What people ask before they apply.

No. The Residency was built for educators who are committed to the work, not for educators who have already completed it. What you need is a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (an admission standard, no exceptions), a genuine equity commitment, and access to a Montessori observation site. Everything else we build together.

Yes. The academic phase is fully asynchronous except for twice-monthly live seminars and one monthly observation visit. You study when you can. The seminar schedule is set at the start of each cohort year so you can plan around it. The practicum year requires a placement in a Montessori school as a paid guide or assistant guide, which for many residents means transitioning into or continuing in a Montessori role while completing supervised hours.

The Primary track is a 36-week academic phase running September through May, followed by a paid classroom practicum. The founding Primary cohort begins September 8, 2026. See the calendar for the week-by-week arc of the academic phase.

There are written exams at the end of each strand, two oral exams across the full program, a 2,000-word capstone reflection at completion, and seminar reflections submitted before every session. Everything is reviewed by your Cohort Guide and documented in your program portfolio for the accreditation record. The exams are not surprises. They are the natural conclusion of the work you have been doing all year.

The Cohort Guide is your primary relationship with the program across the full year. They facilitate your twice-monthly seminars, review your album entries, conduct virtual observations of your classroom practice during the practicum year, and connect monthly with your on-site Site Mentor. They hold an AMI credential at the appropriate level with a minimum of five years of lead guide experience. They are a more experienced Montessori educator who accompanies you through the full arc of your formation.

Two people. Your Cohort Guide conducts two formal virtual observations across the practicum year and continues to facilitate your twice-monthly seminars. Your Site Mentor is the credentialed guide at your practicum school who is present daily and conducts four formal quarterly observations. Both use the same observation rubric and submit written feedback stored in your portfolio, and they connect monthly to share updates on your progress.

When no AMI or AMS-credentialed guide is employed at the placement site, the Program Coordinator assumes full observation responsibility for that resident’s practicum year, conducting all four formal quarterly observations using the same protocol and documentation as standard placements. The host school designates a School Liaison for daily presence and logistical support; that person does not conduct formal observations and is not required to hold a credential. Because on-site observations require travel, associated travel costs are the responsibility of the resident or the host school, agreed in writing before placement approval. Placements of this type require prior approval from the Program Coordinator.

MACTE is the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, the only accreditor of Montessori teacher preparation programs recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A MACTE-accredited credential is the standard recognized by Montessori schools across the country and internationally. The Residency is an Applicant in Good Standing for its Primary (3–6) level with MACTE (macte.org). Applicant in Good Standing status in no way determines the outcome of MACTE’s accreditation decisions. The program is designed and documented in full alignment with MACTE’s Quality Principles. When accreditation is granted, graduates will hold credentials from a MACTE-accredited program.

Every seminar is recorded and posted to the platform within 24 hours. Residents who miss a session watch the recording and post a brief reflection in the cohort channel so the Cohort Guide knows they engaged with the content. The program is built for working adults and the structure reflects that.

The practicum year follows the academic phase. Residents are placed in a partner school as a paid guide or assistant guide earning a living wage while completing a minimum of 540 supervised teaching hours plus observation hours. The Cohort Guide continues the twice-monthly seminars, shifted to practicum integration and community support. The Site Mentor provides daily on-site guidance. Formal observations happen quarterly. A midpoint check-in with Hannah happens at the halfway mark of every practicum year, without exception.

The Primary credential is $5,000 total, payable in full or across nine interest-free monthly payments of $556. Most residents do not pay out of pocket. Their school, district, or a federal professional-development fund does. The Employer Funding page has the argument, the funding routes, and a ready-to-print justification letter for your principal or PD committee.

You receive your credential from the Montessori Makers Residency, a complimentary 12-month subscription to the Montessori Makers Field Guide for your first year in your own classroom, and priority placement access through MatchHub, where schools can filter specifically for candidates prepared through this program. You also join Third Period, the monthly peer-led alumni gathering that continues after you finish.