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About our MTEI Instructors and Staff
Administration | Early Childhood Instructors | Infant-Toddler Instructors | Elementary Program
Administration
Ashley Morris, Ed.D
Executive Director
Dr. Ashley Morris is the Executive Director of the Institute as well as early childhood level coordinator and supports all three programs. Ashley holds degrees from the College of William and Mary in neuroscience (B.S.) and Kennesaw State University in early childhood education (ME,D, Ed.S, Ed.D), as well as AMS and PAMS early childhood credentials. She serves on board of the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE), is a recognized instructor for Bright from the Start in the state of Georgia and enjoys working with Georgia’s Montessori advocacy group, Montessori Administrators of Georgia. She also serves on Grow Montessori's board as Vice Chair and The Suzuki Schools' executive committee. Before teacher training, she worked as a primary teacher and then moved into administration as curriculum director at the Suzuki School in Atlanta.
Paula Hermano, M. Ed
Director of Programs
Paula is a dynamic, driven, and compassionate Montessori educator and leader with extensive experience serving the Montessori communities for 18 years. She completed her Master's in Education with a concentration in Montessori through Xavier University. Thereafter, she founded Little Saints Montessori, a company whose mission is to empower families, schools, and educators through consulting and mentorship services. Paula also opens her time for volunteer opportunities that bring together her Montessori expertise and the Catholic faith. She welcomes connections with Catholic leaders seeking Montessori resources for school and church programs. Paula also had the opportunity to help build Atlanta Montessori International School - Druid Hills and serve as the Head of the School. She was awarded by the company as the “Legendary Leader,” recognizing the hard work and positivity she demonstrated in building the school through the global pandemic.
Paula has been serving at MTEI of Atlanta since 2016, where she develops and facilitates courses and serves as a field consultant. She has been a dedicated team member and is honored to move full-time and fulfill her role as the Director of Programs. Paula is also one of the MACTE (the only accreditation agency for Montessori teacher education programs) on-site verifiers, serving with highly qualified Montessori leaders in evaluating Montessori Teacher Education Programs and completing their accreditation process. She looks forward to continuing her commitment to guiding educators and leaders and sharing her passion for Montessori Education.
Cathy Durand-Horne
Director of Professional Development
Cathy Durand-Horne is an Advanced level, state-approved Child Development Associate trainer with an AMS Infant and Toddler Montessori teaching credential and a BA in Psychology and Economics from Denison University. Cathy has over 20 years of experience in the field of early childhood education, teaching, developing curriculum, consulting, and providing professional development for teachers. She is very passionate about empowering teachers in Montessori and traditional Early Learning environments. In addition to being an instructor and field consultant for the training institute, Cathy is also the founder of Intentional Logic, LLC, a consulting firm which focuses on improving the quality of learning environments intentionally by providing teacher mentorship, classroom consultation, and ensuring program continuity. In 2022, Cathy Durand-Horne has been elected to serve as a Commissioner for the American Montessori Society (AMS) Teacher Education Action Commission (TEAC) to advocate for standards that enhance quality in AMS-affiliated Montessori teacher education programs. Cathy brings a wealth of information and experience and loves to share her knowledge with the students.
Early Childhood Instructors
Kimberly Wilkerson
Kimberly is a certified Montessori teacher in Early Childhood, and works as a lead Primary at The Suzuki School. She joined Suzuki in 2008, and was one of the original teachers of the Northside campus. She has taught as a Lead Teacher in both Primary and Pre-Primary classrooms. Kimberly holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Child & Family Development from Georgia Southern University, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Early Childhood from the University of Phoenix.
Neda Mazrouei
Neda Mazrouei is a Primary Montessori teacher on the Primary IV team at the Buckhead campus. Neda moved from Iran to the United States in 1995 to raise her family. Neda joined the Suzuki School in 2012 and instantly felt welcomed by the supportive environment. She truly enjoys seeing the children grow, change, and learn throughout the years.
Neda has graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Insurance, as well as degrees in cooking and pastry from Iran. She also earned her Montessori certification in 2008 with PAMS, and has completed her AMS Early Childhood Montessori Certificate.
Harneet Soor
Harneet Soor is an AMS certified Primary level guide, worked at Montessori schools for
14 years. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics (honors) in India, and moved to the United States in 1997. Beginning her teaching experience as a preschool teacher, she later discovered and was inspired by Maria Montessori’s philosophy on allowing a child to work independently and allow for self-discovery. She pursued her Montessori certification for Primary level teaching with AMTEI in 2008. With 18 years of experience in early childhood education, she’s passionate for teaching and looks forward to making an impact on her students’ lives as they continue to grow inside and outside of the classroom. Her favorite element of the Montessori curriculum is “Grace & Courtesy”. Along with being a Primary Lead, she has worked as an Early Childhood instructor and an independent Field consultant at Montessori Teacher Education Institute of Atlanta (MTEI) since 2017.
Currently, Harneet has taken a new position as an Assistant Director at the Stepping Stone Montessori school. Guiding and supporting the teachers is another passion of hers along with building relations with the school families.
Lourdes Dumke
Lourdes Dumke is an instructor in the early childhood education program. She worked as a Montessori teacher for 12 years, and earned the AMS early childhood credential from the MTEI. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida, a master's degree in education from the American College of Education, and is an Orton Gillingham-trained literacy educator. She is currently a full-time faculty member at Chattahoochee Technical College, where she teaches early childhood education courses and is active in the college's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She lives with her husband in the Atlanta area, and is the mother of two adult children.
Infant & Toddler Instructors
Christine Frost
Christine Frost M.A., is our Infant & Toddler Program Coordinator and instructor. She is a credentialed Montessori teacher for both the Infant and Toddler and the Early Childhood levels. Christine taught in a Montessori Toddler class at the Albrook School in Basking Ridge, NJ. She brings a varied background to her students because of her many years of experience in both the Primary and the Toddler classrooms. Christine also teaches at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education in Princeton, NJ., an AMS MACTE accredited Montessori training center and at a new training center near Shanghai China.
Catherine Mason
Catherine A Mason has worked with children age 0-18 years old in Music, English Language, and dance for over 10 years. She fell in love with the art of teaching from a very young age and found her truest self through discovering Montessori philosophy. She enjoys interacting with children and helping others to realize the child’s truest form through creativity, independence, and curiosity. She has taught in Montessori environments since 2013, and received her AMS Infant Toddler certification in 2016. Since then Catherine has enjoyed spending time guiding Parents, Teachers, and Toddlers in increasing knowledge in child development and recognizing an innate sense of wonder. Catherine recently returned to the states after teaching abroad in Shenzhen China at a play based International School. Catherine is a certified Positive Discipline Educator at the Parent and Classroom level since 2018. She is currently enrolled at Xavier University pursuing a Masters Degree in Education with an emphasis in Montessori Education. When she is not exploring educational topics, she enjoys spending her time outside in nature with her family and her dog.
Christina Muelhbauer
Christina (Chrissy) Muelhbauer is an Infant Teacher at The Suzuki School at Ponce City Market. Chrissy is a Montessori teacher who brings with her vast knowledge and years of experience working in Montessori classrooms. Before she began her journey with Suzuki, she was the Infant Director at The Montessori School of Camden in South Carolina.
A graduate of the Montessori Education Programs International (MEPI) training program, Ms. Chrissy is a Certified Montessori Infant-Toddler teacher. She completed her studies at the Institute for Guided Studies and presents at Montessori conferences, teacher trainings and parent education workshops.
Christina Caradine
Christina Caradine Arnold is currently the Campus Operational Manager at the Suzuki School - Northside Campus. She earned her BS in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Development from South Carolina State University, 2006. Christina taught in the Pre-Primary environment for nearly 7 years and has diverse educational experiences. She earned her American Montessori Society credential in 2015. She has also taught in third and fourth-grade classrooms in private schools in Georgia. Christina is an East Atlanta native and has two children of her own. Her daughter is a Senior at Savannah State University and her son, an eighth grader, shares her love for soccer.
Elementary I-II Instructors
Katy Allen, Elementary I-II Coordinator and Elementary I-II Instructor
Katy Allen is an Elementary I Instructor and Coordinator for MTEI. She is credentialed to teach the Primary, Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary levels. She holds two Bachelor’s degrees, and has owned and operated Harbour Oaks Montessori School in Grayson, Ga since 1996. Ms. Allen also holds a credential from the Canadian Autism Society to teach Autism through Montessori which continues to be a passion of hers.
The Montessori philosophy is embedded in Katy’s family. Her two sisters are Montessori teachers and she herself attended a Montessori school as a child which her parents owned and operated. Katy planned and developed a Montessori high school where her son was able to graduate with a dual diploma and in her free time, trains therapy dogs who go to school with her every day.
Jennifer Dorrell, Elementary I-II Instructor
Jennifer Dorrell has been in a Montessori Classroom since 1999. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo, and an AMS Elementary I-II Credential, from MMTEC in Michigan, where she is also an instructor. She is currently the Upper Elementary Lead at Hillside Montessori of LaGrange and the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Montessori Partnerships for Georgia.
D’Neil and Michael Duffy, Elementary I-II Instructors
D'Neil and Michael Duffy have been involved in Montessori Education for more than 45 years, since their daughter entered a Montessori school in New York at age 2 1/2. D'Neil, who had been a teacher in the traditional public and private schools for 12 years, took her AMI primary level training in Atlanta. She founded the Blackstock Montessori School in Villa Rica, GA., in 1979 and went on to take her AMS 6-12 elementary training at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York.
Michael, who had been a journalist by profession, took the 6-12 elementary training at CMTE/NY and joined the Blackstock Montessori School in 1989, teaching in the lower, then upper elementary classes.
Both became trainers in the elementary teacher training program at CMTE/NY, an AMS-affiliated program, and they have trained teachers in New York, Phoenix, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, and Puerto Rico with CMTE/NY and other training centers. Most recently, they helped found and co-direct the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative – METTC – which has operated MACTE-accredited training programs for out of Lexington, MA, for the past five years.
They have authored three books on Montessori education: Children of the Universe: Cosmic Education in the Montessori Elementary Classroom (2002; 2014; 2016); Math Works: Montessori Math and the Developing Brain (2008; 2014); and Love of Learning: Supporting Intrinsic Motivation in Montessori Students (2012).
Michael and D'Neil were honored with the AMS Living Legacy award at the AMS conference in 2018. They also were given MACTE’s Wisdom of the Elders honor in 2015.
In addition to their Montessori credentials, both have master degrees in education, They retired from Blackstock in 2001 to devote more of their time to teacher training, writing and educational consulting.
They currently live in Atlanta, GA, home to their son and his family, with time spent each summer in Boston with their daughter and her family. All four of their grand-children - two in each family - have gone through Montessori schools until they transitioned to high school.
Cora Paniconi
Cora Paniconi is a Georgia native who attended Montessori schools through age twelve. She holds a BA in Anthropology and East Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, an MA in Montessori education from Loyola University Maryland, and an AMI Montessori elementary diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego. Her interests include fiber arts and natural dyes, as well as hiking and backpacking.
Serette Smith
Serette holds a Bachelor of Science in education with a specialization in early childhood from the University of North Texas at Denton. Her experience in the public schools left her wanting more so she turned to Montessori.
Serette served 3 years as the assistant in an AMI 6-12 classroom at Crabapple Montessori School before obtaining her AMI Montessori Elementary diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego. Since receiving her certification, Serette has grown the program at CMS from a single mixed 6-12 class to a thriving community with two lower classes and one upper elementary class. Serette also serves as the Elementary Program Coordinator, allowing her to support both staff and parents on their Montessori journey. Serette is passionate about the collaborative environment of the Montessori classroom, and she cannot imagine herself teaching anywhere else.
Originally from Texas, Serette will always be a Dallas Cowboys fan at heart. In her free time, she loves to hike, cook, and spend time with friends. Serette is the mother of twin sons currently attending Georgia State University. She is thankful for every moment that she is able to spend with them.
