Primrose Schools® Celebrates 30 Years of Excellence in Education

ATLANTA, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Primrose Schools, The Leader in Educational Child Care^®, is celebrating the 30^th anniversary of its first school opening in 1982. Founded by Paul and Marcy Erwin in Marietta, Ga., Primrose Schools has grown from one school to a national franchising company spanning 17 states today.

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"We could not have reached this milestone without the hard work of our Support Center staff, the dedication of our Franchise Owners and their staff, and the loyalty of our families," said Jo Kirchner, president and CEO of Primrose Schools. "Primrose is committed to partnering with parents to nurture every aspect of a child's early development by providing the best educational child care. We want to continue growing so that we can bring the Primrose Experience to even more families across the nation."

Kirchner has been with Primrose Schools for more than two decades, helping the Erwins launch the franchising concept in early childhood education and applying business practices to ensure exceptional quality and results. Kirchner has helped grow Primrose from four schools to more than 245 schools, and has led the organization to be the first to achieve Corporation Systems Accreditation under the new Early Learning Standards, a system-wide achievement designated by AdvancED™, the world's largest accrediting and school improvement organization.

Primrose plans to continue its momentum of growth into the next decade. The company expects to add another 25 schools through next year, growing to approximately 312 schools by the end of 2014.

As the preschoolers who attended Primrose's first school in Marietta are now old enough to understand the value of early childhood education themselves, one of its newest schools brings the company's history full circle. Chris Gower, Primrose class of 1982, and his wife Britney opened Primrose School of Lafayette in Colorado this year as the first franchise owner to have also attended a Primrose school. His parents, Lori and Jeff Gower – owners of two Primrose schools themselves – stood proudly beside him on his first day of school, just as they did 30 years ago.

"I truly believe that my time at Primrose as a child prepared me for my future," said Chris Gower. "My wife and I wanted to give that opportunity to as many other children as we could, so opening our own Primrose school just made sense. We are passionate about what Primrose stands for, and we could not have a more rewarding job."

Chris remembers his Primrose school days as vibrant, organized, safe and brimming with fun and learning. Today, he still sees Primrose as a place that provides a strong educational foundation and builds bright futures. Gower plans to grow his Primrose memories by carrying on the culture of excellence, education and customer service that he says has remained unchanged since the company's very beginning.

To further commemorate this milestone, Primrose is collecting more inspiring stories and testimonials like the Gowers' on www.IHeartPrimrose.com. Primrose Schools is also hosting a 30^th Anniversary Birthday Party Sweepstakes on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/PrimroseSchools) Sept. 1–30. The winner, to be announced the week of Oct. 1, will win a music-themed birthday party for one lucky child.

About Primrose Schools^®

Celebrating 30 years of service in 2012, Primrose Schools is the nation's leader in providing a premier educational child care experience in more than 245 schools in 17 states. Primrose partners with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life, and offers an environment that helps children have fun while nurturing Active Minds, Healthy Bodies and Happy Hearts^®.

The Balanced Learning^® system, consistently delivered in all Primrose Schools nationwide, is designed to provide high quality educational experiences to support children's social-emotional, cognitive, creative and physical development.  It is made up of an exclusive standards-based curriculum that enables teachers to help children gain the knowledge and skills that will enable them to move successfully from one level of development to the next as well-rounded individuals. The system also offers developmentally appropriate materials and equipment for all classrooms; multiple forms of assessment; and extensive training for teachers. 

Primrose is the first early childhood education organization in the country to receive AdvancED Corporation Systems Accreditation under the new Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools. This accreditation ensures all Primrose schools meet the highest quality standards and shows they are continually improving student learning. Primrose Schools stands behind its commitment to deliver an exceptional early childhood experience with the Primrose Guarantee, a parent's assurance of complete satisfaction. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com.

SOURCE Primrose Schools