Lisanne Pinciotti, Program Director, (EC, Admin)
Lisanne Pinciotti discovered Montessori education as a graduate student in 1985. Her subsequent experience in the early childhood classroom and in administrative roles at Children’s House Montessori School in New Jersey provided a strong foundation for future endeavors. Lisanne earned a BS in Business Administration (University of Dayton), an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education (Rutgers University), an AMS Early Childhood Credential (CMTE/NY), and an AMS Administrator Credential (CMSM/NY). She joined WSMS-TEP in 2014 as Program Director and finds joy in field visits, school consultation, and learning alongside aspiring Montessori educators. Lisanne believes that supporting the efforts of professional associations is important to the growth of the field, and therefore has served in various board positions and work groups over the years for NJMAC and NYSMA (NJ and NY state advocacy groups) and served two terms as the Administrator representative and Secretary of the AMS Teacher Education Action Commission.
Melissa Freeman, Associate Director (EC, MIE, Admin)
Melissa Freeman earned a BA in Elementary and Special Education from Syracuse University and an AMS Montessori Early Childhood credential from WSMS-TEP. She has a Masters in Early Childhood Special Education from Fordham University. She has worked at the Alcott Montessori School in Ardsley, NY, and in Montessori schools in Maryland in both elementary (6-9 year olds) and early childhood (3-6 year olds) classrooms. She is a former head teacher at WSMS in a 3-6-year-old classroom and currently works in an administrative role for WSMS-TEP. Melissa joined the TEP faculty in 2006. In addition to teaching Sensorial, she has also taught Philosophy, Observation and Practical Life.
Sheba Kapur, Associate Director (EL, International Students, Scholarships)
Sheba has been a devoted Montessorian for over two decades, integrating Montessori philosophy into all aspects of life. After earning her B.Sc. and Montessori credentials (3-6 and 6-12) in Toronto, Canada, she worked across preschool to middle school classrooms in Canada and New York State before joining WSMS-TEP in NYC. Here, she developed the Elementary I-II training programs and continues to serve as the Elementary Level Coordinator, crafting curricula for adults embarking on Montessori careers. Sheba also contributes to her community as a board member of MPPI, NYSMA, and her local soccer club, and enjoys studying native plants in her garden.
LEVEL COORDINATORS
Karen Deinzer (IT)
Karen Deinzer began her teaching career in 1987 at The Village School for Children in Waldwick, NJ. She earned the Infant Toddler credential through CMTE/NY in 1993 while working with Mimi Basso. Karen went on to run her own Montessori school located in North Kingston, RI. She spent three years as the Educational Director of the Infant Toddler program at Twin Parks Montessori School in New York City and is currently the Infant Toddler Head Teacher at West Side Montessori School. Karen is one of the founding instructors for the Infant Toddler program at WSMS-TEP.
Maria Rosado (IT, EC)
Maria Rosado has been teaching for over ten years in Montessori Infant Toddler environments. Maria joined the Twos program at West Side Montessori School in 2015, and joined the WSMS-TEP team in 2017. Maria is a field consultant and has traveled to China as part of WSMS-TEP for the past three years. Maria holds an MS in Literacy and a BS in English Language Arts and Education from CUNY Hunter College. Maria is an AMS-certified Infant Toddler teacher from WSMS-TEP and holds New York State Professional Certification in Literacy: Birth through Grade 6 and Childhood Education: Grades 1-6.
FACULTY
Carol Baird (EC)
Carol Baird lived in upstate New York, California, and London before settling in New York City. After toiling for fourteen years in the corporate world as a Manager in Temporary Employment, Carol had two boys and also had a career change epiphany. Combining a love of children with a love of dance, she trained with Kinderdance, and brought their program to Manhattan in 1996. Carol now teaches and oversees instructors who teach Kinderdance in over 30 schools throughout Manhattan and the Bronx. She has been on the faculty at West Side Montessori School as a movement specialist since 2000. For more information, visit her website: kdnyc.org
Ashley Buntrock (EL)
Ashley is the Elementary Coordinator and Lead Teacher of the Upper Elementary Classroom at Seton Montessori School in Illinois. Ashley has been a teacher at Seton since 2008. Ashley holds a B.A. in Education from Xavier University and holds Early Childhood (3-6) and Elementary (6-12) Montessori teaching credentials. She is currently pursuing her AMS Administrator credential through Seton Montessori Institute. Teaching in the Seton Elementary Program since its inception, Ashley loves the children’s joy of learning and that every day is new. In her free time, she loves reading a good book or researching new plants to add to her garden!
Natalie Danner (MIE)
Natalie’s work focuses on the education and care of young children with and without disabilities. She holds a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is an American Montessori Society-credentialed early childhood educator. She believes that Montessori environments, with multi-age classrooms and the opportunity for choice and individualized hands-on learning, offer ideal opportunities for all children to learn. Through consultation and education, she partners with teachers and leaders to become even better at their most important craft.
As the Early Childhood Content and Engagement Coordinator on the Illinois Early Learning Project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she creates online early childhood content (blogs, podcasts, and tip sheets) to share evidence-based practices with teachers, caregivers, and families of young children. Prior to Illinois, she worked in higher ed in Oregon and Nebraska as a teacher educator. Her experience also includes ten years of teaching and leadership experience in independent and public school settings in New York and Arizona, specializing in the Montessori approach.
Her research explores the inclusion of young children with disabilities in preschool classrooms, the development of early childhood special education teacher education standards, and the professional development needs of in-service and pre-service teachers surrounding inclusion.
Loren DeNicola (Admin)
Loren DeNicola earned her Master’s Degree from New York University in Early Childhood Education in 2003 and her Montessori Early Childhood Credential from NYU-MTEP. She has NYS (N-6) Permanent Certification. Loren is the former Director of WSMS-TEP. She joined the faculty of WSMS-TEP in 2008 and has been an instructor for Philosophy, Student Teacher Seminar, Observation, and Child Development for Early Childhood. Loren currently serves as a Field Consultant for EC and the Administrator programs. Loren is the Associate Head of School for Teaching and Learning at West Side Montessori School.
Ann Epstein (MIE)
Ann recently retired as a Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where she directed the undergraduate ECE program. She currently teaches inclusion courses for Montessori teacher education programs and provides professional development regarding current issues in early childhood education. Ann’s research interests include supports for young children with disabilities and effective mentoring. Ann was a Montessori teacher with 3 – 6-year-olds before completing her doctoral studies in early childhood special education.
Kerry Eremin (MIE)
Kerry Eremin is an Early Childhood Learning Specialist at Brooklyn Heights Montessori School with over a decade of classroom experience. She is thrilled to join the WSMS-TEP team! Kerry earned her BA in Elementary Education and Sociology from Smith College and her Master’s degree in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. She holds New York State certification in Childhood General and Special Education and is a proud WSMS-TEP alum with an AMS Elementary I (6–9) credential and Montessori Inclusion Endorsement. Throughout her career, Kerry has worked in both public and private school settings and brings extensive experience supporting children with emotional and behavioral regulation, attention, executive functioning, and social cognition. She is deeply committed to creating inclusive learning environments where all children feel understood, capable, and supported in reaching their full potential.
Jovanae Gilzene-Brown (IT)
Jovanae is an experienced educator originally from Jamaica. She brings a unique blend of warmth, passion, and professionalism to the field of education. Jovanae began her career in education in 2009, working with teenagers, and later discovered her passion for early childhood education through Montessori. She pursued her AMS Montessori Infant Toddler Credential through WSMS-TEP and has served as a Head teacher in WSMS’s toddler program. She is also a course instructor, supervising teacher, and field consultant at WSMS-TEP.
Jovanae holds a Teaching Diploma in Human Ecology, a Bachelor of Education in Food and Health, as well as a Master’s and New York State Certification in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education. She is passionate about nurturing young minds and creating meaningful learning environments. Outside the classroom, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and exploring new cultures.
Latisa Gilmore (IT)
Latisa is the second of twelve siblings and found her passion for teaching early in life. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Bennett College and a Montessori Infant Toddler credential from WSMS-TEP in 2013. Latisa holds a dual Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, along with a New York State Birth–Grade 2 Teaching Certificate.
She is the Education Director at a small school in Harlem and teaches Montessori Personal Growth courses, leading workshops for parents and adult learners. Latisa serves on Community Board 10, is the Tenant Association President at Drew Hamilton Houses, and is an active member of Convent Avenue Baptist Church. She is also a proud member of the New York Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Jennifer Graham (EC)
Jennifer Graham earned her BS in Elementary Education from Elmira College in 1996 and her American Montessori Society Early Childhood credential from the Center for Montessori Education in 1998. Jennifer taught for several years at Montessori schools in NY before opening Our World Montessori in 2004. After eight years as the head of school at OWM, Jennifer realized her passion was to be in the classroom with the children. She returned to her roots as an Early Childhood teacher at Woodland Hill Montessori School in North Greenbush, NY where she teaches today. Jennifer joined WSMS-TEP as a course assistant in the summer of 2021 as part of her practicum for the AMS Instructor Academy and is thrilled to become part of the Early Childhood faculty.
Maria Gravel (IT)
Maria Gravel earned her Early Childhood degree from Hunter College. She has NYS (N-6) and NJS (K-6) certifications. She has her Montessori Early Childhood credential from both AMS and AMI. She was the founder and director of Seton Day Care Center and Elizabeth Seton Pre-School from 1972-2008. She has over 40 years of experience in early childhood schools and classrooms. She has been an active member of the American Montessori Society (former Chair of the AMS Certification Committee, member of the Archives committee, participant and lecturer at annual AMS Conferences) and has written numerous articles on the care of infants and toddlers. Maria continues to serve as a Field Consultant for CME|NY. Maria is a founding Instructor and Field Consultant for the WSMS-TEP Infant Toddler program.
Veranica Hayward (IT)
Veranica Hayward has been teaching in Montessori Infant Toddler environments for over ten years. She earned her Infant Toddler credential through the WSMS-TEP in 2017 and joined the West Side Montessori School teaching staff in 2021. Veranica also serves as a course instructor and field consultant for WSMS-TEP. She holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education, and has completed the academic coursework for a dual Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education. Veranica is passionate about building strong connections with students, families, and colleagues, and is especially devoted to teaching Grace & Courtesy as part of the Montessori curriculum.
Gabrielle Kotkov (EC)
Gabrielle is a Montessori educator and a proud native New Yorker. She is the founder of Multilingual Montessori, where she shares resources for families and educators interested in raising multilingual children from a Montessori perspective. Gabrielle has a BA in Italian and Art History from Vassar College, a Master’s Degree in Child Studies from Linköping University in Sweden, and an AMI 3-6 Diploma from the Maria Montessori Institute in London, as well as a TESOL Certification from Teachers College, Columbia University. Gabrielle was the recipient of a Fulbright Grant, during which she taught English to high school students in Catania, Italy. She is delighted to be a part of the WSMS-TEP faculty as an instructor and field consultant for the EC program.
Nancy Lindeman (MIE)
Nancy Lindeman has been a special educator since 1978. She has worked in a variety of roles as a special educator, including special education teacher, special education mentor, special education director, inclusion specialist, and, currently, a Montessori inclusion teacher educator and professor. Nancy recently retired as the program director from the Institute for Montessori Innovation at Westminster College. She is Montessori EC, El I-II certified, and holds a Montessori Administrator certificate. Lindeman has founded and directed a Utah public Montessori charter school and two private Montessori schools, where she has participated on IEP teams for over 30 years. Nancy is a faculty member in the WSMS-TEP Montessori Inclusion Endorsement and Administrator programs and consults with Montessori schools to develop inclusion plans.
Florencia Macauda Eberle (EC)
Florencia was born and raised in Argentina, where she began her career as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in ESL and has taught children of various ages as well as adult learners in an ESL Teacher Education Program. Through this experience, she discovered her passion for supporting others on their teaching journey.
In 2021, Florencia joined the WSMS-TEP as a student, earning her AMS Early Childhood credential from WSMS-TEP. Since 2022, she has been an assistant teacher at WSMS in a multi-age classroom. She is passionate about curriculum design, social-emotional development, and education for peace. In 2024, Florencia joined the WSMS-TEP faculty as a course assistant, supporting instructors and fostering an inclusive and inspiring environment for future Montessori educators.
Margot Mack (EC)
Margot Mack (EC Cultural Studies/Art) earned a Bachelor’s degree from Empire State College and the AMS Montessori Early Childhood Credential from CHAMP-MTEP. She has taught at WSMS since 1990 and is currently the Head Teacher in the Late Afternoon Program. She left WSMS for several years, when she had the opportunity to teach at two NYC Montessori schools, Resurrection Episcopal Day School and the Family School. Margot spent ten years designing and manufacturing her own line of jewelry, and continues to create collages and multi-media artwork. She received her Master’s of Science in Early Childhood/Special Education at Concordia College.
Sinead Meehan (EL)
Sinead is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education at Ball State University and an ELI instructor for West Side Montessori School’s Teacher Education Program. She holds a PhD in Education with a concentration in STEM from Drexel University, a post-baccalaureate in Instructional Design for e-Learning, an MA in Education from St. Catherine University, and a BS in Early Grades Education from West Chester University. Sinead is AMS-credentialed (Elementary I) and PA-State Certified (PK-9).
Robyn Mernick (EC)
Robyn received her undergraduate degree from Boston University in psychology and her Master’s in Education with a Montessori focus from Endicott College. She holds Montessori certification for ages 3-6 and professional licensure in New York, and worked as a Montessori primary classroom teacher for nearly twenty years.
Robyn has also served in various administrative roles, including education director, admissions coordinator, and Early Childhood Learning Specialist, and has chaired two Montessori accreditation teams. Robyn is passionate about teacher education: she has worked with Montessori student teachers through WSMS’s Teacher Education Program on the topics of language development, peace education, Montessori philosophy, and parent education and involvement, and has presented at state and national Montessori conferences.
Michelle Morrison (Admin)
Michelle is a certified leadership coach and school consultant who spent over thirty years in Montessori education at Princeton Montessori School and Princeton Center for Teacher Education, as a Head of School and an educator and adult learner instructor. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BS), and Montessori Administrator, Secondary, and Elementary credentials. She is passionate about supporting individuals and teams advancing Montessori education.
Jessa Pelizari (EC, MIE)
Jessa earned her BA in Communication Disorders from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and her MSEd in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. Subsequent to receiving her Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, Jessa continued her studies at WSMS-TEP, where she received her AMS Early Childhood Credential. Jessa has worked as both an assistant and lead EC classroom teacher at Woodland Hill Montessori School in North Greenbush, NY. She currently owns a private speech therapy practice that caters to children in Montessori and homeschool environments and offers workshops to Montessori educators on speech and language development in the home and classroom. Jessa continues to share her love of Montessori with future educators through her work as a WSMS-TEP EC course assistant and is excited to be a member of the MIE faculty.
Rosemary Quaranta (EL, Admin)
Rosemary Quaranta, M.Ed., has over 40 years of experience as a credentialed AMI 3–12 teacher and Head of School. She is passionate about Montessori education, instruction of students, curriculum development, and teacher education, while supporting and mentoring new and experienced teachers. She is currently spending part of her time with AMS facilitating Instructor Academy, as well as consulting with Seton Montessori Institute in Illinois and instructing for WSMS-Teacher Education Program in New York City. She is a frequent global presenter at conferences and enthusiastically shares her passion for Montessori.
Lesley Roth (EC)
Lesley Roth, MEd, has served in several Montessori leadership capacities including, Early Childhood Lead Teacher, Principal of the Xavier Montessori Lab School, Teaching Professor, and Director of the Xavier University Montessori Institute. Lesley is a licensed reading specialist and serves as a school consultant. Lesley currently teaches the Early Childhood Philosophy course.
Katherine Schneider (EC, EL, MIE, Admin)
Katherine Schneider is the Coordinator for the Montessori Inclusion Endorsement Program and has instructed aspiring teachers at the Early Childhood level since 2015. Katherine has an arts background and received a BFA in Acting from the North Carolina School of the Arts. A Montessori child herself, Katherine became reacquainted with the philosophy as an adult, receiving her AMS Early Childhood credential from Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center in Evanston, IL, and completed her MA in Early Childhood Special and General Education from Bank Street College in Manhattan. Katherine joined West Side Montessori School as a head teacher in 2009. Katherine is passionate about working with children with disabilities, as well as instructing teachers in Montessori inclusive environments.
Heather Sharo (IT)
Heather graduated from Rider University with a degree in Elementary Education. After observing a Montessori environment, Heather was inspired by the children, the environment, and the materials. That school year, she earned her Early Childhood credential (CMTE/NJ) and then, a few years later, her Infant Toddler credential (CMTE/NY). Currently, Heather is a toddler guide at a Montessori School in New Jersey. With twenty years of teaching experience, Heather is passionate about Montessori education. Heather joined WSMS-TEP in 2016 as a field consultant. Today, she serves as a Field Consultant, course assistant, and instructor for the Infant Toddler program.
Melissa Silvestri (EC)
Melissa holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia and had a career in non-profit fundraising before discovering her later-in-life calling as an early childhood teacher. While teaching an outdoor learning program in Central Park, she concurrently earned her Master’s of Science in Early Childhood and Special Education through Concordia College, while also completing the WSMS-TEP program and earning her AMS Early Childhood credential.
She began her teaching career at West Side Montessori School as a student teacher in 2017 and became a head teacher in 2020. Her passions in the classroom are math, outdoor play, and special projects like baking and art. She has worked at WSMS-TEP as a course assistant since 2022.
Wyatt Tolles (EL)
Wyatt is a 9-12 teacher in New Jersey. He has been a Montessori guide since 2012. Before becoming an Elementary guide, he taught in an Early Childhood classroom. He earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Mathematics (Rutgers University), an AMS Early Childhood Credential, and an AMS Elementary I-II credential (Princeton Center for Teacher Education). He has also completed his Master’s in Montessori Leadership (Sarasota University). The philosophy, child’s independence, and math materials were what first captivated Wyatt in Montessori education. Whether it is adults or children, he’s constantly inspired by the growth that he observes from his students. Outside of the classroom, he loves reading, hiking and kayaking, animals, music, and puzzles.
Stephanie Virgo (IT)
Stephanie, a proud New York native and the youngest of four sisters, is an Infant/Toddler Program teacher and field consultant at West Side Montessori School in New York City. Growing up as the youngest in her family gave her an early appreciation for observation, patience, and learning through example—qualities that naturally inform her work with young children today. Stephanie’s journey into Montessori began while working as a nanny during her college years at Berkeley College, where she studied Marketing Communications. Drawn to Montessori’s respectful, child-centered philosophy, she pursued her AMS Infant/Toddler certification at WSMS in 2017 and has since spent the past eight years deeply immersed in toddler education. Known for her creativity and thoughtful attention to detail, she designs engaging, hands-on materials that spark curiosity, independence, and joy in learning, while also nurturing children’s emotional and social growth. Currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education, with plans to specialize further through a Master’s in Early Childhood Language Development, Stephanie is committed to inclusive, developmentally appropriate practices. At the heart of her work is a belief that children are capable, curious individuals, and she sees her role not only as a teacher but as a guide who helps them grow into confident, compassionate, and independent thinkers.
Kira Walker (EC)
Kira Walker (née Haag) has been at WSMS since 2017, first as a TEP student and assistant teacher. She has been a head teacher since 2019. Kira is a Montessori child herself and attended Hershey Montessori from age two through Upper Elementary. After graduating from NYU, she found her way back to Montessori as an assistant at a school in downtown NYC. Believing in the Montessori Method and wanting to commit to the philosophy, Kira trained through WSMS-TEP, where she now works closely as an instructor, supervising teacher, and field consultant. In addition to her AMS credential, she has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from The City College of New York and a New York State teaching license.
Sarah Wheeler (EL)
Sarah studied Health Science with a concentration in Behavior and Health at Keene State College in New Hampshire. She was first inspired by the Montessori philosophy while working as a caregiver for two young children in North Carolina. When the pandemic closed their classrooms, she created a Montessori-inspired environment in their home and quickly fell in love with the hands-on materials and the independence they fostered.
In early 2022, she began working in an Elementary classroom in New Jersey and pursued her Lower Elementary certification that summer. The following year, she joined WSMS-TEP as an Elementary Program Assistant, and in 2024, expanded her role to include assistant-instructing in the Elementary I program. Sarah currently serves as an Elementary faculty member and the Professional Development Administrator at WSMS-TEP, while also teaching in a 6-9 classroom in New Jersey.
