AMS is committed to increasing public awareness of Montessori education and promoting its growth. When your school becomes a member, you gain a vital ally, dedicated to helping your school succeed, improving the quality of your Montessori programs, supporting your communications, advancing the professional growth of your staff, and achieving your strategic goals. Some of benefits include: a unique school profile page on the AMS website, with detailed information about your school and programs; the ability to post open employment opportunities on our job board, opportunities to promote your school’s achievements in Montessori Life magazine, and other AMS social media platforms; the option to enroll in the AMS Pathway of Continuous School Improvement, which provides a framework to work towards your goals for improving, refining, and sustaining your school’s Montessori programs as well as a wide array of resources to support your practice, all available upon login. To view the full list of benefits, visit this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have answers.
Membership
Schools
School membership is based on a scale of how many enrolled students your school has. Discounts apply to AMS accredited schools, public schools, international schools and satellite locations. Learn More by visiting our School Membership page.
Payment is due immediately upon receipt of your invoice.
Member schools may request a Frameable Letter showing your membership with AMS. Once school dues are paid, you may email membership@amshq.org to request the letter. The letter will then be emailed to you within 48 hours. There is no letter showing an individual is a member of AMS.
You can visit our webpage for Starting a Montessori School. Once you become a member, you will have access to our membership resources page which has some policies and procedure resources as well as webinars. While this library isn’t comprehensive, AMS is continuously curating information and our professional development library continues to grow.
AMS suggests that new schools contact their local or state small business administration for starters.
Although AMS does not offer consulting services, we offer mentorship opportunities for Heads of Schools of our member schools through an online platform to connect with other HOS to discuss topics of their interest. We also host monthly zoom call meetings for HOS on various topics.
We offer a variety of vendors in our Montessori Marketplace. AMS members receive discounts at Nienhuis.
he Montessori curriculum is much more than lesson plans and materials, therefore hiring Montessori Teachers with credentials from an accredited training center, like those affiliated with AMS, is the best way to ensure that the curriculum is properly executed. Credentialed teachers learn the curriculum through their rigorous training and practice – building “albums,” or curriculum guides, during the training process.
Individual AMS Members can connect with other teachers within their credentialed area on our AMS connect platform. Additionally, a terrific guideline to ensure you are meeting best practices and understand the overall framework for a school can be found here.
AMS has a partnership with Chubb Insurance for schools and the website trust for insuring educators for individuals.
The next step would be to join the AMS Pathway of Continuous School Improvement, a framework that supports member schools in their ongoing commitment to providing and sustaining quality Montessori programs.
Visit AMS Accreditation. For any questions about Accreditation please email accreditation@amshq.org.
A trained Montessori teacher is well versed not only in Montessori theory and philosophy, but also in the accurate and appropriate use of Montessori materials. They have observational skills to guide and challenge their students, a firm foundation in human growth and development, and the leadership skills necessary for fostering a nurturing environment that physically and psychologically supports learning.
Individuals
Yes, whether it is your individual or school membership AMS is an annual membership that begins on July 1 and expires on June 30th. Please note, AMS memberships are not prorated so it is suggested that you mark your calendar on July 1st to remind yourself to renew. AMS does its best to send out communication via emails and newsletters to remind individuals and schools when it is time to renew.
That depends on your school. AMS accredited schools are required to purchase memberships for all their lead teachers. Check with your school to be sure.
Other
Visit our Find a School page.
Visit our Find a TEP page.
Visit this page to learn more about how to become a Montessori teacher.
Contact Melina Papadimitriou, director of teacher education.
AMS hosts an annual conference every year called The Montessori Event. The next conference is scheduled for in person in March 2022 in Nashville, TN. For more information, visit our conference page.