About AMI-EAA
Our History
AMI-EAA, a member-run professional association of AMI elementary teachers and trainers, provides a supportive community for the exchange of ideas and promotes the principles of Montessori education.
The Beginning (1968-1970)
AMI-trained elementary Montessori teachers have been communicating with each other through a newsletter since 1968. The organization developed out of annual summer workshops begun in 1970. The earliest informal gatherings provided an avenue for sharing and making materials to aid the establishment of Montessori elementary classrooms throughout the country.
The idea for the workshops began at the Centenary Celebration of Maria Montessori's birth in Washington, D.C. in April of 1970. AMI-USA and NAMTA were also formed at this time. Camillo Grazzini, the director of training for the elementary course in Bergamo, met with elementary teachers at the Centenary to discuss the concept of a teachers' organization and to plan the first gathering at Mercy Center in Cincinnati.
Early Workshops
In the early seventies, summer workshops consisted mainly of material making and lamination sessions, plus sharing materials that individuals had researched, designed, and produced for their classrooms. As time went on, teachers realized that workshops focused solely on material making were not meeting their needs. Having survived the first few years in the classroom, these teachers were ready to reflect upon classroom procedures and where Montessori elementary should be heading.
Evolution and Growth (1975-1982)
Beginning in 1975, a Montessori pedagogue was invited to attend each workshop to aid in discussion and reflection upon Montessori philosophy. The summer workshops gradually changed to a combination of sharing plus invitational presentations by experienced teachers. At the June 1980 conference at UNICOI State Park in Georgia, the group decided to limit attendance to those with AMI elementary diplomas, trainers, and those registered for an AMI elementary course. Martha Bicknell suggested the idea of an alumni association; thus the loosely knit group formally metamorphosed into the AMI Elementary Alumni Association.
Formal Structure (1982)
In June of 1982, fifty-six EAA members gathered at the Asilomar retreat center in Pacific Grove, California, for the 12th annual Summer Conference. The membership voted in the charter unanimously, and AMI-EAA became a legal entity with an executive board providing a formal structure. Phyllis Pottish-Lewis served as the first chair from 1982-1990. The organization later incorporated as a non-profit.
Today
This organization has continued to function through volunteer assistance from its membership for over 50 years. Annual Summer Conferences continue to be held in beautiful retreat settings around the country, offering balanced programs of lectures, discussions, sharing, nature studies, and field trips. Active participation from members remains essential to our future.
Historical content compiled by Phoebe Allen, Chair (2007).
Our Mission
We are dedicated to:
- Supporting Montessori elementary educators in their professional development
- Fostering a global community of AMI-trained elementary teachers
- Sharing resources, research, and best practices
- Advocating for authentic Montessori elementary education
- Providing networking and collaboration opportunities
Leadership
Our association is led by a dedicated board of experienced Montessori educators who volunteer their time and expertise to serve our community.
Ginger Kleiber, Chair
Ginger Kleiber is a dedicated Montessori child, parent, and teacher with 28 years of experience in education, encompassing both public and private sectors. She holds an AMI Montessori Elementary Diploma, a Master's degree in Education, and AMI Administrator Orientation Certification. Additionally, she served as the membership coordinator for the AMI Elementary Alumni Association. For 22 years, Ms. Kleiber worked as an elementary Montessori teacher, instructing in lower elementary, upper elementary, and combined 6-12 classes. During her time in Montessori education, she also served as a course assistant in two AMI summer training courses held in Atlanta. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded and taught a micro-school for children aged 6 to 12, accommodating 9 to 13 students from 2020 to 2024. Currently, she works at The Mosaic Field School in Georgia as an adolescent guide, elementary pedagogical advisor, and is working on establishing a Montessori lower school program that includes Primary, Elementary, and A to I classes to start.
Debby Riordan, Business
Debby Riordan is one of four women who founded Southlake Montessori in 2014 and served as the Founding Head of School. Debby also is the Founding Director of Montessori360, supporting parents, faculty and administrators. Prior to this work, Debby worked diligently with the Association Montessori Internationale of the United States (AMI/USA) first as a board member and then as the Executive Director. Debby has a Master's degree in Developmental Psychology, a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, her AMI Montessori Elementary diploma and, most importantly, has witnessed the gift of Montessori education in her four children.
Becca Peters, Publications and Communications Coordinator
Becca discovered Montessori education while volunteering as a pre-school teacher in Belize. Upon her return to the States, she taught a year of high school French and realized that, definitely, elementary was her calling. She studied at WMI with Kay Baker and Greg MacDonald, graduating in 2008. Since then, she has been teaching in a Lower Elementary class at the Montessori School at Emory in Decatur, Georgia. Her two daughters have grown up in Montessori, from coming with her to the classroom as infants, all the way through the Adolescent program. Becca especially loves bringing her other passions of reading, baking and all kinds of handwork into the classroom. Becca has been delighted to become more involved in EAA after many years of membership. She is inspired by the other members and pleased to be able to give back to this wonderful organization that helps us all feel connected.
Mandie Bonilla-Ortiz, Membership & Secretary
Mandie has worked in schools for more than 22 years and has spent 16 of those years as a dedicated Montessori guide, teaching in both AMI public and private school settings. She earned her AMI certification from the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee in 2010, holds a master's degree in education from St. Catherine University, and completed her bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with minors in natural science and language arts. Mandie also holds a state teaching license in Minnesota and currently teaches a 6–12 class in Stillwater, MN. Outside the classroom, she loves spending time outdoors—especially summer camping trips and relaxing by a fire with friends and family.
Erik Rivas, Outreach
Erik guides a 6-9 class at Parkside Community School in Austin, TX. He has been in Montessori education nearly 30 years, in primary and upper elementary classrooms but has been with lower elementary for the last 20 years. Erik holds AMI diplomas both at the primary and the elementary levels. He attended the University of Houston for his undergraduate studies. Originally aspiring to be a speech pathologist for children, he majored in communication disorders and minored in developmental psychology. Both these areas of study complement his work in Montessori. He has been fortunate to have worked with many wonderful children and their families, as well as many committed colleagues over the years. In addition to his work on the EAA Board, he is also a member of the AMI/USA Human Rights and Social Justice advisory council. Outside of Montessori, he enjoys spending time with his 16-year-old daughter and his wife. He enjoys traveling, playing music, and making art. He looks forward to meeting and working with everyone in this wonderful organization!
Samantha Vejay, Events
Samantha has 20+ years of Montessori leadership experience. She holds a Master of Education from Loyola University and AMI diplomas in Primary and Elementary from Washington Montessori Institute, along with Adolescent training in Rydal, Sweden and an AMI 0-3 Orientation certificate. She has taught 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 year-olds. She served as Executive Director of Washington Montessori Institute, North America's oldest and largest Montessori teacher training center, and is a Past President of Montessori Administrators of Georgia. Samantha consults for AMI/USA on leadership, parent and staff support, and program evaluation.
Get Involved
Whether you're a recent graduate or a seasoned educator, we welcome your participation in our community. Join us today to connect with fellow Montessori educators and access valuable resources.