Special Interest Workshops

Today we are pleased to share some insider details on the Special Interest Workshops, which will be held Friday, February 14th prior to the opening night panel. Three speakers will present in different areas of interest. Read on for more information! 



Leadership Workshop
Leading Successful Montessori School Communities
Presented by Ginni Sackett


Montessori education can be compared to a pedagogical ecosystem where all segments of the community are harmoniously interdependent and curriculum is based in human development rather than external, adult-driven standards. Open to all trained and non-trained heads of schools and teachers, we will help you explore how administrative leadership and policy work within that system to support best practice, effective teaching, and optimal outcomes for children, staff, and families.




Public School Workshop
Making It Work: Strategies for Success in the Public Sector
Presented by Bonnie Beste


As the landscape of educational experiences evolves in the U.S., and as more and more school and models are emerging, how can public Montessori classes continue to help support the child's developmental journey while adhering to the increasingly complex set of mandates and standards imposed in the public sector? Just as it is the teacher's responsibility to understand fully this changing landscape and to continue to demonstrate that Montessori education not only meets the needs of the developing child, but moreover meets the needs of this new educational environment.

This session will provide meaningful insights to teachers and administrators to better understand how authentic Montessori practice can be instituted in the public sector. It will highlight the growing need for high-quality Montessori offerings in public systems across the nation in both urban and rural districts; it will provide successful examples of how collaboration and alignments work to demonstrate the effectiveness of the curriculum; and it will address the universal nature of the child and how public districts and Montessori advocates can work in cooperation to ensure this value is paramount in our work.



Advocacy Workshop
Making Advocacy Work: Leveraging the Best Practices in Montessori's State Advocacy Work
Presented by Jaye Espy



This highly engaging session will focus on the national advocacy movement and what we have learned. In the first half of the session participants will hear firsthand accounts and reflections from Tier II states on various issues of advocacy implementation, including collaboration with pilot states, using social media, leveraging external partnerships, building consensus, identifying initiatives, and successes and challenges along the way.

The second half of the session will focus on "looking ahead." Interactive scenarios will be utilized to demonstrate best-practices approaches to advocacy. Participants will be invited to be a part of the conversation to develop a centralized message and vision of Montessori advocacy and to learn from the experiences of those already engaged in this important work.