Susan Odell Taylor was an exceptional, remarkable teacher who taught at The Children’s School at Emma Willard for seven years. Susan created a vibrant, exciting classroom every day. She will forever be remembered for how she reached every student and inspired them to learn and find joy in the learning process. Sue died in 1997 after a valiant struggle with breast cancer. In 1998, our founders proudly named our school the Susan Odell Taylor School for Children, and vowed then to continue the job Sue devoted most of her life to — the creative education of young children.

In 2008, the Susan Odell Taylor School celebrated its 10th Anniversary. At our anniversary gala, the Taylor School celebrated its founding families, students and faculty. As part of the celebration the school commissioned an author to document its history. This is how the prologue reads:

On June 9, 1998, a collective dream became a reality. The parents, teachers, and children who met weekly during the previous four months, were now the founders of the Susan Odell Taylor School for Children with charter in hand.

There was little time to sit back and enjoy their success. Though the building at 116 Pinewoods Avenue in Troy was structurally sound and safe, all surfaces needed to be cleaned and painted, and the bathrooms and electrical systems needed adjustments.

When the keys were handed over on August 1, 40 days of backbreaking yet joyous labor began. Toni Smith crouched on her hands and knees and scrubbed cakes of dirt from the baseboards with a  toothbrush. Rob Buckley spent a day with another dad “flying cables” above suspended ceilings from room to room. Parents brought in Clorox and ladders. They painted and scrubbed. An anonymous sign went up: “If you want to chip in for pizza, great. If not, I’ll cover it.” Pizza became abundant.

Emma Willard had offered books and equipment from the former Children’s School. “Take whatever you want,” they had said. Parents rented a U-haul and over the course of one day, took everything that was movable from those classrooms. Chalkboards were detached from walls and carried out. A piano was removed with great effort. For Gail Grow, founding teacher, it was a “horrible, long day,” which she now recalls as an amazing accomplishment.

On Wednesday, September 9, 1998, parents and children arrived for the first day of school with a great sense of anticipation and excitement. Someone brought coffee and donuts. Mothers and fathers congregated inside and stayed for the first morning meeting, attended by the entire school. The students left for their first classroom, but the parents lingered, sharing memories like a family at a reunion.

Jenny Rowe recalls not wanting to leave. “At 10 a.m.,” she said, “Gail had to push us out the door.” As Jenny and other parents walked to their cars, they looked back at the school and spoke with astonishment at all they had accomplished. The Susan Odell Taylor School for Children was truly and an extraordinary labor of love.

In 10 short years, the Susan Odell Taylor School has become a leading place of learning. As the school has grown, its mission has remained the same — nurturing joyful learners. The multi-age classrooms are still small enough to maintain their intimacy, and learning is still child-centered, based on the individual child’s strengths and needs. Most important, everyone – children, parent and teacher — continue to have a voice.