The Curriculum Leadership Team

The Curriculum Leadership Team

Tim Seldin, M.Ed. is the President of The Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. His almost forty years of experience in Montessori education includes twenty-two years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, MD, his own alma mater (age two through high school graduation). He has also served as the Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies and as Head of the New Gate School in Sarasota, Florida. He earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. Tim Seldin is the author of several books on Montessori Education, including his latest, How to Raise An Amazing Child; The Montessori Way with Dr. Paul Epstein; Building a World-class Montessori School; Finding the Perfect Match – Recruit and Retain Your Ideal Enrollment; Master Teachers – Model Programs; Starting a New Montessori School, Celebrations of Life, and The World in the Palm of Her Hand. Tim is the father of three former Montessori students (Marc, Michelle, and Caitlin), stepfather to two more former Montessori students (Robin and Chelsea), and the grandfather of two Montessori children, Hollis and Alexander. He lives on a small vineyard north of Sarasota, Florida with his wife, Joyce St. Giermaine, their four horses, twenty dogs, and two hairless Sphinx cats.

Anita Amos, Ph.D. is an experienced and passionate educator, developing curriculum and working with students ranging from preschool to the college level. Anita completed her B.A. in Biological Sciences at Wellesley College and performed research at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the National Institutes of Health. Prior to beginning a doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania, Anita traveled extensively, teaching preschool students in Japan and elementary/high school students in Nepal. Upon earning her Ph.D. from UPENN, she taught high school Biology and spent time as an adjunct college professor, teaching Anatomy, Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, and Physical Science. Anita also co-founded an Online SAT Prep company, developing custom curriculum and tutoring students for all three sections of the SAT exam: Mathematics, Critical Reading, and Writing. She also served as regional Admissions Representative for her alma mater, Wellesley College.

A Montessori preschool student during her early childhood in Homer, Alaska, Anita became intrigued with the Montessori Method when her first child entered a Montessori school in Pennsylvania. Anita co-founded Montessori Compass along with her husband Rob to help simplify record keeping for Montessori educators while bridging the communication gap between home and school. Anita and Rob live in Pennsylvania with their 4 Montessori children.

Elizabeth Kaser, M.Ed. is an experienced and passionate educator who specializes in Experiential Education and Literacy. Over the last 15 years, she has worked for schools in Japan, Wisconsin and Maine. In addition to working with students to create dynamic and rigorous learning experiences, she also has extensive experience working as a teacher leader both at the school and district level. As a member of the leadership team for an Expeditionary Learning school, she developed and conducted professional development for colleagues around Language Arts instruction and assessment. During that time, she was also tasked with developing alternative education programs from the ground up for her school district. Beth has also developed curriculum and tutored students for the Critical Reading and Writing sections of the SAT Exam.

Beth recently transitioned into Early Childhood Education, establishing a program for children ages 2-4. She is certified as a K-8 teacher in Maine and is certificate eligible as a Literacy Specialist. She has Master’s Degrees in both Language & Literacy and Special Education. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Japanese Studies from Wellesley College. Beth lives on the coast of Maine with her husband and two children.

The Montessori Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of Montessori education in the United States and abroad. The Montessori Foundation’s mission is to nurture, inspire, and support the development of strong, successful Montessori schools around the world, and to help to build an international Montessori community of joyful, loving young people and adults, working together to build a world in which kindness, compassion, sanity, and peace can finally blossom.

The Foundation was established in 1992 by four leaders of the American Montessori Society [Nancy McCormick Rambush, Marie Dugan, Patty Calvert, and Tim Seldin, along with the our Executive Director, Joyce St. Giermaine] to create an independent source of assistance, encouragement, and support for the international Montessori community.

The Montessori Foundation works with the entire Montessori community, regardless of affiliation, as well as parents, educators, schools, and schools systems who are interested in learning more about the insights, research, and approach pioneered by Dr. Maria Montessori.

While many members of the Montessori Foundation from around the world contributed to this work, we would like to give a special thanks to Cheryl Allen, Sharon Caldwell, Hillary Drinkell, Kathleen Leitch, and Lorna McGrath.