Montessori for all students, one classroom at a time
All children deserve access to a classroom that honors their unique development and culture, fosters their independence and innate desire to learn, and frees their potential.
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Our Philosophy
Montessori Collective is...
Grounded
Grounded in anti racist principles - we strive to liberate children from oppressive educational practices
Community
Community led - we empower families to advocate for the education they want for their children.
Results
Results oriented - We create classrooms where many students perform 1-2 years ahead of expectations
Empowering Children, Educators and Families
Montessori Collective transforms public education by partnering with neighborhood schools to implement child-centered Montessori education. Your kindness gives young learners in underserved communities the freedom, tools, and confidence to unleash their unlimited potential.
Your support :
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Empowers educators through fully-funded scholarships for authentic Montessori teacher training and ongoing coaching, so they can create joyful, child-centered classrooms where every child thrives.
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Fuels children's curiosity and innate love of learning by giving them the tactile, hands-on materials to explore, solve, and thrive.
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Equips families with the tools and resources to foster learning at home.
By giving today, you are dismantling educational barriers and ensuring that children from historically underserved communities experience the high-quality, child-centered education they deserve.
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Closes the income achievement gap
Over the course of three years, the gap between high income and low income Montessori students narrowed by two thirds, while the gap remained stagnant in conventional classrooms. By the end of the three-year study, the difference in achievement between the low-income Montessori students and the high-income conventional students was not statistically significant (Lillard et al., 2017), indicating that Montessori is highly effective at closing the achievement gap that has plagued public education since its inception.
Why We Love Montessori
Academic Growth
Children in public Montessori classrooms show a significantly higher rate of academic growth compared to their peers in conventional preschools (Lillard et al., 2017). The impact of increased growth lasts into later grades. Children who attended Montessori preschool scored higher on reading tests in second grade compared to their counterparts who attended conventional preschool (Rodriguez et al., 2005).
Increased Executive Functioning
Students in Montessori classrooms increase executive functioning skills at a higher rate than conventional preschool (Lillard & Vu, 2017). Executive functioning skills are one of the strongest predictors of positive life outcomes through adulthood, including academic success, heath, financial status, positive social behavior, and happiness (Friedman, et al., 2014).
Child-centered
The Montessori approach holds a deep reverence for children. Each child is viewed as a unique individual, and teachers plan lessons based on each child's interests and needs. Children are viewed as natural learners, and classrooms are carefully designed to promote independence, self-agency, and curiosity.
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Our Team
Emily Madison
Found & Director
Emily is a dedicated public educator with over 15 years of experience in the field, including 8 as instructional coach. She has a Montessori Administrator credential from American Montessori Society, an MA in Linguistically Diverse Education, and a BA in Elementary Education. Emily expertly navigates the balance of adhering to public education requirements while remaining grounded in Montessori philosophy and pedagogy.Emily wants all children to have an education that honors them as individuals while preparing them for life. Knowing first hand just how far we are from this vision, Emily founded Montessori Collective in 2022 to expand access to Montessori education in underserved communities, one classroom at a time.
Michael Atkins
Board Chair
Hey there. I'm Michael Atkins, a proud product of Denver Public Schools (DPS) and a fierce advocate for Black student success. I've worn many hats within DPS, starting as a four-year-old student, serving as the former principal of Stedman Elementary, and now taking the helm as the Director of Black Student Success in Denver Public Schools.
My journey through DPS has been a whirlwind, from being a student to working as a custodian, paraprofessional, teacher, assistant principal, principal, and now, a director. Each role has given me a unique perspective on education, one that I carry with me every day.
My mission is deeply personal. I want to ensure that today's students don't face the same obstacles I did. I'm all about creating opportunities and support systems that empower every student to thrive, regardless of their background or the challenges they may face.
But it's not just about the students—it's about the educators, too. I'm passionate about guiding my fellow educators on a journey of intercultural development. Together, we can build a more inclusive and equitable learning environment that prepares students for the diverse world they'll step into.
I'm not just here to lead; I'm here to inspire change. I want us all to be the driving force behind the sweeping changes our communities need. And together, I truly believe we can make it happen.
Dr. Paula Banuelos
Board Treasurer
Dr. Paula Bañuelos has been a Denver Public Schools educator since 2005. She was a paraprofessional, classroom teacher and is now an instructional coach, Montessori Coordinator at Garden Place Academy and is a Program Evaluator for the Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County. Born in Denver, she graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor of arts in art history, a master’s degree in culturally and linguistically diverse education from the University of Colorado Boulder and a doctorate in educational leadership with a focus on Latinx communities from University of Colorado Denver. Her research interests include early childhood education, Montessori education in the public sector and trauma-informed behavior systems during and post covid. She is happy to be part of the board of Montessori Collective in order to assist in bringing Montessori Education to educators and children.
Dr. Amy Fleig
Board Secretary
Amy has a passion for expanding access to public Montessori programming and creating inclusive public Montessori learning opportunities. Amy is a committed, passionate public Montessori administrator at Compass Montessori School, a pre-K-12th grade public charter Montessori program in the Denver metro area serving over 750 learners. Amy currently serves as the ECE-6th grade building principal of the Compass Montessori Wheat Ridge campus. Prior to this role, Amy was the cross-campus Head of Student Support Services, during which time she led Section 504, intervention, special education, gifted and talented, English language learning, and multi-tiered systems of support programming to meet the needs of all of Compass’ preK-12th grade learners. Amy is an AMI elementary trained Montessorian, and former upper elementary teacher. She holds a doctorate in executive leadership for educational equity from the University of Colorado, Denver and completed her dissertation with Montessori Collective, Montessori on Wheels, the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies (MECR), and Trust for Learning as community partners.
Our Partners
This work would not be possible without our incredible partners.
