Montessori School Leadership Course

Introduction to the course

The AMI Montessori School Leadership Course is designed for school leaders, founders, and administrative staff seeking to strengthen their expertise in Montessori school management and leadership.

  • Hybrid format
    Part of the course held onsite in Prague, Czechia, part held online on Zoom
  • 48 hours
  • Guidance of AMI trainers, Sue Pritzker & Eder Cuevas
  • Certificate awarded by Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
  • International students
  • Price: 1 297€
    Payment in 3 installments WITHOUT interest available

Maybe it is you:

  • You are leading a Montessori school
    as a director, founder, or administrator, and want to enhance your leadership skills while staying true to Montessori principles.
  • You seek a deeper understanding of Montessori school management
    from strategic planning and staff development to creating a thriving school community.
  • You want to ensure long-term success for your school
    by strengthening your ability to support teachers, collaborate with parents, and maintain high educational standards.
  • You are looking for an internationally recognized certification
    to validate your expertise and commitment to high-quality Montessori leadership.

In this course, you will:

  • Develop essential leadership skills
    Learn how to effectively manage a Montessori school while upholding its core principles.
  • Gain practical tools for school administration
    Explore strategies for staff development, financial sustainability, and community engagement.
  • Strengthen your ability to support teachers and parents
    Foster collaboration and create a thriving Montessori environment.
  • and much more!

Introduction to the course

The AMI Montessori School Leadership Course is designed for school leaders, founders, and administrative staff seeking to strengthen their expertise in Montessori school management and leadership.

  • Hybrid format
    Part of the course held onsite in Prague, Czechia, part held online on Zoom
  • 48 hours
  • Guidance of AMI trainers, Sue Pritzker & Eder Cuevas
  • Certificate awarded by Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
  • International students
  • Price: 1 297€
    Payment in 3 installments WITHOUT interest available

What is the role of an administrator in a Montessori school?

An administrator in a Montessori school plays a vital role in creating a supportive and well-functioning environment for children, teachers, and parents. Their primary responsibility is not direct teaching, but ensuring that the school operates smoothly while upholding Montessori principles.

A Montessori administrator guides the school’s vision and strategy, oversees daily operations, and fosters a strong community. They provide essential support to teachers, helping maintain a prepared environment where children can thrive. Through careful leadership and collaboration, they facilitate staff development, financial sustainability, and strong relationships with families.

By balancing practical management with a deep respect for Montessori philosophy, administrators ensure that the school remains a place of independence, self-confidence, and lifelong learning for all involved.

General information about the course

48 hours of the course

of lectures and guidance of the trainers, engaging discussions and self-study

Personalised documents

creation (eg. Strategic Plan or Journey Map)

3 hours of observation

of obligatory observation to be done within 12 weeks after the course

Reading

of inspiring texts by Girlato, Grazzini, Lillard and others.

Learning outcomes and key benefits

During the first days of the course, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the core principles of Montessori education. The course then delves deeper into the intricacies of school administration across various areas, with a focus on working with school culture and different communities. The course covers key topics such as how to cooperate with parents to maintain their support, understanding the mindset of school staff and strategies for achieving further development, and identifying the main goals of school administration to ensure the school functions effectively.

In addition, the course provides concrete strategies for working with school staff, including guides, assistants, and other personnel, to ensure smooth operations of the school. Students will learn how to support employees, how to approach new teachers and assistants during the early stages of their careers, and how to collaborate with experienced staff in an effective manner. The course also places an emphasis on strategic guidance of the school from a leadership position, keeping the "Big Picture" and long-term development in mind, while maintaining the high quality of education and the professional lives of staff.

Throughout the course, students will have access to a variety of materials and tools that they can take away and use in their practice, such as a strategic plan for their school. They will have the opportunity to learn from experienced AMI trainers, Sue Pritzker and Eder Cuevas, study alongside colleagues from around the world, engage in lively discussions, and share their experiences with others, as well as gain new perspectives themselves.

All successful course graduates will receive a worldwide recognized international certificate from the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).

Take the next step on your Montessori journey!

What you will learn in the course:

  • 1
    Core pedagogical principles
    Prepared Adult, Planes of Development, Prepared Environment, Freedom & Discipline
  • 2
    How to build a healthy school community
    Community Involvment and Education, Communication, Evolving Montessori School, Removing Obstacles to School Growth
  • 3
    Strategies to support children, staff, parents and board
    Supporting Staff through different means, Implementing the Curriculum, Working with Teachers

Practical tools you will master:

  • 1
    School Management Strategies
    Learn how to effectively organize daily operations, optimize resources, and ensure smooth administration.
  • 2
    Staff Development & Leadership
    Gain practical techniques for mentoring, supporting, and retaining Montessori educators.
  • 3
    Financial Planning & Sustainability
    Understand budgeting, financial forecasting, and strategies for long-term school growth.
  • 4
    Effective Communication & Conflict Resolution
    Develop skills to foster collaboration among staff, parents, and the school community.

Become a Certified Professional in 2025

Our upcoming AMI Montessori School Leadership Course:

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 2025

AMI trainers, Sue Pritzker & Eder Cuevas
October 16 - November 2
Hybrid format
Onsite in Prague, Czechia + online on Zoom

Take the opportunity to become an AMI certified Montessori administrator! The autumn cohort will be held in a blended format – part of the course will take place in Prague, Czechia, and part of it will be streamed online. Check the detailed schedule to plan your travels!

Price: 1 297€
Possible to pay in installments WITHOUT interest

Discover Excellence through AMI Certification

Association Montessori International (AMI) is a worldwide leading authority on Montessori education. Maria Montessori founded the association herself to further her work and AMI certified courses are hence known for their high quality and integrity with Montessori's work. They are respected and acknowledged worldwide and some schools accept teachers only with AMI certified education.  Montessori Institute Prague is the only AMI certified training center in the Czech Republic. 

Benefits with our course

Onsite attendance

Part of the course will take place on Montessori Institute Prague premises in Prague, Czechia

Live online sessions

Part of the course will take place online on Zoom in form of lectures, discussions and work in small groups

Schoology platform

A tool for all communication and assignment submission - you will get training on how to use it

Technical support

Available before, during and after the course

The whole course is given in English. It is also being simultaneously interpreted into Czech. All course work including written assignments can be done in English or Czech or Slovak. It is a prerequisite to have at least a B2 level (verbal and written) command of one of the languages.

Meet your trainers: Sue Pritzker & Eder Cuevas

Sue Pritzker worked as a primary teacher and administrator at Marin Montessori School before taking the position of Head of School at Childpeace Montessori in Portland, Oregon in 1987.  She helped to grow the school from 45 to 360 students and retired from that position in July 2020. 

Sue is an AMI trainer with the AMI Administrator Certificate Course. Sue is also a trainer with Whole School Leadership. She is a primary level consultant with AMI-USA, a founding member of Montessori Administrators Association, Montessori Leaders Collaborative and Lead Montessori. Sue now works as a consultant, advisor, and lecturer for various Montessori organizations.

Eder Cuevas is the Executive Director of Montessori México (Affiliated society to AMI) and a head of school at Colegio Montessori de Chihuahua, with over 20 years of Montessori experience. Currently, he also serves at AMI as a board member.

Eder holds AMI training for elementary in Bergamo, Italy and AMI-NAMTA Orientation in Ohio, USA. He works as the staff  for AMI-NAMTA Montessori Orientations to Adolescent Studies from 2014 to 2020. AMI trainer for the AMI Montessori School Administrators/Leaders course, Montessori Sports consultant and international advisor on Montessori education.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: Administrator's toolkit: Stages of Development of Teachers

This is a summary made and commented on by Sue Pritzker from an article „The Stages of Development in Teachers“ by Sharon L. Dubble, PhD published by NAMTA in 1999.

Sue Pritzker worked as a primary teacher and administrator at Marin Montessori School before taking the position of Head of School at Childpeace Montessori in Portland, Oregon in 1987.  She helped to grow the school from 45 to 360 students and retired from that position in July 2020. 

Sue is an AMI trainer with the AMI Administrator Certificate Course. Sue is also a trainer with Whole School Leadership. She is a primary level consultant with AMI-USA, a founding member of Montessori Administrators Association, Montessori Leaders Collaborative and Lead Montessori. Sue now works as a consultant, advisor, and lecturer for various Montessori organizations.

Watch Sue Pritzker as she talks about the Stages of Development of Montessori Teachers.

Watch Sue Pritzker as she talks about the Stages of Development of Montessori Teachers.

Do you have a question?

Feel free to contact us!