About Us

/About Us

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 ten 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.

About Us

Advancing Montessori education in the public sector

A robust network of practitioners, researchers, parents, and leaders

NCMPS 131 Public Schools Supported

423

Public Schools Supported

NCMPS 1,023 Teachers Served

4,150

Teachers Served

NCMPS 368 Coaches Trained

368

Coaches Trained

NCMPS 582 DERS Users

582

DERS Users

Total Reach

5,000+ adults • 500+ schools and organizations • 50,000+ children

Our Team

Sandra Wyner AndrewSandra Wyner Andrew

Senior Associate

sandra.wyner@public-montessori.org

David Ayer, Communications DirectorDavid 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 →

David C. Bagnoli, AIADavid C. Bagnoli, AIA

Consulting Architect

info@studiombdc.com

Michelle BoyleMichelle Boyle

Coach

michelle.boyle@public-montessori.org

Michelle worked for many years at the KIPP network of high-performing, college-prep urban schools in DC, San Diego, and Newark before discovering Montessori when she became a parent. She co-founded the first public Montessori charter school in Memphis, Tennessee, dedicated to serving children in the historic and high-need community of Frayser. Full Bio →

Katie BrownKatie Brown

Director of Professional Learning

katie.brown@public-montessori.org

Katie oversees NCMPS’s professional learning offerings and manages select research projects. Full Bio →

Jacqueline Cossentino, Director of ResearchJacqueline 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 →

Phil DosmannPhil Dosmann

Senior Associate

phil.dossman@public-montessori.org

Laure FlemingLaure Fleming

Program Manager and Coach, Mid-Atlantic Region

laure.fleming@public-montessori.org

Laure supports schools and organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region through program development and coaching. An experienced educator, administrator, and advocate, Laure understands the complex challenges faced by public Montessori teachers, leaders, and schools as they work in service to children. Full Bio →

John FreemanJohn Freeman

Senior Associate

john.freeman@public-montessori.org

Iheoma U. Iruka

Senior Research Associate

IIruka@highscope.org

Allison JonesAllison Jones

Senior Associate

allison.jones@public-montessori.org

Katy MattisKaty Mattis

Director of Tools and Assets

katy.mattis@public-montessori.org

Katy coordinates the creation, dissemination and editing of NCMPS tools and supports DERS training and implementation. Katy has worked in private, charter and magnet Montessori programs teacher, instructional leader and principal. Full Bio →

Elizabeth SladeElizabeth G. Slade

Director of Coach Montessori

elizabeth.slade@public-montessori.org

Elizabeth has been a Montessori educator since 1987. Her extensive work in the public sector has included posts as a teacher, mentor, coach, and Coordinator of Teaching and Learning. In addition, she consults for public Montessori schools across the country and is a frequent presenter at regional and national Montessori conferences and contributor to Montessori and non-Montessori publications. Full Bio →

Sara SuchmanSara Suchman

Director of School Services and Partnerships

sara.suchman@public-montessori.org

Sara oversees NCMPS’s school services, including school start-up from conception to launch, program reviews, work with districts and executives, and teacher residency partnerships. Sara was a Montessori child, and has worked as a teacher, administrator, and curriculum & program designer for public and private schools in the U.S. and abroad. She is deeply committed to building schools that honor the wisdom of children and the teachers who guide them. Full Bio →

Maati WaffordMaati Wafford

Race and Equity Advisor

maati.wafford@public-montessori.org

Seth D. Webb

Program Manager and Coach, Rocky Mountain Region

seth.webb@public-montessori.org

Seth designs and organizes school-based support, training, and program development for Montessori schools in the Rocky Mountain region, centered in Denver and reaching out to surrounding states. Full Bio →

Keith Whitescarver, Executive DirectorKeith 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 →

Projects

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 Funders & Supporters

We are grateful to key funders who have supported NCMPS’s growth and impact over the years.

The Walton Family Foundation
Trust for Learning
Harold Simmons Foundation
CityBridge Education
American Montessori Society
McCall Kulak Family Foundation

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.

Bob Burakoff

Independent Consultant, Former ED of Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative

Jennifer DavidsonJennifer Davidson

Secretary, Trustee for AMI Global, former ED of Montessori Northwest, Head of School of Montessori in the Redlands

Jeff KutashJeff Kutash

Chair, Executive Director of Peter Kiewit Foundation, Montessori parent, former management consultant

Marianna McCallMarianna McCall

Treasurer, Founding Partner, Trust for Learning, Montessori parent and expert, philanthropist

Richard UngererRichard Ungerer

Former ED of American Montessori Society, Independent Montessori Consultant