Our Team
Alicia Marker – Head of School
Ms. Alicia is “living a dream” owning and running School in the Hills. Sharing the philosophy, materials, and teachings of Dr. Montessori with children and parents is her life’s work. She enjoys seeing the children walk in the door happy to be at school.
Ms. Alicia believes the Montessori Method is not only an educational path but a way of living. Ms. Alicia has proudly walked this path of life for over 20 years. During her time in the Montessori community, Ms. Alicia has worked in many areas of education, from teacher assistant to administrative director of a large, two-campus program. Having had the opportunity to work with children ranging in age from 18 months to 6th grade gives her the expertise to successfully run School in the Hills’ educational program.
As School in the Hills’ Head of School, Ms. Alicia’s takes great pride in her staff. Just like she loves witnessing the children in her school grow, develop, and mature, she enjoys seeing her staff reach new levels of knowledge and professional maturity.
Some of Ms. Alicia’s career accomplishments include: developing a Character Education program that has touched many young lives and bringing the Destination Imagination program to her Montessori students. She is most proud of her work on the Leadership program, which she has fine-tuned over the last 10 years.
Teaching children about sharing knowledge and experience as well as the importance of community service has been a very personal goal for her. Ms. Alicia’s other passion in life is her family. The love, encouragement, and support she receives from them is what keeps her going forward. Daniel and Ms. Alicia have two amazing adult sons with whom they spend as much time as possible.
mailto:alicia@schoolinthehills.com
Daniel Marker - Administrative Director
Daniel grew up in an entrepreneurial family. He joined the family businesses after earning a BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin in 1986. He worked his way up in the company to become a partner and President of The Marker Group. At the peak, he managed five business units, 270 employees, and 50 contractors. This experience taught him the importance of providing a high quality service and exceptional customer service.
Daniel’s mother instilled in him a belief that success starts with the employees. It is important to hire great people, provide excellent training, and value their role in the organization’s success. He and Alicia operate School in the Hills with the same conviction. His love of Montessori started when his young sons attended a Montessori school in Houston, where Alicia also started working as an assistant teacher. She soon entered training to become a certified Montessori teacher. Her excitement during training and the fun of watching their boys grow in the program made him a true believer in the philosophy.
Daniel often jokes that School in the Hills is he and Alicia’s “mid-life crisis,” but it feels like their full career was leading to starting the school. He shares a love of children with Alicia and a belief that these formative years are so important in a child’s life. He spent many years as a coach and a scout leader when their children were growing up. He also served on the Parent Advisory Committee and Steering Committee at their elementary school. Later, he assisted his wife in coaching an Odyssey of the Mind team.
mailto: daniel@schoolinthehills.com
Nancy Meadows - School Secretary
Ms. Nancy is a friendly, outgoing and caring person, who has more than 18 years of administrative and customer service experience. Her professional background includes positions such as administrative assistant to the vice president of Life Ins. Co. of Cincinnati, financial assistant at Fire Creek Cattle Company, and account representative at SunTrust Bank.
During her free time, she enjoys playing with her grandchildren, reading, needlework and crocheting.
mailto:nancy@schoolinthehills.com
Rachel Dorman – Administrative Assistant
After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Ms. Rachel knew she wanted to work with children. Children’s never ending energy and ability to always surprise us were some of the reasons why she chose to work in a school setting.
Before coming to School in the Hills, Ms. Rachel was an infant teacher at a nearby child care facility. After learning about School in the Hills’ wonderful educational program, she was convinced that she wanted to be part of their teaching team. Ms. Rachel started as a toddler teacher in the Raccoons class. It was challenging work, but she loved the children very much. She enjoyed watching the children under her care grow and acquire new skills.
After a brief time away from School in the Hills, Ms. Rachel returned as the school’s Administrative Assistant. She is passionate about the school and strives to help things run as smoothly as possible. She is truly enjoying being part of the administrative side of the school.
In her free time, Ms. Rachel likes to spend time with her husband, friends, two dogs, and the three chickens they keep in her backyard. She enjoys cooking, playing soccer, and practicing yoga.
mailto: rachel@schoolinthehills.com
