Spotlight Kathy Roemer

Spotlights

We love the diversity at Baan Dek, and find it to be representative of so many Montessori schools around the world, including the diverse backgrounds of Montessorians. Kathy Roemer is one such Montessorian. The Executive Director of Twin Parks Montessori in New York City, she is boots-on-the-ground and educating a broader community, including speaking at an international business conference. Montessori is becoming part of the daily conversation, valuable to more than just educators and parents, and Dr. Roemer is furthering that conversation. We loved her story, and think you will too.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Your background, your interests, your dreams?

As an undergraduate in the 70s my major was education. About half-way through I was advised to think of another viable career because there were too many teachers. I was always interested in other cultures so I decided to major in anthropology and archeology. Luckily after participating in a field school at a Revolutionary War site, Fort Putnam at West Point in New York, I was hired to be part of archeological crews working at Temple University in Philadelphia. I worked on many historical archeological sites in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. I honed my photography and site mapping skills during this time. On one crew I met the acting Commissioner of Archeology for Belize. I was encouraged to come down that next winter, a slow time in the northeast, and volunteer for a project. That began a few years of work in the northeast US in Spring, Summer and Fall and Winters working in Belize. I was involved with mapping caves that Mayan Indians left remains as part of their beliefs in the underworld.

One one such session in Belize, my friend asked me to try to get a job with a group seeking a work permit from The University of Texas. On the way driving back to PA from Belize, I stopped in Texas to interview for a job with the Colha Project (located in Orange Walk District, northern Belize). I was asked if I could draw stone and ceramic artifacts. Although I have never illustrated artifacts before, I said yes because I always liked to draw. That began another skill I developed over time.

I was hired as the project illustrator and artifact photographer. It was quite an interesting few seasons. I met my future husband, Erwin, a Texan, on that project. We married in Belize the following year with help from our long time friend who were the owners of the ranch that happened to have a classic Mayan site on it. Our marriage license is signed by the Prime Minister of Belize in 1981. I moved to Texas and continued to illustrate for various projects from Belize and the southwest US.

Erwin and I had two sons, Tres and John born in 1983 and 1986 respectively. When Tres was young, I had opportunities to go back to work in Belize and I many of our friends did take their children with them into the field. However, Belize was still an underdeveloped country with lots of insects, snakes, and doctors more than an hour away from the site.

When Tres was 2 years of age we were living in College Station, home of Texas A&M University. While looking at all of the choices for preschool, I visited a Montessori School in our community. That was a huge AHA moment for me. I observed 2 through 6 year olds choosing work, moving gentling through around shelves with wonderfully beautiful materials in the classroom while the teacher sat on the floor in the middle surrounded by children working on rugs. Wow! I wanted that for my son and for me!

I researched training in Texas and wound up going to an American Montessori Society program 20 minutes from my parents in PA. Tres and I loaded up our car and went to PA for the summer. It was life-changing for me. For Tres, attending the summer program at the school not so much. He had separation issues and the water in PA was too cold for swimming!

Throughout my Montessori career, I worked in a variety of capacities. I opened a school in Alto, east Texas with toddlers and preschool. John was born and started Montessori at 10 days old! I worked at Montessori Children’s House in Fort Worth, Texas where Tres attended public Montessori school. I was the Montessori coordinator for that school. We moved several times in Texas due to Erwin’s jobs – he is still an archeologist to this day!

When it was my turn to go back to graduate school, I was approached by Dr. Patty Calvert at Lamplighter Montessori School in Memphis, TN to come and work as the Associate Head of School. Christian Brothers University offer a MEd with a Montessori emphasis so the family moved to Memphis. After 3 years Dr. Calvert retired and I was chosen as the Head of Lamplighter. I continued my education and earned a Doctorate of Education in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership from the University of Memphis in 1999.

Over the next 12 years, we lived in Memphis. Lamplighter added a Middle School in time for John to attend through 8th grade. I served on various committees for the American Montessori Society and specialized in school accreditation. In 2006, I joined the AMS Board of Directors and served as the vice president of the Board of Directors from 2008 until elected president and served from 2011 to 2013. I was a charter member of the AMS School Accreditation Commission, and chaired the Commission for four years.

“ I feel it is our job as educators to share knowledge and be in a partnership with parents as much as possible.”

In 2002 following advice from my one of my mentors, Marie Dugan, I applied for the job of Executive Director at two schools in Manhattan. John always expressed interest in college in New York and I wanted to “give back” to my parents who were still in PA. I lived away from them for 25 years and I felt they were at a point in life that I could be helpful. Tres transferred to the State University of New York and John was accepted at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Erwin, alas, began work halfway between Memphis and New York at the Wright Patt Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, as the archeologist member of the cultural resource management team. Erwin and I continue to travel back and forth between NYC and Dayton, Ohio and look forward to the time when we will again live in the same town.

Throughout the past 12 years in NYC and working at Twin Parks Montessori School, I facilitated the exponential growth of the schools and added a 3rd campus. They are all on the Upper West Side of Manhattan sandwiched between Central Park and Riverside Park (hence the name Twin Parks Montessori Schools). We have 493 students within the age range of 3 months to 6 years. Some are partial week. We have 110 personnel, 100 of which are full time teachers.

In 2011, I started an inclusive Montessori network group called New York City Montessori Network, which includes all 5 boroughs of NYC and West Chester County. Directors of Montessori schools meeting 3-4 times a year for networking and to plan professional development. We are also part of the Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI) and are in the process of conducting a survey of all Montessori schools in the state of New York.

Q: Now that the hardest question is out of the way: What’s your favorite color?

Green

Q: Do you have a favorite book? How about a film?

I am an active reader and enjoy all types of books if they are well-written. A favorite – maybe the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I enjoy young adult fiction too and thoroughly enjoy the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. I am currently reading Arcadia by Lauren Groff and finished the non-fiction She’s Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan.

Films? I love movies and get very involved while watching especially thrilling moments. A favorite is The Man From Snowy River.

Q: When you close your eyes late at night, and imagine waking up and starting a new adventure: what is that adventure?

Currently my new adventure includes living with Erwin in New Mexico and having endless time to paint with watercolors.

Q: What first appealed to you about Montessori?

The flow of the students in the classroom and the magnificent materials.

Q: What advice do you have for new Montessori adults?

It takes about 5 years to start a new school year and really feel like you know what you are doing. Montessori is not just a method of education – it is a philosophy for life. Network with other Montessorians – not necessarily at your school. Attend a Montessori conference so you see the magnitude of the Montessori Movement.

Q: Did you have a “Montessori Moment?”

I presented the Trinomial Cube at a Quality of Life Conference May 2015. It was not a Montessori conference but an international business conference that examined important components of the work place.

Q: What’s your favorite Montessori quote?

“As soon as independence has been reached, the adult who keeps on helping becomes an obstacle.”

Q: What inspired you to share your Montessori story on your blog?

I believe that as an experience Montessori leader, that one of my key roles is to share what I know with others. I enjoy mentoring emerging leaders and including them in the process of decision making. Many families are living away from their families and need resources of information to help them with the development of their children. I feel it is our job as educators to share knowledge and be in a partnership with parents as much as possible.

Q: What advice do you have for new parents trying to incorporate Montessori at home?

I usually recommend the book, Montessori From the Start: the child at home from birth to age three by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen. We offer workshops at our school on this topic. I advise parents to allow their children to be helpful members of the family by doing age appropriate chores, providing a place for their belongings and allow children time to do things independently.

Q: What do you think is the best introduction to Montessori?

Visit a quality school and observe the dynamics of the classroom. Read blogs and a few Montessori books, The Discovery of the Child, The Secret of Childhood, for example.

Q: What continues to inspire you about Montessori?

Observing the success the children enjoy in learning about the world. Serving on the American Montessori Society research committee and learning that Montessori education is continually validated in brain research. Learning that the new buzz words, Executive Function Skills, is what Montessori has been providing for more than 100 years.

Q: In what ways do you envision the future of education?

Consideration for the whole child and need to be creative, discover and explore with materials and nature.
More flexible in terms of logistics.
Later start time for older students.
Better after school care.
Year-round school with opportunities to get out of the classroom, time outdoors, on a farm, visiting factories, learning where things come from, learning how to care for our earth. More self contained – growing food for lunch, taking care of others.

Q: Where do you see Montessori in the next 100 years?

More global. Offered worldwide in public schools. Available from birth through 4 years of college.