MPPI Founding Board

Martha Teien and the Montessori Public Policy Initiative

In July of 2019 I was selected to sit on the founding board of Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI).  MPPI is a national non-profit organization made up of representatives from both the American Montessori Society (AMS), Association Montessori International (AMI) and Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI).  As the experts on Montessori policy and advocacy, MPPI unites, supports, and equips the Montessori community, creating an effective advocacy voice for authentic Montessori education. MPPI drives education policy change so that all children have access to the gifts of a Montessori education.

I began my association with MPPI in 2015 as a representative for Montessori education from the state of Colorado.  At that time MPPI was a coalition with only two people from each state meeting to share their advocacy work. I had just begun working with the Colorado Montessori Association (CMA) as a board member on the Advocacy Committee.  My role as advocacy chair was to make sure that schools who desire to practice full Montessori pedagogy, have the freedom to do so while maintaining compliance with State Licensing regulations. I have enjoyed building relationships with other stakeholders who are passionate about offering alternative methods of education to children in our state.

One of the major problems Montessorians have in advocacy is identifying which schools are truly Montessori since Dr. Montessori never strategy patented her work.  MPPI’s Montessori Essentials align with both AMS and AMI/USA standards and define Montessori for policy makers and form the foundation for state advocacy .