Greater Washington Montessori Conference

Dr. Valaida Wise maintains that observation is a core component of the work we do in a Montessori setting.  As Montessori practitioners, we observe the students in the classroom, the materials on the shelves, and the flow of the environment.  But how often do we step back to use a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion lens when conducting our observations of ourselves, our environments and our practices?

Dr. Valaida L. Wise (Val) is the president of Dr. Valaida Wise Consulting Inc. The firm is dedicated to supporting organizations as they work to improve a sense of belonging and engagement in their respective spaces. Dr. Wise is also a faculty member in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where she teaches courses on social justice, DEI, research and evaluation.

An educator for more than 30 years, Dr. Wise has been a Montessori teacher and Montessori teacher trainer as well as the Head of 3 independent schools. As a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University, her research efforts focus on the successful implementation of an equity lens in schools and in the workplace. Dr. Wise received her bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York; a Masters of Art in Teaching in Early Childhood Education with a specialty in Montessori Education from Trinity College, Washington D.C., and earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the George Washington University. Dr. Wise also holds an AMS Primary Montessori certification. She is a sought after public speaker with articles published in a variety of national journals.

Education and early childhood policies at both the state and federal levels impact what we can do in our classrooms and who we can serve in our schools. Join a conversation with Montessori Public Policy Initiative’s Executive Director Wendy Shenk-Evans to hear about recent advocacy successes, what new policy issues and opportunities are trending, and how to be an informed, effective advocate.

Wendy  is a veteran Montessori school administrator and Montessori parent, who has seen the transformational impact that a Montessori education can have in the lives of children. Her passion for making this invaluable, evidence-based educational approach accessible and available to more children inspires her public policy work with the Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI).

As the Executive Director MPPI, Wendy works to expand access to Montessori education by advocating with state and federal policy makers, developing resources and strategies to support Montessori advocates, collaborating with leaders across the Montessori and early childhood community, and offering trainings to prepare Montessori educators to be effective advocates.