Meet Our Team
All Lead teachers and Assistants have college degrees, Montessori certification and prior Montessori experience.
Every member of our staff is required to have current CPR, First Aid certification and Fire Safety Training.
Ms. Charlotte has worked as Head of School at Montessori Kids Academy for nine years. Before she began her career in education, she worked in Los Angeles County, California as a prosecutor for over ten years. Ms. Charlotte has her undergraduate degree in business administration. Ms. Charlotte strongly believes in Montessori methods; each of her three children attended or are currently attending Montessori Kids Academy. As Head of School, Ms. Charlotte loves being involved every day with the students, teachers, parents, and staff.
Ms. Charlotte considers Montessori methods especially beneficial because they allow teachers to reach students at their own level and foster independence and confidence in every student. In her free time, she enjoys decorating, exercising, reading, and spending time with her family and their dogs, Oliver and Bella.
Ms. Tara has been teaching for fourteen years. She earned a degree in psychology from the University of Georgia, and she holds Montessori Certification for primary, lower elementary, and upper elementary. In addition, she is certificated to teach language arts and science in public schools.
Ms. Tara is passionate about instilling a love of learning in her students. She believes a Montessori classroom provides the ideal environment for children to learn and grow, and she hopes to guide her students to become lifelong learners. In her free time, she enjoys bookmaking, traveling, entertaining, cooking, and being with family and friends.
Ms. Alenteena has a master’s degree in art and philosophy and a Bachelor of Education. She’s also a certified Montessori teacher and has been working as a Lead Teacher. She has rich experience in teaching children of all ages.
She loves working with children and is very passionate about guiding them to be responsible individuals. As a Lead Teacher, she believes that Montessori education lets children learn at their own pace by implementing individualized learning plans to develop a sense of order, nurture functional creativity, boost self-confidence, and importantly, help develop structure, independence, and confidence in learning. Besides teaching, she loves driving and spending time with family.
Ms. Diana had the privilege of joining the teacher’s team at MKA three years ago after she moved from California. She has a master’s degree in finance and economics, and for ten years was an Associate Professor at universities in Bulgaria and Germany. She completed the AMS Training Program in 2017 and since then has been a Lead Teacher.
With her own three children, she discovered the amazing transformation of their learning habits and abilities after moving to the “Montessori way” of learning. She strongly believes in empowering children to be independent, self-directed learners, or in Maria Montessori’s words: “We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself.”
Ms. Evelyn has been teaching art for over 8 years. She earned a BA from Silver Lake College in 1994, majoring in studio art with an emphasis on communication graphics and a minor in business administration. Pursuing her dream to teach, Ms. Evelyn earned her teaching certification in art K-12 in 2002. Her husband’s career brought them to Maryland where, after taking some time off to raise her kids, she taught as a substitute for 4 years at an elementary school. Ms. Evelyn and her family moved to Georgia, where she started teaching at MKA.
Ms. Evelyn is passionate about instilling a love for art in her students and believes art is the pathway to creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, reading, and writing. In her free time, she enjoys painting, crafting, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.
Ms. Jenn has worked at MKA since March of 2021 in a variety of roles. She started as an elementary assistant teacher to Ms. Tara and fell in love with the Montessori Method. She received her Montessori certification in Primary Education and taught as a co-teacher in the Dali class. Next, she became the Accounting Administrator and assistant to Ms. Charlotte. She enjoys having the ability to help where needed.
She loves being around the children, helping them, and encouraging them. Her passion is serving others. In her free time, Ms. Jenn enjoys exercising and spending time with her husband, two children, dogs, cats, and friends. She also loves traveling in her time off.
Ms. Lydia has over 20 years of experience working with children. She received a degree in education from a Korea University. She earned her Montessori Certification in 2008 and has worked as a Lead Teacher since then. Ms. Kim is known for her hard work – she is dedicated to helping children reach their full potential.
Ms. Lydia is passionate about Montessori’s philosophy of following children, helping them work independently and respectfully, allowing for the joy of learning and fostering and enhancing each child’s natural wonder. She hopes to guide her students to love their school and the process of learning. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, reading, cooking, and gardening.
An educator for 25 years, Ms. Mona is currently serving her fourth year as Curriculum Director at Montessori Kids Academy. She earned her Primary Montessori Certification from Association Montessori Internationale in 1982. She went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Childcare Administration and Human Services from Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts in 1992.
Ms. Mona believes in high expectations, a rigorous curriculum, and challenging children to take responsibility for their education. As Curriculum Director, she provides children with high-quality instruction that meets the individual needs of each student. She works to create an inspiring and engaging learning environment in which children feel safe and secure and to provide what students need in order to become lifelong learners.
Ms. Nicole has been teaching for 22 years, and this is her fifth year at Montessori Kids Academy. A native of Quebec City, Canada, she lived in Oregon, Washington, and Florida before settling in Atlanta 25 years ago. She earned her Montessori Primary Certification from the National Center for Montessori Education and has worked as a Lead Teacher, Pre-K Teacher, Academic Director, and Enrichment French Teacher.
Ms. Nicole fosters a classroom environment that is like a family; different personalities are valued and respected. She encourages student learning at individual paces in a well-prepared environment. When not teaching, Ms. Nicole enjoys walking, tubing in the summer, and skiing in the winter. Mostly, she loves spending time with her family.
Ms. Renuka is a Montessori certified teacher who joined the MKA team in 2023. She has a bachelor’s degree in optometry, a Bachelor of Science in computer science, and a Montessori diploma from the North American Montessori Center (NAMC). She has experience teaching pre-primary and primary aged kids.
Ms. Renuka is passionate about creating a nurturing and stimulating environment for children to explore, discover, and grow. She follows the child’s interests and needs to provide individualized guidance and support. She also fosters a sense of community and collaboration among the children and encourages them to become responsible and independent. In her free time, she loves spending time with her extended family and her two loving boys.
Ms Seema transitioned from a pharmacy background to Montessori teaching. After one year as an assistant teacher at MKA, she earned her Montessori primary certification and has since embraced her role as a Lead Teacher with boundless passion and dedication.
Ms. Seema cherishes being a Montessori teacher because of the emphasis on child-led exploration. It is a deeply rewarding experience that allows her to witness the beauty of childhood, nurture the potential of each individual, and play a meaningful role in shaping the future generation. It’s a journey filled with moments of wonder, discovery, and endless possibilities, and she is grateful every day for the opportunity to be a part of it. She loves spending time with her family and friends and enjoys cooking, gardening, and walking.
Ms. Shwetha, a passionate and dedicated lead primary teacher at Montessori Kids Academy, holds a master’s degree in accounting and finance. Ms. Shwetha’s true calling was always teaching. She began her journey at MKA as an assistant teacher and after she completed the Montessori teacher training and certification, she transitioned into a lead role.
” Teaching is one profession that creates all other professions.” With a deep love for the Montessori method and a firm believer in the impact of teaching on shaping future generations, Ms. Shwetha is committed to inspiring young minds and fostering growth by providing a nurturing and stimulating environment for her students to thrive in. Outside of teaching, she enjoys exploring her creative side through music, playing the violin, and arts and crafts.
Ms.Yana graduated from Kazan State University in Kazan, Tatarstan with a master’s degree in psychology in 1998. She went on to earn her Montessori degree in 2013 and has been teaching since.
Ms.Yana fell in love with the Montessori culture when her son attended MKA, inspiring her to start her teaching career. She believes that a Montessori prepared environment is a key to academic and overall success. In her free time, she loves exercising, hiking, and traveling around the world with her family.