Nancy Mehalic has been involved with Montessori education since 1985. She has worked with assistant training, intern supervision, consulting, and teacher training. She has also given workshop classes at PAEYC conventions and AMS conferences to explain the Montessori Method to teachers in traditional preschool settings as well as Montessori educators. Nancy has taught in several schools in the Pittsburgh area.  In September 2007, Nancy opened her own school, Montessori Schools for Creative Learning in Moon Township, PA. She is presently the owner and directress of the school. Nancy has a B.S. in elementary education (Penn State University) and holds an AMS 3-6 credential (CMTE/NY).

Marisa Rae is an AMS certified Infant and Toddler specialist (CMTE/NY) who joins us from Ithaca, NY. She served as the Head Teacher in the Montessori Children's Center Toddler community from 2004 to 2008, when she left to give birth to her son. She joined Ithaca Montessori in Ithaca, NY in 2009 and remained until 201, with the birth of her daughter.  Marisa has a B.A. from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She has worked with children in varying capacities for over two decades. She mentored, tutored, and counseled with the Sisters of Mercy Outreach program and Project Upward Bound and finds considerable inspiration in her at home Infant/Toddler/ Primary Lab. Marisa does consulations with Infant and Toddler programs.

Lydie Raschka works as a field consultant for CMTE/NY and teaches on staff in the summer. She is also a freelance writer. Lydie was a 6-9 teacher in Yonkers for six years. Prior to that, she taught 3-6 year olds and started the 6-9 elementary program at the Michelle Norris Montessori School in Ann Arbor, MI. She has a B.S. in Special Education (Eastern Michigan University), an M.S. in Education (Bank Street College), and an AMS Elementary 6-9 credential (CMTE/NY). Lydie also writes for www.insideschools.org.

Sheila Reed has been on staff since 1976 at the Chemung Valley Montessori School in Big Flats, NY.  She currently co-teaches the upper elementary class and is curriculum coordinator for the 9-12 and middle school levels.  Sheila is a reading and writing specialist, and teaches much of the 9-12 Language curriculum at CMTE/NY. She serves as a Field Consultant to schools in NY and PA. She has a B.A. in German (Wilson College), a M.S.Ed. with a concentration in reading (Elmira College), an AMI 3-6 credential (Minnesota), and an AMS 6-12 credential (CMTE/NY).

Nancy Rose is the Executive Director of New England Early Childhood Associates (NEECA) an organization providing a variety of outreach services to individuals and organizations serving young children and their families in the New England area.  In addition to a BA in distributed studies, Nancy Rose holds a Masters degree in special education and teaching certificates from both the American Montessori Society and the Association Montessori Internationale. She has served as a faculty member and has been a guest lecturer at several colleges, universities and teacher training programs and has been involved in all facets of early childhood education for more than 40 years.

Nancy has conducted numerous  professional and parent workshops. She serves as a consultant to teachers, school systems and local community agencies and has served as a board member of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children, the American Montessori Society and the Rocky Mountain Montessori Teachers Association. She was a co-founder and academic director of the Montessori Teacher Training Program of the Rockies and a co-founder of the AMS Peace Committee.

Carol Schwab, a reading specialist and veteran Montessori teacher of children ages three through junior high, currently works as a mentor, lecturer, and consultant. Carol has an M.Ed. (Xavier University), an Education Specialist in Administration (Univ. of Dayton), an AMS Early Childhood credential (Xavier University), AMS Elementary 6-12 credential (CMTE/NY), and an AMS Research credential.

Beverly Smith, Associate Coordinator for CMSM, is the Programs Coordinator at Washington Montessori School (New Preston, CT). She has also taught in the Middle School since 1992, where she has created and implemented the Life Skills curriculum for the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Beverly holds a B.S. in Education (Central Connecticut State University), M.A. in counseling (St. Joseph's College) and both an AMS middle school and Management credential. She has been working for CMTE/NY since 2001.

Holly Stoehr has been involved in Montessori education since 1982. She holds both her AMS Early Childhood and Elementary I teaching credentials, enjoys her work as a teacher, consultant and CMTE/NY teacher trainer. In addition, upon completion of her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, Holly pursued her interest in creating harmonious environments for children and adults, receiving her certification in Interior Alignment and Instinctive Feng Shui. She currently teaches at the Cambridge Montessori School and has a private Feng Shui practice, both in Massachusetts.

Martha Torrence has been a Montessori educator since 1977, serving as a classroom teacher, Head of School, and teacher educator. She is currently Director of the Toddler and Primary programs at Cambridge Montessori School in MA. Martha served on the AMS Board of Directors for 11 years, Teachers’ Section Chair for 9 years, Executive Committee for 3 years and was President for 1 year. For 3 years she served as Principal and Head Teacher in the Pre-primary classroom at the Xavier Univ. Lab School.  A Teacher’s Research Network participant, Martha has written award-winning articles on her research topic, play. Martha holds a Liberal Arts B.A. and an M.Ed. in early childhood education (Penn State University); and an AMS Early Childhood credential (Ithaca).

Mary Velasquez has been teaching at the Cambridge Montessori School since 1993, first as a toddler teacher, now in the upper elementary class. She joined the CMTE/NY staff in 2002.  She has a B.A. in English (Harvard University) and AMS Infant/Toddler and Elementary 6-12 credentials.