Advancing Montessori education in the public sector
A robust network of practitioners, researchers, parents, and leaders
About The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector
Our mission is to help public schools deliver high-quality, personalized education through Montessori.
The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector is an independent non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., founded in 2012 by the American Montessori Society to support the growth of public Montessori in the United States. With a modest budget and three part-time staffers, we encountered immediate demand for a wide range of services. From school start-up, to resource development, to professional development and advocacy, it quickly became clear that as the only organization devoted exclusively to advancing Montessori in the public sector, NCMPS needed to grow. In 2015, the organization became an independent nonprofit.
Today, with seven full-time employees as well as associates and consultants for special projects, NCMPS develops and disseminates research-based solutions to pressing problems of practice, supports leaders in delivering effective Montessori programming, and cultivates a robust network of practitioners, parents, and policymakers who share a commitment to child-centered developmental education—and the life-changing transformations that result.
“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”
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Schools Supported
Supported means — coaching, residency, start-up, workshop hosted.
3,100
Teachers Engaged
Engaged means — workshop attendance, working in schools we support.
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Resources in Use
Resources in use include — EER, DERS, plus all other rubrics, white papers….
Our Team
Keith Whitescarver
Executive Director
keith.whitescarver@public-montessori.org
Keith leads NCMPS in fulfilling its mission of expanding and improving public Montessori in the U.S. Keith is a Montessori parent, an historian, and a former high school history teacher and university professor. Full Bio »
David Ayer
Communications Director
david.ayer@public-montessori.org
David oversees communications and serves as Editorial Director for MontessoriPublic. He is a Montessori parent and spouse, and has worked as a Montessori teacher, program developer, administrator, writer, speaker, and advocate. Full Bio »
Michelle Boyle
Associate Coach
michelle.boyle@public-montessori.org
Michelle works with Coaching and School Services and DERS training and certification. A Montessori parent, teacher, and school founder, she has worked in public charter schools and is committed to expanding access to free, high-quality Montessori education for the children who need it the most. Full Bio »
Katie Brown
DC Regional Coordinator and Research Associate
katie.brown@public-montessori.org
Katie coordinates the DC Montessori Teacher Residency, oversees DERS registration and training, and manages NCMPS research projects. Full Bio »
Jacqueline Cossentino
Director of Research
jcossentino@public-montessori.org
Jackie oversees the development of evidence-based tools for evaluation, assessment, and continuous improvement. She is a Montessori parent, researcher, and writer, and a former English teacher, public Montessori school principal and a professor of educational leadership at the University of Maryland. Full Bio »
Laure Fleming
Project Manager
laure.fleming@public-montessori.org
Laure manages projects in the DC Region and nationally including donor outreach and grants coordination. As an experienced educator, administrator, and advocate, Laure understands the crucial role NCMPS plays in offering research proven solutions to the complex challenges faced by public Montessori teachers, leaders, and schools. Full Bio »
Elizabeth G. Slade
Lead Montessori Coach
elizabeth.slade@public-montessori.org
Elizabeth leads the NCMPS Montessori Coaching program and supports the Libertas Montessori Institute and Residency. She has worked extensively in public Montessori as a teacher, mentor, coach, consultant, and national presenter. Full Bio »
Sara Suchman
Director of Coaching & School Services
sara.suchman@public-montessori.org
Sara directs the Montessori Teacher Residency, Coaching, and School Services programs. Sara was a Montessori child, and has worked as a teacher and an administrator in public and private schools in the U.S. and abroad. Full Bio »
David C. Bagnoli, AIA
Phil Dosmann
John Freeman
Allison JonesProjects
Teach Montessori is an invitation to learn more about Montessori teacher jobs, Montessori training, Why choose Montessori and more…
MontessoriPublic is a digital and print communications & advocacy platform bringing Montessori into the public conversation.
The Montessori Census collects data about Montessori schools (public and private) in the U.S. and around the world. The Census currently has information for 500+ public programs and 2,000+ private schools in the U.S.
The DC Montessori Teacher Residency promoting teacher success in high-need, urban schools striving for fully implemented Montessori in the public sector.
Breakthrough Montessori offers free, high quality Montessori education to families in Washington, DC.
Our Board
NCMPS is governed by a Board of Trustees which includes leaders from both the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS), as well as funders and strategy experts with experience in the education reform world.
Jeff Kutash
Chair, Executive Director of Peter Kiewit Foundation, Montessori parent, former management consultant
Jennifer Davidson
Secretary, Trustee for AMI Global, former ED of Montessori Northwest, Head of School of Montessori in the Redlands
Marianna McCall
Treasurer, Founding Partner, Trust for Learning, Montessori parent and expert, philanthropist
Richard Ungerer
Former ED of American Montessori Society, Independent Montessori Consultant
Bob Burakoff
Independent Consultant, Former ED of Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative
Partner Organizations
