Teachers & Staff
Vanessa Mantor
Vanessa was born in Misawa, Japan and raised in Oklahoma. She moved to Tennessee in 2002. Vanessa attended Tennessee Technological University and graduated in 2011. She majored in Elementary Education and has a passion for kids. She wants to help change the world little by little. She feels like joining Primrose will help her do this! Vanessa joined Primrose School of Nashville Midtown in May 2015 and transferred to Primrose School of Brentwood in November 2018. She is excited to watch the children learn and grow!
Kali Morrison
Originally from Ohio, Kali moved to Tennessee in 2011 after earning her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Malone University and later her Master of Science in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee. She joined Primrose in 2014 as an Early Preschool Teacher and has had the opportunity to grow through various roles at both our Brentwood and Nashville Midtown schools. She is excited to now serve as Director of Compliance!
When she’s not at school, Kali loves spending time with my family, camping, and getting lost in a good book. She is grateful to be part of the Primrose community and loves being a part of a team that helps children learn, grow, and thrive!
Sandy Mining
Sandy was born in California but grew up in Ipswich, England. Her family moved to Texas when she was 12 and lived there until a few years ago. She finally convinced her husband of 13 years to move to the beautiful state of Tennessee. Sandy loves Tennessee for many reasons, mainly because her parents now live here, and there are actually four seasons! She has a little boy named Payton Jack who is her everything! Being a parent is so wonderful and made her realize that every moment is a teachable moment and this is why Sandy loves her job. Sandy has her Child Development Associates Degree for infant-toddlers, and has been in the childcare field for many years! She loves the look on a child’s face when they master a task, and there is nothing better than their smile and excitement.
Emily Cotton
Emily was born and raised in Washington state, where she graduated from University of Washington with a geography degree. Emily loves children and enjoys interacting learning new things and experiences. During her free time she enjoys geocaching, which is a fun activity that allows you to explore new hikes, trails, or areas. Emily is happy to be apart of the Primrose Brentwood team!
Franchise Owner
Dakara Barton
Over the past 12 years, I have had the opportunity to work at Primrose.
Starting about 6 months after college, I was hired as a toddler teacher at the Primrose School of Brentwood. Since then, I have been a support staff member, Early Preschool teacher, preschool teacher, Pre-kindergarten teacher and Kindergarten assistant.
After stepping out of my classroom roles, I became the Administrative Assistant, then continued to grow into the Director of Operations. I have had the opportunity to work under Amy James at two of her Primrose Schools.
I have grown to love the Primrose community and have gotten so close to not just the staff but also the families. My oldest started at 7 weeks and graduated from Primrose in 2022. My daughter now attends Primrose and is in an Early Preschool class.
It is such a blessing to be able to watch my littles grow and be able to attend such a wonderful Private Preschool. Being able to learn and grow as a teacher and now being able to see it from a parent’s perspective, has been one of the greatest gifts.
I feel this has made me a strong leader in our school and has shown me much gratitude for our Primrose community. I am honored to be offered the opportunity to become an owner where it all started for me at the Primrose School of Brentwood.
I cannot wait to spend the next chapter of my life partnering with other amazing owners and building a foundational community.
