Get to Know Guidepost Montessori: Our Programs, Our Community, Our Pedagogy
The Guidepost Team
On a mission to change education
Guidepost Montessori began in 2016 with the opening of its first campuses in the U.S., founded by a small team of educators, parents, and entrepreneurs. From the start, this core team was less interested in just opening schools, but in assembling together to truly change education.
How? By elevating the Montessori movement into an accessible, mainstream offering, where each and every child could experience the respect, agency, and individualized guidance that is proven to activate curiosity, success and wellbeing — and that is so often lacking in both traditional and alternative methods today.
Our founding team, Higher Ground Education, is the present-day school operator for the Guidepost Montessori network, which now has 100 schools around the world serving children from birth through elementary. Guidepost continues to expand its reach motivated by a singular mission: to guide and empower each child as she grows in her independence.
What Is Higher Ground's Vision of Montessori Education? Read more here.
An education that protects agency and curiosity
Guidepost graduates can access a continuum of Montessori education through Higher Ground’s adolescent school network, The Academy of Thought and Industry (ATI), intentionally designed for middle and high schoolers. Often described as a “reimagined” middle and high school experience, ATI protects the agency, trust, and connection to the real world that helps students become well-rounded, self-motivated adults.
At both Guidepost and ATI, you can choose between in-person learning, home-based learning, or even hybrid enrollment that honors learning wherever you go.
Montessori and the Work Environment: Read more here.
A culture of lifelong learning
Higher Ground facilitates meaningful opportunities for adults to keep learning, too. Parents and educators interested in Montessori as it intersects with teaching can get Montessori-certified with The Prepared Montessorian. Short courses for the home and for professional development are regularly offered, as well.
At Montessorium, change-makers and others who are passionate about education reform can find courses, podcasts, research, debate and discussion, all aimed at helping to contextualize Montessori pedagogy as it stands today.
Get to Know the Guidepost Difference
Ready to explore more? Browse our top Guidepost blogs below, all anchored around sharing more of why we do what we do.
- Montessori Education Explained: Guidepost Montessori’s VP of Pedagogy Matt Bateman joined Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani, hosts of the podcast Increments, to discuss the history and characteristics of Montessori education.
- Has Another Childcare Provider or Parent Told you These Montessori Myths? There are pervasive misconceptions on how Montessori classrooms operate. We commit to clear, jargon-free communication to demystify this path for newcomers of all backgrounds and experiences.
- To Reap the Benefits of Early Childhood Education, We Must Look at Teaching Methods: It’s time we took a closer look at the Montessori method as a meaningful path forward to solve for gaps in education.
- Preschool and Kindergarten: Is Montessori Better for My Child? Watch our educators share a comprehensive overview of the Montessori Children's House. You’ll learn why the Montessori Method is so effective at empowering children to excel in their learning and social, emotional development, and what this foundational start looks like at the preschool and kindergarten level.
- New Research Shows Correlation Between Montessori and Wellbeing: The study shows people who attended Montessori school as children had higher levels of happiness as adults.
- What Does it Mean to be Educated? Guidepost's VP of Pedagogy Matt Bateman wrote an article for the Chalkboard Review explaining Maria Montessori’s take on the practical, vocational value of education.
- The Difference Between Montessori and Daycare: Learn about the differences between Montessori schools and daycare centers, so that you can select the best arrangement for your family.
- What Makes a Montessori Classroom Different? Any school can market itself as Montessori — here are five signs to look for in an authentic Montessori classroom.
- Why Montessori Matters from Children’s House, Elementary and Beyond: A Guidepost parent tells us why Montessori has been the best educational path for her son.
- Why is Montessori so Focused on Independence? Nurturing independence is an aim that every parent and educator values, but it can feel like a dominant focus in Montessori practice.
- Multi-Age Classrooms: A Hallmark of Montessori: The multi-age classroom is fundamental to the Montessori Method, but why?
- The Guidepost Glossary of Montessori: From A to Z, a comprehensive breakdown of all the Montessori terms you need to know.
- Montessori Elementary vs. Traditional Elementary: Montessori Elementary differs significantly from a traditional elementary school education and other progressive programs. In this article, we break down what these differences are, and why they matter for children aged 6+.
- What's the Point of Montessori, Really? It’s not about buying wooden toys or withholding praise — it’s about loving the adult your child is destined to become.
- Montessori and Movement: Montessori started a movement in education by thinking about movement differently.
Meet the Author
The Guidepost Team
The Guidepost Team is a group of writers and educators dedicated to helping demystify all things Montessori.