American Montessori Society Timeline

By Radford

  • The first Montessori school opened in the United States;

    In Scarborough, New York the first Montessori school was created in the home of a banker
  • William Kilpatrick published the book, The Montessori System Examined,

    William Kilpatrick published the book, The Montessori System Examined,

    Kilpatrick admonished the Montessori method's use of the senses to help children learn as well as its focus on individualism.

  • Montessori schools disappear

    After the publication of Kilpatrick's book, a majority of Montessori school closed.

  • Nancy Rambusch travel to Paris meets Mario Montessori at the International Montessori Congress

  • Nancy Rambusch and other parents founded the Whitby School-

    Nancy Rambusch and other parents founded the Whitby School-

    Rambusch starts the first Montessori School in the United States after her work with Mario Montessori revived the Montessori movement.
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    Nancy Rambusch become the first headmistress of the Whitby School

  • Mario Montessori appointed Nancy Rambusch as AMI US Representative

    Mario Montessori appointed Nancy Rambusch as AMI US Representative

    After meeting Mario Montessori in Paris, Nancy Rambusch and Mario Montessori begins to revive the Montessori method in the United States. Mario appoints Nancy as AMI's US representative and acknowledges AMS as an affiliate organization.

  • Nancy McCormick Rambusch founds the American Montessori Society

    Nancy founded AMS to support the efforts to create Montessori schools, create teacher education programs, and rebrand the image of Montessori method to the public.
  • Nancy Rambusch leaves Whitby School

    Nancy Rambusch leaves Whitby School

    Rambusch leaves Whitby School to devote greater energy to the development of AMS

  • AMI rescinds its acknowledgement of AMS as an official Montessori affiliate

    Mario Montessori revokes AMS due to internal conflict related to methodology and finances

  • AMS national office moved from Greenwich to New York City

  • Cleo Monson is hired as Executive Secretary

    Cleo Monson is hired as Executive Secretary

    Cleo Monson is hired in January 1963 as Executive Secretary to reorganize AMS’s administrative systems.

  • Rambusch resigned as president of the American Montessori Society

    Six months after Cleo Monson's hiring, Nancy resigns as President of AMS

  • Cleo Manson become Excutive Director of AMS

    Cleo Manson became the first National Director. She traveled to around the United States forging relationships with new and budding Montessori school leaders.

  • AMS First International Symposium held in Athens, Greece

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    Regional Conferences held throughout the United States

  • MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) founded

    MACTE was founded in order to improve the academic degree and certificate programs for Montessori Professionals
  • AMS established NCMPS (National Center for Montessori in the Pubic Sector )

    AMS established NCMPS (National Center for Montessori in the Pubic Sector )

    NCMPS was created to establish equity and access to Montessori education in public schools
  • AMS/AMI formed MPPI (Montessori Public Policy Initiative)

    AMS/AMI formed MPPI (Montessori Public Policy Initiative)

  • AMS Grows

    AMS Grows

    AMS has grown to over 14,000 individual members, 96 teacher education programs, and 210 AMS-Accredited schools