2022 Professional Directors
Professional Directors are Montessori-credentialed teachers and administrators who provide professional expertise in their given areas. Individuals apply for these positions and are selected to run for office via a rigorous vetting process by the AMS Directorship Committee.
There are 5 individuals running for the position of Professional Director and 3 open seats. Upon election, each director may serve a 3-year term or a 2-year term (as determined by the AMS Board) and is eligible to run for a second term.
Meet the Candidates
Sabrina Binkley
Head of School, Spruce Tree Montessori School, Fairbanks, AK
AMS-credentialed (Administrator)
“AMS has been a beacon to me over the years for guidance on best practices, marketing materials, and professional development. It has served as an extension to the larger community of professional Montessori educators, which is tremendously valuable for small independent schools like ours. If elected, I will be a generous, reliable, and motivated board member. I’m passionate about providing resources to member schools in the way of videos and marketing materials, while continuing to support current services, initiatives, and member benefits. I’d like to inspire a culture of giving. I have served on a number of local and statewide boards in various positions and consider myself a visionary Montessori leader. I possess outstanding communication, financial, organizational, and team management skills. I’m a nurturing, creative, and positive role model who inspires a love of learning in children and adults, and I would appreciate your vote this spring. Thank you.”
Luz Casquejo Johnston (Incumbent)
Associate Professor, Kalmanovitz, Saint Mary’s College, Moraga, CA
AMS-credentialed (Elementary I)
“The work I’ve done in the past three years as an AMS board member and the first Co-Chair of the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) standing committee of the board, has been the culmination of finding my cosmic task. Montessori education is the way to peace through justice. I’m seeking reelection in order to continue the work I’ve done to reach AMS’s strategic goal to advance JEDI principles in all areas of its work. As a global organization, we have the opportunity to create lasting change and fulfill Dr. Montessori’s vision.”
Wendy Di
Founder and President, Beijing Heart and Mind Education Group, Beijing, China
AMS-credentialed (Early Childhood)
“I’m interested in serving on the AMS board because I have experienced a great transformation since starting my Montessori journey with AMS in 2010. I would be honored to help more people in China benefit from Montessori education, allowing us to serve even more children with our hearts and knowledge. Dr. Montessori said, “If education is to be based on what we know of little children, we must first understand their development.” This applies to us as adults as well: I believe that we should educate more Chinese people about who AMS is and why AMS is the best choice. To reach this goal, my top priority will be helping AMS build an active and supportive local membership system, so we can promote high-quality Montessori Education, and simultaneously support the development of the AMS community in China.”
Michelle Morrison
Head of School, Princeton Montessori School, Princeton, NJ
AMS-credentialed (Elementary I – II, Secondary I, Administrator)
“I am interested in serving on AMS's Board of Directors to use my leadership experience, professional talents, and passion for Montessori to help ensure AMS is well-positioned for this new world era and best meets the needs of its member schools. In my association with AMS heads over this past decade, having served on the school accreditation commission for several years, and having led many school accreditations, I feel I have a good sense of the challenges heads of school face given the many seismic world and domestic changes affecting the educational landscape. I would like to put my energy toward helping AMS meet its member needs while contributing to its financial, strategic, and generative decisions in service of quality Montessori education.”
Lindsey Pollock
Director of Program, To Educate All Children (TEACH), Houston, TX
AMS-credentialed (Administrator)
“Thank you for this opportunity to serve our global Montessori family through service to the American Montessori Society. As a former public Montessori principal and current Montessori Instructional Guide at the graduate level, I believe it is imperative that we focus on expanding and sustaining access to Montessori learning spaces at all ages. Within these spaces and across communities, we must also work to expand on the ideology of Dr. Maria Montessori who emphasized Peace Education and the sanctity of the interconnectedness of humanity embodied in the world of each child. As an AMS board member, I will work tirelessly to listen to the voices of our members, to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels of our organization and to support the ongoing work of AMS.”
Voting
Individual members will receive an email with a unique link to access the ballot. Member schools and AMS-affiliated teacher education programs will also receive an email with a link. It will go to their organization email address. The last day to vote is April 8, 2022, 4:00 PM (ET).
Individual members: Every current individual member has 1 vote per open position.
Schools: All member schools receive 1 vote per open position for every 100 students enrolled or portion thereof. Satellites of member schools do not vote directly. Votes allocated to satellites are added to the main site vote and the main site school casts all votes.
Teacher education programs: Every AMS-affiliated teacher education program has 1 vote per open position per AMS-affiliated level for the following levels: Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Administrator. Teacher education programs with multiple votes may cast all their votes for 1 candidate or distribute their votes over multiple candidates.
View other Open Positions
