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.”

21 Schools Supported

Supported means — coaching, residency, start-up, workshop hosted.

900 Teachers Engaged

Engaged means — workshop attendance, working in schools we support.

39 Resources in Use

Resources in use include — EER, DERS, plus all other rubrics, white papers….

Our Funders & Supporters

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

Our Initiatives

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 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 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 »

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 »

Elizabeth G. Slade

Lead Montessori Coach

elizabeth.slade@public-montessori.org

Elizabeth leads the Coaching of Coaches 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 of Coaches, 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 »