Marie Catrett, she/her
Founder-Teacher- Director
Marie has been working with young children and their families in Austin, Texas for over twenty years. As a young person she accumulated over 180 hours as an undergraduate at the University of Houston, drawn with deep passion to a vast variety of subjects. Spend time in her company and you’ll probably hear her say everything is interesting! Starting as an assistant at Child’s Country Day School, Marie found much to admire in Montessori education and pursued 0-3 Certification at Lone Star College. Arriving in Austin in 2002 Marie had the honor of supporting the founding staff at Primavera Montessori School (now Headwaters).
In 2008 she launched Tigerlily Preschool as a home-based childcare program, named for all children- from the fierce tigers to the gentle lilies- and finding healthy ways to explore and express all the parts of who we are.
In 2010 she was offered the opportunity to serve as director for a Reggio-inspired program, beginning what will be a lifetime of seeking to better see and understand children, their ideas, and the growth we are all capable of when we slow down, listen, and allow for the often messy work of growing. In 2011 Tigerlily reopened as a Reggio- inspired school, operating out of the first floor of Marie’s home and then as a licensed childcare center in 2022. The 2025- 2026 school year begins Tigerlily’s fourth year in its current location.
More than two and a half decades of caring for young children continues to confirm her steadfast belief in children’s right to their ideas, feelings, wonder, agentive learning, and play.
Tigerlily is a place where children learn to express themselves and be with each other in a way that makes Tigerlily a good feeling place for everyone.
Today Marie’s work centers on daily teacher reflection to support continued growth, always, and sharing her learning experiences with others.
Marie’s professional contributions include co-presenting workshops at NAEYC’s National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, Portland State University, and mentoring Early Childhood interns from Texas State University. Her work at Tigerlily is featured in Seeing Young Children with New Eyes: What we’ve learned from Reggio- Emilia about children and ourselves by Sydney Gurewitz Clemens.
Everything is still very interesting.
Julie Lemman, she/her
Assistant Teacher
We’re thrilled to welcome Julie Lemman, M.Ed., as our new Assistant Teacher at Tigerlily! Julie brings over a decade of experience in accessible and inclusive education, with a strong foundation in working with children who are DeafBlind and those with multiple disabilities. She holds a Master’s in Accessible Education with a focus on Visual Impairment, and is deeply
committed to child-led learning, emotional attunement, and supporting every child’s unique way of experiencing the world. Julie’s background in individualized education, positive behavior supports, and family collaboration aligns beautifully with our Reggio Emilia approach. Her warm presence, creativity, and curiosity are already shining in the classroom. We’re so lucky to have her join our community.
Tigerlily Preschool is a member of the North American Reggio Emila Alliance, Alt Ed Austin and Small Schools of South Austin.
What families say:
Marie Catrett is a child whisperer. I have never learned so much about my kid, how he learns, and how to help him learn than I did in his three years at Tigerlily. Those lessons stand our family in great stead as he progresses. Marie teaches children to read and make, but mostly, she teaches them how to become themselves. –Caroline
We are so very grateful for our son’s time with Marie at Tigerlily. We love her little school so much, it’s hard to put into words. Marie is gentle, kind, and incredibly understanding with the children. She delights so much in the magic and wonder of early childhood, and creates an environment where children are empowered to imagine, create, and be exactly who they are. Our son blossomed so much at Tigerlily. –Brooke
Marie is absolutely magical with this age. Two years after my daughter’s time at Tigerlily, I can still see so many things she learned there blossoming in her. Being with Marie laid the foundation for her confidence, problem-solving skills and empathy.–Piaf
Tigerlily was the perfect introduction to school for our energetic and curious boy. Marie takes great care to reach each child where he or she is, and to provide parents with loving, thorough documentation of the group’s learning. From the beautiful, well thought-out learning environment, to the kind and respectful attention to children, Tigerlily is an excellent preschool; we couldn’t have been happier with our choice.–Paige
Marie Catrett is the most present, connected, thoughtful, intentional, magical teacher I’ve ever met. I am so, so grateful her beautiful school came into our lives and started W on her educational journey. It’s shocking to me that there is not a multi-year long wait list for this gem of a school. If you want a classroom leader who sees and celebrates each child with love and compassion, while surrounding them with creativity, curiosity, and kindness then this is the place for you. –Karen
Marie—you are such a gifted, loving, present soul with the children; I so TREASURE Eli’s time spent with you. –Laurie
Tigerlily was like a little oasis for our daughter. Every morning after drop-off time, you could feel the magic building up for the day, and you could see its effect on her face at the end of the day when we picked her up. Every week, she would surprise me with some piece of learning that she had gained that seemed beyond her years. Her transformation during her time at Tigerlily Preschool is something that I will cherish forever, and I know that I will appreciate it more as I continue to recognize Tigerlily’s influence on the cool person that my daughter is becoming. I consider Marie the Jedi Master of child-raising. Having her around to guide my daughter during such a tender time was so important to our family. I still try to “harness my inner Marie” when I am struggling with how to be a good parent, and I still use the lessons that I picked up from watching her conduct her little orchestra of learning at Tigerlily. –Ryan
We love Tigerlily! Marie is able to connect with our children in a gentle and nurturing way and guide them through their interactions with other little ones. My son loved spending so much time in Marie’s magical garden! –Tara
Marie is SO warm, wise, and wonderful, with a brilliant creative spark and the kind of authentic joy in working with children that can only come naturally. My son truly blossomed in the year he spent at Tigerlily. He was nurtured, respected, and loved. Heartfelt attention was paid to his emotional and social development, gardens were tended, songs were sung, art was made, and laughter and play were the order of the day! We LOVE Marie and we LOVE Tigerlily! –Kami