NYS Montessori Alliance

17/09/2026

📣 New York State Montessorians, this one’s for you!

We’re kicking off our first quarterly meeting of 2026–27 on Wednesday, October 7, hosted by West Side Montessori School at their beautiful new Infant Toddler space on the Upper West Side.

Join Dr. Nancy Lindeman and Katherine Schneider for an afternoon of connection, inspiration, and shared vision as they explore Early Intervention in Montessori environments.

📍 212 West 95th Street, NYC
🕞 3:30 PM – School Tour
🕓 4:00 PM – Meeting & Presentation
💻 Can’t join in person? Hop on Zoom at 4 PM!

RSVP at tinyurl.com/NYSMAOct and let us know how you’ll be joining. We can’t wait to see you there!

10/06/2026

Alliance board member Diane was recently interviewed by to discuss some of the most important shifts in New York State education policy right now:

📌 Sunsetting The Regents Diploma — NYSED’s phase-out of the traditional Regents exam pathway for high school graduation, opening the door to new ways of demonstrating student mastery and readiness.

📌 The Portrait of a Graduate — a reimagined framework for what success looks like for New York students, beyond standardized testing.

📌 The Plan Pilot — an exciting initiative that allows schools the opportunity to develop alternative, competency-based pathways for graduation.

These changes align deeply with what Montessori educators have known for over a century: children thrive when they are seen as whole people, not as test scores, and are offered options for how they can demonstrate their mastery.

Diane represents NYSMA on NYSED’s Commissioner’s Advisory Council for Religious & Independent Schools, providing our members with updates on access to State funding, PD, and regulatory impacts. The forthcoming comprehensive instructional and assessment adaptations are exciting changes for Montessorians across the state, from early childhood through high school!

14/05/2026

The power of Montessori! ♥️

What makes a Montessori classroom so special? In this video, students, teachers, and parents share their experiences within the Montessori program—an educati...

21/04/2026

Our final quarterly meeting of the year is officially on the calendar! 🗓️ Join us on May 5th at 3:30PM as we gather at Pine Street School in NYC.

Advocacy is at the heart of what we do, and we’re thrilled to have James Cultrara join us to share the latest on the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). Whether you have questions about legislative updates in Albany or want to learn more about opportunities for your program, this session is for you.

Let’s close out the year with unity and purpose! 🗽
📍 Pine Street School, NYC
🕓 May 5, 4:00 PM EST
🔗 RSVP at tinyurl.com/NYMSAMay

24/03/2026

From the classroom to the Capitol! 🏛️

NYSMA officially took Montessori on the Move to Washington, DC, as part of ’s national advocacy initiative. We spent the afternoon bringing the magic of the prepared environment to the halls of Congress, ensuring New York’s students and educators have a seat at the table.

Swipe through to see our team in action:
📸 Our board and a few members representing NYSMA on the Capitol steps.
📸 A productive session with Jessica Bae from ’s office focused on teacher support and Montessori’s impact across the state.

📸 Meeting with Peter DeLuca from ’s office to discuss expanding access to high-quality programs.

Advocacy is a journey, and we are proud to be moving the needle for Montessori in New York! 🍎🗽

13/03/2026

Big things are happening in the capital next week! 🏛️

The NYSMA Board is heading to The Montessori Event next week, and we want to see you there!

🗽We’ll be kicking things off on Thurs. March 19, at the preconference session. In the afternoon, we’re heading to Capitol Hill to meet with NYS representatives, including the offices of Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, to advocate for Montessori education in NYS.

🥂 Join us for our Annual Meet & Greet!
🗓️ Friday, March 20, 6–7PM
📍 Marriott Marquis DC (Suite TBA)
Come grab a drink, a bite, and hear the latest on our work on Capitol Hill.

🔗 RSVP at tinyurl.com/NYSMA2026 so we can send you the suite number as soon as we check in!

11/03/2026

There’s nothing quite like the energy of our NYSMA meetings—connecting with fellow educators, sharing ideas, and strengthening our statewide community. As we look toward the 2026-27 school year, we have two ways for you to get involved:

Host a 26/27 Meeting at Your School 🏫 We are officially scouting locations for our upcoming calendar! Hosting is an exclusive opportunity for our member schools. It’s a wonderful way to showcase your environment and help lead the dialogue on the future of our classrooms.

Not yet a member? Join NYSMA’s advocacy efforts and support the unified voice of Montessori in New York! When you join now for the 26/27 school year, you’ll receive the remaining months of this school year as a special bonus.
🗽Individual & School Memberships available.
🗽1-Year or 3-Year terms (lock in your rate and support long-term advocacy!).

Ready to lead with us? 🔗 Click the link in our bio to grab your membership and start your “bonus months” today.

📩 If you’re already a member (or just signed up!) and want to host, DM us to get on the 26/27 calendar!

24/02/2026

We’ll be there representing NYS!

🏛️ Let’s bring Montessori to Capitol Hill! Is your state represented?

Policy change is critical to increasing equitable access to high-quality Montessori education. On Thursday, March 19, join at the Society’s historic pre-conference day at The Montessori Event: Montessori on the Move: From the Classroom to Capitol Hill!

This intensive, full-day workshop will give you the tools you need to move the policy needle. Our day includes:
* Updates on current policy issues affecting all Montessori programs
* New advocacy tools and practices with experts
* A panel of policymakers
* Our first-ever walk to Capitol Hill to meet with Federal Legislators!

New to advocacy? No problem! You need zero experience to join us. We provide all the training you need, and no one will ever have to meet with a legislator alone—we’ll be working in supportive teams every step of the way. 🤝

Bonus: All registrants receive access to our virtual Advocacy 101 webinar and support before the in-person event!

📍 STATE ROLL CALL! We already have advocates registered from 24 states + DC. Huge shoutout to: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, HI, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NM, NV, NY, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, & WI! 🎉
NYS Montessori AllianceVirginia Montessori Association

Don't see your state on the list? We need YOU to step up and be the voice your community needs! Let’s make sure all 50 states are ready to share our Montessori federal policy platform.

Link here to register: https://www.themontessorievent.org/event/ed092a34-0575-46d9-8163-80ef38aec5b6/the-montessori-event-2026

29/12/2025

✨ Kick off 2026 in community with Montessori educators across New York State! ✨

Join us virtually on Monday, January 26 at 4 PM EST for a statewide Montessori gathering—no travel required. We’re excited to welcome Nadine Carroll for a timely workshop on Incorporating Equity in Teacher Hiring Practices, designed especially for school leaders and administrators.

🌱 Learn practical, DEIB-aligned strategies for equitable hiring
🤝 Connect with Montessorians from across NYS
💬 Reflect, share, and strengthen our collective work

📅 January 26 | 4 PM EST | Zoom
🔗 RSVP: tinyurl.com/NYSMAZoom

Let’s begin the year renewed, connected, and committed to meaningful change in Montessori education across New York.

03/10/2025

✨ Save the Date! ✨ We’re so excited to host our first quarterly meeting of 2025-26 on Monday, Oct 27 at The Foundry Montessori in beautiful Cold Spring, NY. 🍁

Join us in person (or online!) for an afternoon of connection + inspiration featuring Montessori educator Robyn Mernick. She’ll guide us through Learning “in the Round”: Creating Meaningful Artist Studies for the Montessori Classroom. This session is designed to spark creativity, identity exploration, and cross-curricular connections through art. 🎨✨

📍 The Foundry Montessori, 34 Kemble Ave, Cold Spring, NY
🕒 3:30 PM – School Tour
🕓 4:00 PM – Meeting & Presentation

DM to RSVP! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and grow together as we envision the future of Montessori education in NY State.