Sandra, a native South African, has been a teacher, mentor and  administrator. Starting out as a science teacher in a British public school, she moved to Montessori Elementary Education, gaining an AMI Montessori Elementary Certification in Bergamo, Italy, after which she immigrated to the United States.  After working in private Montessori schools for many years, in the USA and Australia, she was involved in the development of the Zanetti Montessori Magnet Public School in Springfield MA, an urban public school with a racially and socio-economically diverse population for students ages 3 to 14, at first as the Montessori Mentor/Instructional Coach and then as its Principal. After leaving Springfield Public Schools. Sandra taught in the online Masters program for Montessori credentialed students at the College of St. Catherine, was a course instructor for the Southwest Montessori Training Center and worked as a Montessori Educational Consultant. Presently she is a Senior Associate for the National Center for Montessori in the Public Center. Sandra also holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Education Administration and an AMS Montessori Administrator’s Certification.

Katy Mattis has worked in private, charter and magnet Montessori programs as an Elementary guide, instructional leader, and principal, and is passionate about leaders and teachers having the very best tools to support their work with children. She worked for Denver Public Schools for 12 years as a teacher, Montessori instructional coach, and principal at a Montessori magnet school. Katy holds AMI diplomas in Assistants to Infancy and Elementary, an M.Ed in Montessori Education from Loyola College, and Colorado state teacher and principal licenses.