Rebecca Pelton is the President of the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). MACTE serves as the national and international accreditor for Montessori educator and administrator/leadership preparation programs within colleges and universities and free-standing institutions. MACTE is nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Rebecca has been active in the area of national accreditation for over 20 years. Prior to her work with MACTE, she served as the Vice President for Membership for the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). Rebecca has taught in public and private schools for over 20 years. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware. Her tenure at MACTE is based on a commitment to supporting Montessori educators and leadership preparation and thereby improving the educational experience of Montessori students.

Carolyn Pinkerton is the Director of Communications & State Relations at the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). Carolyn shares vital information with MACTE accredited programs, as well as connects others in the Montessori teacher education community. She has been involved in all parts of the accreditation process, including the review of Self-Studies, site visits, and trainings. Prior to her tenure with MACTE, Carolyn worked with children teaching English as a Second Language and creating a reading curriculum with the Core Knowledge Foundation. Carolyn received her doctorate in the Social Foundations of Education from the University of Virginia.

​​Karen Simon has been a Montessori educator for almost 30 years, teaching children 2 ½ - 12 years old, as well as adults. She was born and raised in Venezuela and has lived in the United States since the mid-1970s. She holds AMS credentials for Early Childhood and Elementary I-II and has taught children and adults at all three levels, Karen designed, implemented, taught at, and directed a Montessori school for children 2 1/2 through 15 years old in Central Florida for 20 years. She is currently focused on teacher education and making Montessori more accessible in both English and Spanish. She is a faculty member of several teacher education programs, former chair of the MACTE Board of Directors, and works as a Bilingual Specialist and Instructor for the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector.