Give Your Families the Gift of Connection

The gift of Montessori Family Alliance (MFA) membership is an extension of the love and trust you hold for your parent community. This act of appreciation will educate, bond, and reinforce confidence in Montessori and in your school. As we all know, a Montessori child can never be replaced. Working together with you and your staff, through good times and hard, we can help you build the community of your dreams.

Group Membership in the Montessori Family Alliance helps schools build stronger communities.

In a time when staff and administrators are overworked, the Montessori Family Alliance can help ease the burden of parent education during these trying times.

From countless benefits, along with print (and/or digital) issues of Tomorrow’s Child, MFA parent members have access to weekly webinars, networking with parenting experts, and important information about the many advantages of Montessori education.

Help your school community grow closer and more confident. A bonded parent community is the foundation of a strong school that will flourish year after year.

We invite you to take advantage of our Special Promotion for all MFA School Group Memberships.

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Membership including the print edition is $15/family.

Regular price $18/family.

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Digital only membership is $12/family.

Regular Price $15/family.

The benefits of membership for your school:

support and extend your parent education program
inspire parents to be more supportive and involved
share success stories about current and former Montessori students, and
review ongoing Montessori research

“This has been so useful, as a teacher and mother of two children, it helps me with strategies that will be very useful in the future.”

The benefits for your parents:

Weekly live online Montessori family life parenting webinars with Montessori parenting expert, Lorna McGrath and guests
Ask a Montessori Expert: Answers to questions about parenting and Montessori education
A unique series of articles and orientation videos to help new families prepare their children to enter Montessori
Archives of articles from every Tomorrow’s Child magazine ever printed.
Videos about the Montessori experience
Montessori family life parenting tips
Tomorrow’s Child magazine (print and/or digital depending on your plan choice)

In the United States, many courses are organized into summer institutes, which can involve one, two or more summers of intensive study, followed by a supervised year-long practicum/student teaching experience. Other courses run during the school year. Each model has its loyal advocates, and the selection of one over the other is a matter of personal preference. Montessori teacher education programs are typically offered at the infant-toddler (birth to age 2), early childhood (ages 3-6), lower elementary (ages 6-9), upper elementary (ages 9-12), and secondary levels (ages 12-15 and ages 15-18). Most courses in the United States require a college degree; although, students who have yet to complete their undergraduate diploma may be able to take a Montessori teacher education course and receive a provisional Montessori teaching certificate. Tuition will vary from one program to another. Unfortunately, the quality of Montessori teacher education programs can vary. One basic consideration is the credibility of the diploma received upon completion. Since 1995, the United States Department of Education has recognized the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) which is generally recognized as the essential sign of a program's credibility. Since then, MACTE accreditation has become widely recognized around the world. Several Montessori organizations affiliate Montessori teacher education programs in the United States, and many more in other countries. Most, but not all, of their programs are also accredited by the MACTE commission. They include the American Montessori Society (AMS), the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), International Montessori Council (IMC), Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI), and the Pan American Montessori Society (PAMS). A number of smaller Montessori associations and a number of independent programs also offer accredited Montessori teacher education programs also are accredited by MACTE. Distance Learning: Several organizations around the world offer blended residential and distance learning programs or correspondence courses, which allow students to complete some of their Montessori teacher education studies online. Keep in mind, that teachers in the United States normally graduate from colleges or teacher education institutes that offer a traditional face-to-face academic program. If you are considering a distance-learning program, you should understand that a number of states do not accept these credentials. Individual schools may also be unwilling to consider graduates of a distance-learning program. It is always a good idea to check with several schools where you would like to teach to determine if the Montessori teacher education program that you are considering will meet their standards. The IMC-affiliated Center for Guided Montessori Studies (www.guidedstudies.com) is fully accredited by MACTE, and blends residential and distance learning into very high quality Montessori teacher education. Salaries for teachers in independent/private Montessori schools are generally acceptable but commonly below those offered by local public schools. Many Montessori teachers feel that these lower salaries and benefits are more than offset by greater job satisfaction and freedom from the paperwork and bureaucracy found in many public-school systems. Salaries are often calculated on a scale based on degrees, experience, and duties. Montessori teachers are generally in short supply, and in many situations, Montessori certified teachers will find several schools competing for their services. For a list of the accredited teacher education programs in the US, Canada, and many other countries as well, go to either the individual organization websites or go to the MACTE website at www.macte.org. If you are searching for a Montessori teacher education program, you might also wish to contact the Montessori schools in your area. Through them, you will obtain information as to what is available in your region and what form of certification they require? especially if you are hopeful of obtaining employment with them in the future. There are many good teacher education programs available in the United States and abroad. In the years to come, there will undoubtedly be even more, as the demand for Montessori teachers increases.

Choose Your Plan

You can choose School Group Membership to the Montessori Family Alliance with or without printed copies of Tomorrow’s Child magazine for each of your families.

This is the only difference between the two plans.

Montessori Family Alliance School Group Membership (Print & Digital)

Montessori Family Alliance School Group Membership

Digital Montessori Family Alliance School Group Membership