear, sequenced plan to help you achieve your goals.
“Robin is incredible. It’s rare to find someone who truly understands every aspect of running a high quality program and teach it as well as she does.”
– Catherine, Preschool Director & Owner
What it’s like to work with Rooted over a year
Step 1 – Start with a conversation
We’ll talk about your program, your role, and what’s feeling heavy right now — from team culture to finances to behavior challenges.
Step 2 – Build your roadmap
We’ll review where you are, identify the most important systems to strengthen first, and co-create a 6–12 month plan that fits your reality.
Step 3 – Layer in leadership & staff trainings
You’ll start using director trainings, staff meeting trainings, and RootedAI to build new skills, shared language and stronger systems across your program.
Step 4 – Put tools and templates to work
We’ll support you in using budgeting models, observation forms, and planning templates so your day-to-day work gets easier and more predictable.
Step 5 – Reflect, adjust, and keep growing
Through 1:1 coaching, we can help you stay focused on the right next steps as your program evolves.
Try it yourself
Get a free leadership training
In this 35-minute training we share the key systems and strategies to help your program transform your staff meetings into a tool for teacher growth, collaboration, and classroom consistency.
We’ll share the same strategies used in programs where teachers stay for 8+ years and directors stay for decades.
FAQs
Do I have to be in a certain state to work with Rooted?
Yes. Our leadership development services are currently only available in the state of Maine. However, our teacher training services are available in Maine and Massachusetts.
Are your training eligible for professional development hours?
Yes. Each membership comes with 20+ hours of professional development for you, with certificates of completion that accompany each training.
What is my time commitment?
Most directors engage with ~1-2 leadership trainings per month, and use RootedAI and other tools other tools weekly. Trainings are online, self-paced and broken into bite-sized lessons. You can go at your own pace — the goal is to make your life easier, not busier. Directors will often come back to specific sections of leadership trainings over time as needed.
Why aren’t your leadership trainings available for individual purchase?
Our team invests significantly time upfront in the programs that we support via our Leadership Development Membership (e.g., full program assessments), and therefore we require a minimum one year commitment.
Our leadership development trainings form a cohesive approach, so that the practices you implement across your program (e.g., teacher supervision, hiring, financial management, etc.) all work in harmony to create ‘synergy’ within your program.
Therefore, we find programs get significantly better results when they have unlimited access to all of these trainings + our 24/7 coach (RootedAI), which is trained on all of our content.
Our ultimate goal is 'program transformation' - we believe that one year is the minimum amount of time necessary to achieve long-term change and impact.
Ready to make your job sustainable?
Whether you’re in crisis mode or just ready for a steadier way of leading, we’d love to hear about your program and explore whether Rooted is the right support system for you.