Kym Elder - Project Director

    Executive Director of Island Village Montessori Charter and Early Childhood Programs, was founder and first President of the IVMS Founding Board. Kym has Montessori teacher certification from the American Montessori Society in both early childhood and elementary levels.

    Kym holds a Master’s Degree in Charter School Educational Leadership from Nova University and is completing her Ed.D with a concentration in Internet Technology and Distance Education. She currently holds Florida professional certifications in educational leadership, elementary K-6, middle school integrated 5-9, and ESE K-12.

Mary Beth Sullivan - Project Manager

• American Montessori Society Elementary II Certification
• Elementary K-6 Certification Florida
• MS in Elementary Education
• BA in Music
• Teacher - New Gate School
• Teacher - Island Village Montessori
• Teacher Trainer - Island Village Montessori.

Jenifer Baehr - Registrar

    Jenifer Baehr joined Montessori Live as the registrar in 2009. She received her Certificate of Paralegal from the Institute of Legal Studies, worked as a paralegal for 10+ years in Fairfax, VA, and managed a privately owned title insurance company.

    Jenifer established Best Weddings On The Beach, Venice, in 2005, providing full service weddings and notary public services. Jenifer brings her many years of business management experience to Montessori Live. Her memberships include the National Notary Association, Venice Chamber of Commerce and Cambridge Who’s Who.

Tim Symonds - Director of Marketing

    Tim graduated from Manatee Community College in 2003 and has over 10 years experience in graphic design and marketing. He is an ecommerce, internet marketing and search engine optimization specialist. He was also a professor graphic design technologies at MCC for 3 years.

    Mr. Symonds currently owns Unified Graphic Design, LLC and manages two other businesses as well as being a webmaster and marketing consultant for numerous others. He is an accomplished photographer and has been published in the Serbin Communications College Photography Annual and on the front cover of Autoharp Quarterly.

    Tim is a Montessori parentcator and believes strongly in the Montessori principles of Unity, Peace and Community Awareness through education.

Dr. Paul Czaja - Instructor
Foundations of Montessori Philosophy
Classroom Management and Observations

    Dr. Czaja has been involved in the Montessori movement for over 45 years. He received his masters degree in philosophy and his doctorate in education from Fordham University. Dr. Czaja was on the founding faculty and, eventually, headmaster at the famous Whitby School the American Montessori Center, in Greenwich, Connecticut, from 1960 until 1978. He has been involved in Montessori teacher training for many years, and has worked with Montessori public schools as well as private schools.

Kym Elder - Instructor
Language (English) - Correct Expression, Handwriting, and Whole Language
Language (English) - Phonics, Spelling, and Punctuation

Language (English) - Grammar Materials, Sentence Analysis, Older Students
Practical Applications for Administrators
Educator Practicum

    Executive Director of Island Village Montessori Charter and Early Childhood Programs, was founder and first President of the IVMS Founding Board. Kym has Montessori teacher certification from the American Montessori Society in both early childhood and elementary levels.

    Kym holds a Master's Degree in Charter School Educational Leadership from Nova University and Florida certification in educational leadership, K-6 elementary education, and middle school integrated curriculum grades 5-9. She is currently finishing her Doctorate in Education Program with a concentration in Internet Technology and Distance Education.

Mary Beth Sullivan - Instructor
Mathematics - Numeration and the Decimal System
Mathematics - Operations with Whole Numbers
Mathematics - Advanced Operations with Whole Numbers
Mathematics - Geometry, Perimeter, Area and Volume
Mathematics - Fractions and Decimals
Mathematics - Decimal Fractions and Algebra
Educator Practicum

• American Montessori Society Elementary II Certification
• Elementary K-6 Certification Florida
• MS in Elementary Education
• BA in Music
• Teacher - New Gate School
• Teacher - Island Village Montessori
• Teacher Trainer - Island Village Montessori.

Judi Dunlap - Instructor
Cultural Studies - The Big Picture of the Universe
Cultural Studies - Earth History and the Story of Life, Human Civilization

    Judi Dunlap has been a Montessori educator for 30 years. She is certified in early childhood education by the National Center for Montessori Education and by the American Montessori Society for 6 - 12 elementary. Judi completed her elementary training at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies with Harvey Hallenberg. She also holds a Master of Arts in Gifted Education from the University of South Florida.

    Judi started both the Junior and Senior Elementary programs at Palm Harbor Montessori Academy. She was Elementary Dean at New Gate School in Sarasota for 11 years and most recently Principal of the Key West Montessori Elementary Charter School. Judi currently works as a Montessori teacher trainer and is a Montessori consultant in the Tampa Bay area.

Dr. Paul Czaja

    Dr. Czaja has been involved in the Montessori movement for over 45 years. He received his masters degree in philosophy and his doctorate in education from Fordham University. Dr. Czaja was on the founding faculty and, eventually, headmaster at the famous Whitby School the American Montessori Center, in Greenwich, Connecticut, from 1960 until 1978. He has been involved in Montessori teacher training for many years, and has worked with Montessori public schools as well as private schools.

Harvey Hallenberg

    Harvey Hallenberg has over 40 years of involvement in Montessori education and has worked with secondary programs using the Montessori philosophy since 1981.

    He was Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies (Elementary Level) at the Barrie School in Silver Spring, MD, beginning in 1981 and is Co-founder, with wife Dr. Nancy Hallenberg, Claremont School in Annandale, VA in 1986.

    In 1992, co-founder, with wife Dr. Nancy Hallenberg, of the Claremont Center for Advanced Montessori Studies and Claremont Montessori School in Boca Raton, Florida. The Claremont School enrolls students from 1st grade (6 years old) through high school.

Tim Seldin

• President Montessori Foundation
• International Montessori Council
• Teacher Trainer, Barrie School, MD
• Headmaster, Barrie School, MD
• Headmaster, New Gate School, Sarasota, FL
• Author of many articles and books on Montessori pedagogy and philosophy
• Publisher of Tomorrow's Child Magazine
• Consultant and Guest Speaker

Judi Dunlap

    Judi Dunlap has been a Montessori educator for 30 years. She is certified in early childhood education by the National Center for Montessori Education and by the American Montessori Society for 6 - 12 elementary. Judi completed her elementary training at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies with Harvey Hallenberg. She also holds a Master of Arts in Gifted Education from the University of South Florida.

    Judi started both the Junior and Senior Elementary programs at Palm Harbor Montessori Academy. She was Elementary Dean at New Gate School in Sarasota for 11 years and most recently Principal of the Key West Montessori Elementary Charter School. Judi currently works as a Montessori teacher trainer and is a Montessori consultant in the Tampa Bay area.

Elaine Palmore

    Elaine Palmore earned a BS degree from the University of Tennessee, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her Montessori training for ages 3 to 6 is from MECA-Seton in Hinsdale, Ill. Elaine's elementary training is from Seacoast Training Center, Sarasota, FL.

    Ms. Palmore taught preschool children for 14 years at the Children’s House Montessori School of Nashville, TN. She was also on the staff of Island Village Montessori Charter School in Venice, FL as a teacher for 4 years and served as principal for one year. She is currently the Director of the Child Development Center at Middle Tennessee State University.

    Elaine has written articles for two nationally distributed educational publications: Montessori Life and Tomorrow's Child. She has a booklet in publication, Aftercare in a Montessori School, from her experiences designing and implementing the aftercare and summer programs at the Children's House.

Monique Czaja

    Monique has AMS Montessori Elementary and Early Childhood certification and has been teaching since 1978. Monique has been a teacher trainer since 1986. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Bradford College, in Massachusetts, with a concentration in Liberal Arts and Humanities.

Katie Smith

    Katie L. Smith graduated with from Edison Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in Education, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Special Education from Bowling Green State University. She has taught grades K-4 , as well as 7th and 8th, in both inclusion and self-contained settings.

     Katie has worked with students who have had a variety of health impairments, as well as cognitive, educational, emotional and behavioral disabilities. Katie served as ESE Liaison for Island Village Montessori School.

Kym Elder

    Executive Director of Island Village Montessori Charter and Early Childhood Programs, was founder and first President of the IVMS Founding Board. Kym has Montessori teacher certification from the American Montessori Society in both early childhood and elementary levels.

    Kym holds a Master's Degree in Charter School Educational Leadership from Nova University and Florida certification in educational leadership, K-6 elementary education, and middle school integrated curriculum grades 5-9. She is currently finishing her Doctorate in Education Program with a concentration in Internet Technology and Distance Education.

Mary Beth Sullivan

• American Montessori Society Elementary II Certification
• Elementary K-6 Certification Florida
• MS in Elementary Education
• BA in Music
• Teacher - New Gate School
• Teacher - Island Village Montessori
• Teacher Trainer - Island Village Montessori.

Jim Dunn - Videographer

    Jim has a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Computer Science. He has over 30 years experience as a software engineer for Fortune 500 corporations. He currently owns Suncoast Video Productions and has over 10 years experience in videography and video editting.

Tim Symonds - Webmaster

    Tim graduated from Manatee Community College in 2003 and has over 10 years experience in graphic design and marketing. He is an ecommerce, internet marketing and search engine optimization specialist. He was also a professor graphic designtechnologies at MCC for 3 years.

    Mr. Symonds currently owns Unified Graphic Design, LLC and manages two other businesses as well as being a webmaster and marketing consultant for numerous others. He is an accomplished photographer and has been published in the Serbin Communications College Photography Annual and on the front cover of Autoharp Quarterly.

    Tim is a Montessori parentcator and believes strongly in the Montessori principles of Unity, Peace and Community Awareness through education.