Season 2 Ep. 12: Special Education in Montessori
Our final episode for this season is a conversation between two seasoned educators discussing Montessori and Special Education. In this expansive conversation, they talk about the points of tension and how to support Montessori educators in navigating this in their classrooms and with families.
Allison Jones is a consultant for Public Montessori in Action and holds an AMI Primary and Elementary diploma. She was a Montessori child from preschool through 6th grade and grew up with a fervent love for Montessori learning. Allison started as a Montessori guide with the mission of making Montessori available to populations that don't usually have access and has supported the equitable development and delivery of Montessori programs on three continents (in the US, Vietnam, and Senegal). In the last 5 years, she has developed and shared programs that help to support diverse learners and families within Montessori environments, including work in student support, special education, and coaching.
Andree Rolfe is an educational consultant with 35 years of experience in public special education (as a teacher, diagnostician, and administrator) and 10 years consulting with Montessori schools. She works at The Village School, in Waldwick, NJ where her role is to support the staff in their work with children who present with learning and behavioral challenges. Andree teaches Montessori guides about special education at the Center for Montessori Education at Loyola University, Maryland. Andree earned her doctorate in Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is AMI certified at the Elementary level and holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Montessori Education from Loyola University.