our team
nicole toalson
founder & executive director
Nicole Toalson founded The Green Bean in 2009 with the simple desire to provide her son a loving and intimate environment in which to grow and learn with other children. Starting as a home daycare in Logan Square, the school has grown organically and has since expanded to accommodate the needs of our community and our children.
Nicole earned her B.A in Journalism & Political Science from Indiana University. She also earned her early childhood accreditation through City Colleges of Chicago. Before her career change to involve her son, she previously worked in the arts, communication and media world. From her first internship at Weber Shandwick PR, to her Sales position at Thrill Jockey Records, to producing television at NBC she has always stayed in the creative lane. Bringing her love of learning to children and other educators is her passion. Promoting education through her love of design and art can be seen all throughout our school. Traveling to Reggio Emilia, Italy with other educators for professional development was a career highlight and one she hopes to do again.
She recently completed yoga teacher training and is a licensed SEL Facilitator for our school. She loves teaching our children yoga and incorporating Social Emotional Learning into our program.
erica harrington
director of admissions
Erica was born in Chicago and raised in the Northwest Suburbs. She graduated from UIC in 2010 with a degree in Sociology and Psychology. After a lifetime of babysitting, working with summer and theater camps, she joined the Green Bean in 2013 as an Assistant Teacher in Nursery 1. After 9 months, she opened the Nursery 3 classroom where she worked for 5 years and had almost 70 different infants in her care. After taking on an additional role as the Nursery Mentor, Erica transitioned into the Assistant Director role in the fall of 2019. Erica now holds the title of Director of Admissions as of late June 2021. As the Director of Admissions, Erica works on school enrollment, tuition, classroom transitions, and continues to work closely with Green Bean's youngest age group. Erica is also the main contact for all Green Bean families and with Callie, works on refining policy and protocols for the school while also supporting the teachers in their classrooms.
Erica performs in theaters around the Chicago land area and loves incorporating her love of drama, dance and art in her role at Green Bean. Erica and her husband Jason welcomed their first child, Wren, in 2019 and she is bringing it full circle as a student at Green Bean.
callie miller
director of operations
Callie was born and raised in Chicago. She graduated from UIC in 2013 with a BA in Urban Elementary Education. After undergrad, she spent a summer working at an art based preschool where she quickly realized her passion for working with younger children. Callie began working at Green Bean in 2015 as an Assistant Teacher in the Older Toddler 2 classroom and moved into a lead role in the Younger Toddler 2 classroom shortly after. She held her Lead YT role for three years before joining the administration team. She continued her education and graduated from National Louis University in 2019 with an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Administration.
As the Director of Operations, Callie does a lot of the “behind the scenes” work that keeps our center running smoothly on the day to day. She orders supplies, communicates with vendors, interviews and hires new GB team members, and works closely with our DCFS representative to keep us up to date on all things licensing. She also spends a great deal of time in classrooms getting to know the students and supporting the teaching teams in any way she can.
When she's not hanging out with the kiddos at Green Bean, Callie loves to travel, explore Chicago, and spend time at home with her partner (Michael), kitties (Edie, Frankie, and Winnie), and hedgehog (Nigel Thornberry).
alethea schopp
assistant director
Alethea was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 2014 with a B.A. in Psychology with a focus in Child Development; she also received a minor in Human Relations, focusing on parent-child interactions and family therapy. Alethea joined Green Bean in 2017 as a Teaching Assistant in both the Younger Toddler classroom as well as the Nursery under Callie and Erica, respectively. In 2018, she became the Lead Teacher in Nursery 1 and in 2019 she also took on the role of Nursery Mentor. Alethea started working with children by babysitting and nannying during her high school and college years. After college, she was an intern and volunteer at the Chicago Children’s Advocacy when she found the Green Bean. Working with children, families, and therapists to create a beautiful, safe, joyful, and creative place to learn is truly her passion.
For Alethea, what is most special about working at the Green Bean is getting to see the children and families grow and be able to maintain those connections over the years. Green Bean is a home away from home. As the Assistant Director, her role is to support the staff through individual and team mentoring as well as reflective supervision and training. You may also see her around the school providing support to teachers, families, and therapists in coordinating therapeutic services.
Not only does Alethea love to teach, but she also loves to learn! In her spare time she takes dance classes learning bachata, salsa, and cha cha. A long-term dream for her is to become a certified Doula one day.
jordan madden
Education Coordinator
My name is Jordan Madden! I graduated from Kennedy King College with my associate degree in education and will soon be completing my bachelor’s degree in behavioral science at National Louis University. I started my career in Early Childhood as an assistant infant teacher and then as a lead infant and toddler teacher. It was through this experience that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in Early Childhood. In addition to my involvement in the community and role as youth president at my church, my passion in working with children were fostered. The influence my mentors and leaders had on me fostered my pursuit for a career and lifestyle that not only empowers youth but aids them in all domains of development.
I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. In my down time, I organize and facilitate community events for my nonprofit organization, Mind Stimuli Network. I also practice playing my piano, hanging out with family, and playing Call of Duty. I also love nature and enjoy bike riding as a form of relaxation and exercise.
Working with children is such a rewarding experience. To be a part of a child’s life as they experience such pivotal moments and milestones is exciting. Early childhood development is important because it supports children as they become aware of themselves and the world around them. I genuinely believe that the children we teach and empower today will be the leaders in the future. Therefore, I am committed to ensuring that every child I encounter feels understood, protected, and equipped with the tools and resources to better themselves and society. That being said, it is an honor to be a part of Green Bean Day School and the lives of the children who attend.