Teachers & Staff
Maddison Barker
Mrs. Maddison Barker is so excited to serve as the Area Director of all three Knoxville Primrose locations! She graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2018 with a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Child and Family Studies. She currently lives in Maryville with her husband, William, son, Westbrook, daughter, Winslow and dog, Luna. She previously worked with Primrose as a Pre-K teacher and Director and is excited to get to know families and staff at all 3 locations now!
Randi Luttrell
Mrs. Randi Luttrell is a Knoxville native and a proud graduate of the University of Tennessee. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Services, with a major in Child and Family Studies, in 2011. With more than 15 years of experience in early childhood education, Randi is passionate about supporting children as they learn, grow and thrive.
Randi began her Primrose journey at Primrose School of Farragut in the spring of 2016 as a Director in Training. In January 2017, she became the Director of Primrose School of West Knoxville. Randi and her husband have two sons, both proud Primrose graduates!
Randi is grateful to continue serving the Primrose School of West Knoxville community and looks forward to building lasting relationships with its children, families and staff.
Tiffanni Webb
Melissa Phelps
Mrs. Melissa is a Knoxville native and a proud graduate of Bearden High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and brings more than 20 years of experience in management and working with children.
Her Primrose journey began at Primrose School of Farragut, where she taught Pre-K for three years. Since joining Primrose School of West Knoxville, she has served Education Director and now supports our school as the Office Coordinator.
Mrs. Melissa is married and has a son who graduated from West High School. She enjoys building relationships with our children, families, and staff and is proud to be part of the Primrose West family!
Lindsey Shields
Ms. Lindsey began her Primrose journey as a Lead Infant Teacher before joining our Leadership Team, where she now serves as our Education Coach. She holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential in early childhood education.
What Ms. Lindsey loves most about working with children is being a consistent, caring presence in their lives and someone families can always count on.
Ms. Lindsey looks forward to continuing to learn, grow, and make a difference as part of the Primrose West family!
Chef Mitzi
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Percy because he is our Primrose mascot! I love how Percy brings so much fun and excitement to our school and is a special friend that our children love to see.
Ms. Ruby
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
Benjamin the Bear because he represents generosity and teaches children the joy of giving without expecting anything in return.
Ms. Caitlyn
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
Og the Bookworm is my favorite Primrose Friend because I have always loved to read. I now get to share that same love of reading with our students and my son. I also love the message Og represents—that caring for others helps make our world a better place for everyone.
Ms. Cortney
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Katie!
Ms. Julie
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Erwin because he teaches the value of friendship and the importance of supporting one another. I love that he reminds children how meaningful it is to be a good friend and always encourage others.
Ms. Michelle
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Og! I love to read for fun and especially enjoy sharing books with little ones. I also love that Og represents caring for others, which is something we practice every day at Primrose—not only with our children, but with our coworkers, too! 🥰
Ms. Kristi
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
Og the Bookworm is my favorite Primrose Friend because I am caring and I’m a bookworm too! I love reading and sharing that love of books with others.
Ms. Jordan
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Benjamin the Bear because he teaches children the importance of generosity and kindness.
Ms. Kelsey
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Peanut the Pony because he teaches us that honesty helps build trust with others. I love that he reminds children that while being honest isn’t always easy, it is important for building strong and meaningful relationships.
Ms. Jody
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Percy, of course! He is a great mascot who encourages children to be brave, confident, and always growing.
Ms. Karla
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Ally the Bunny because she reminds children that making responsible choices and taking responsibility for our actions can make a positive difference for everyone.
Ms. Seema
🍎 2023-2024 Educator of the Year
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Erwin the Dog because he teaches children about friendship and the importance of being a good friend to others.
Ms. Luz
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
Katie the Cat because she models cooperation and teamwork. I love working alongside others to create a safe, nurturing, and fun environment where every child can learn and thrive.
Ms. Dayhana
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
It’s a tie between Molly the Cow and OG the Bookworm! Molly teaches the importance of kindness and respect, while OG shares my love for reading!
Ms. Aaliyah
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Molly the Cow because she teaches us the importance of kindness and compassion. I love helping children learn to care for one another, offer comfort when a friend is feeling sad, and show kindness through sharing and playing together.
Ms. Kellie
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Katie the Cat because she teaches us the importance of cooperation and working together.
Ms. Marisa
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friends are Peanut the Pony and Billy the Duck. I love how Peanut teaches children the importance of honesty, while Billy encourages them to keep their promises and brings the joy of music and singing into the classroom.
Ms. Hannah
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Benjamin the Bear! I love how he encourages children to explore and learn about the weather, making them active participants in discovering and understanding the world around them.
Ms. Shaylyn
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Katie the Cat because she represents cooperation, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. These are such important skills for helping children work through challenges, build positive friendships, and make each day at school fun and enjoyable!
Ms. Viritha
🍎 2025-2026 Educator of the Year
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friends are Og the Bookworm and Benjamin the Bear. Og encourages children to discover the joy of reading, strengthen early literacy skills, and use their imaginations. Benjamin teaches the importance of kindness, generosity, and caring for others. Together, they help children develop a love of learning while building strong character.
Ms. Autumn
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
Og the Bookworm because he is a caring friend who loves to read and inspires children to discover the joy of books. Plus, he is pretty cute!
Ms. Renz
🍎 2024-2025 Educator of the Year
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Benjamin the Bear because he teaches children the importance of generosity and giving to others without expecting anything in return.
Ms. Sylwia
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Molly the Cow because she teaches children that it is never too early to learn the importance of respecting others. I love how Molly reminds us that our differences make each of us unique, and that everyone deserves to feel valued, celebrated, and included in our community.
Ms. Patti
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Katie the Cat! I have always loved cats, and I also love how Katie reminds us that we are stronger when we work together.
Ms. Tania
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Percy! As our Primrose mascot, Percy brings so much fun and excitement to our school and is a special friend our children love.
Ms. Kendal
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Billy the Duck because he is big on keeping promises.
Ms. Meredith
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
My favorite Primrose Friend is Benjamin the Bear because he helps the meteorologist/weather reporter observe and report the weather. I love how Benjamin encourages children to explore, observe, and learn about the world around them!
Ms. Pam
Favorite Primrose Friend & Why
I love all of our Primrose Friends because each one is unique and teaches children something special. Most importantly, they help us learn how to care for one another, show kindness, and celebrate what makes each of us unique.
Ms. Grace
Franchise Owners
Courtney and Christopher Brinkmann
Courtney & Christopher Brinkmann are so excited to bring Primrose Schools to the Knoxville Area! Courtney has worked in leadership for Primrose Schools for 18 years in several different markets. Courtney is a Knoxville native and University of Tennessee Alumna. Christopher is originally from South Florida and a University of Central Florida Alumnus. With Courtney’s background in education and Chris’s background in business, they are excited to bring this dream to reality in a community they know and love.
Becoming Primrose parents themselves in 2016 became a full circle experience for them. They now have three children who currently attend or have graduated from Primrose and have since they were 8 weeks old. They love seeing them thrive at Primrose and feel so thankful for the strong foundation & love of learning it is providing them. Above all else, they are most grateful for the character development program at Primrose and the character traits that are instilled in them daily. They can’t wait for the opportunity to provide more children & families with all of the wonderful things Primrose has given their family. They look forward to serving you!
