Applied Seminars
Leadership skills. Applied immediately.
Focused workshops, intensives, and cohort sessions on the specific leadership challenges Montessori schools face. No prerequisites. No theory overload. Practical work you use the next day.
Each offering is standalone — you don't need to complete a sequence to get value. Three formats, one aligned system.
Why These Exist
Most leaders learn to have hard conversations after they've already had too many of them badly.
Montessori credentials prepare leaders for the classroom. They don't address the organizational complexity that comes with the role — the difficult personnel decisions, the board dynamics, the communication failures that erode community.
Applied Seminars exist to address specific, practical leadership challenges — the ones that come up again and again in real schools and that most leaders navigate by instinct, not by design.
Each session is a working session. You bring your context. We build the skills in the room.
Upcoming Seminars & Courses
What’s running — starting with Spring 2026.
Workshops ($200) · Intensives ($350) · Systems Cohorts ($450)
Spring 2026
March — May 2026
Workshop — $200
People Policies by Design
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 · 9:30am–12:30pm CST
People policies should be humane, transparent, and grounded in Montessori values. This workshop helps leaders identify misalignments, strengthen communication, and craft policy language that reflects the school’s vision — not just compliance. Participants leave with a policy framework that is sustainable, just, and culturally reflective.
Intensive — $350
Equity Audits & Adult Culture Design
Thursday, April 15, 2026 · 9:30am–2:30pm CST
This intensive helps schools conduct a meaningful equity audit of adult experience, examine structural patterns, and identify conditions that affect fairness, belonging, and psychological safety. Participants learn to gather and interpret data, uncover root causes, and redesign adult culture systems through an equity-informed lens.
Cohort — $450
The MMG Appraisal Cycle: A Growth-Based Evaluation System
Thursday, May 7 · 5–7pm CST · Tuesday, May 12 · 5–7pm CST · Thursday, May 14 · 5–7pm CST
A well-designed appraisal cycle supports growth, clarity, and dignity. Over three sessions, participants implement the full Montessori Makers appraisal system — self-assessments, supervisor evaluations, goal-setting, and upward feedback. Sessions cover: (1) purpose and grounding, (2) rhythms and documentation, (3) bias mitigation and implementation.
Summer 2026
June — August 2026
Workshop — $200
Community Architecture: Partnership, Belonging & Collective Care
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 · 9:30am–12:30pm CST
Montessori schools thrive when community systems are intentional and inclusive. This workshop helps leaders design the structures, rhythms, and communication flows that nurture belonging among staff and families — building rituals that support partnership and collective care in daily practice.
Intensive — $350
School Identity & Storytelling Systems
Thursday, August 6, 2026 · 9:30am–2:30pm CST
Every Montessori school holds a unique identity — but communicating it clearly can be challenging. This intensive helps leaders articulate a coherent school voice and build communication systems for weekly messaging, internal communications, external storytelling, and crisis response.
Cohort — $450
Strategic Planning the Montessori Way: Aim, Scheme & Implementation
Thursday, August 13 · 5–7pm CST · Tuesday, August 18 · 5–7pm CST · Thursday, August 20 · 5–7pm CST
Strategic planning in Montessori environments must be aspirational, grounded, and human-centered. Over three sessions, participants work through the Montessori Makers Organizational Mapping framework — crafting a 3–5 year roadmap aligned with people, structures, and systems. Sessions cover: (1) aim and vision, (2) scheme and stakeholders, (3) implementation and accountability.
Fall 2026
September — November 2026
Workshop — $200
Interview Design for Equitable & Insightful Alignment
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 · 9:30am–12:30pm CST
A values-aligned hiring process begins before a candidate enters the room. This workshop helps leaders design interview systems that surface depth, mission alignment, and authentic presence — not polish. Participants leave with a clear, bias-reducing framework for evaluating what matters most in a Montessori school context.
Intensive — $350
Staffing with Purpose: Montessori Hiring Beyond the Resume
Thursday, October 22, 2026 · 9:30am–2:30pm CST
Hiring is an ecosystem, not a single event. This intensive guides schools in building a sustainable staffing system — articulating a compelling hiring narrative, designing values-aligned job descriptions, and developing year-round recruitment rhythms that attract and sustain the right people.
Cohort — $450
Onboarding by Design: A Values-Aligned Staff Onboarding System
Thursday, November 5 · 5–7pm CST · Tuesday, November 10 · 5–7pm CST · Thursday, November 12 · 5–7pm CST
A thoughtful onboarding system shapes adult culture, trust, and long-term retention. Over three sessions, participants build a 30–60–90 day onboarding roadmap, define roles and expectations, and craft communication rhythms that help new staff feel welcomed and prepared. Sessions cover: (1) purpose and philosophy, (2) structures and templates, (3) implementation and equity checks.
Winter 2027
December 2026 — March 2027
Workshop — $200
Building Organizational Trust
Tuesday, January 19, 2027 · 9:30am–12:30pm CST
Trust is created through systems, communication, and consistent choice — not rhetoric. This workshop helps leaders understand the foundations of adult trust, identify where it breaks down, and rebuild confidence through clarity and transparency. Participants leave with a diagnostic framework for sustaining a healthy adult culture.
Intensive — $350
The Aligned Leader: Workflows, Boundaries & Emotional Clarity
Thursday, February 11, 2027 · 9:30am–2:30pm CST
This intensive supports leaders in building their personal leadership operating system — one that protects well-being, supports clear decision-making, and distributes responsibility equitably. Through guided reflection and scenario-based practice, participants design sustainable communication structures and workflow habits that reduce overwhelm.
Cohort — $450
Dual-Role Leadership: Balancing Coaching & Evaluation
Thursday, February 18 · 5–7pm CST · Tuesday, February 23 · 5–7pm CST · Thursday, February 25 · 5–7pm CST
Many Montessori leaders carry both coaching and evaluative responsibilities — a combination that can blur boundaries and erode trust. Over three sessions, participants design a dual-role system grounded in ethics and dignity. Sessions cover: (1) distinguishing coaching from supervision, (2) documentation and boundary systems, (3) a trust-protective dual-role model.
Spring 2027
March — May 2027
Workshop — $200
People Policies by Design
Tuesday, March 23, 2027 · 9:30am–12:30pm CST
People policies should be humane, transparent, and grounded in Montessori values. This workshop helps leaders identify misalignments, strengthen communication, and craft policy language that reflects the school’s vision — not just compliance. Participants leave with a policy framework that is sustainable, just, and culturally reflective.
Intensive — $350
Equity Audits & Adult Culture Design
Thursday, April 15, 2027 · 9:30am–2:30pm CST
This intensive helps schools conduct a meaningful equity audit of adult experience, examine structural patterns, and identify conditions that affect fairness, belonging, and psychological safety. Participants learn to gather and interpret data, uncover root causes, and redesign adult culture systems through an equity-informed lens.
Cohort — $450
The MMG Appraisal Cycle: A Growth-Based Evaluation System
Thursday, May 6 · 5–7pm CST · Tuesday, May 11 · 5–7pm CST · Thursday, May 13 · 5–7pm CST
A well-designed appraisal cycle supports growth, clarity, and dignity. Over three sessions, participants implement the full Montessori Makers appraisal system — self-assessments, supervisor evaluations, goal-setting, and upward feedback. Sessions cover: (1) purpose and grounding, (2) rhythms and documentation, (3) bias mitigation and implementation.
Summer 2027
June — August 2027
Workshop — $200
Community Architecture: Partnership, Belonging & Collective Care
Tuesday, July 13, 2027 · 9:30am–12:30pm CST
Montessori schools thrive when community systems are intentional and inclusive. This workshop helps leaders design the structures, rhythms, and communication flows that nurture belonging among staff and families — building rituals that support partnership and collective care in daily practice.
Intensive — $350
School Identity & Storytelling Systems
Thursday, August 5, 2027 · 9:30am–2:30pm CST
Every Montessori school holds a unique identity — but communicating it clearly can be challenging. This intensive helps leaders articulate a coherent school voice and build communication systems for weekly messaging, internal communications, external storytelling, and crisis response.
Cohort — $450
Strategic Planning the Montessori Way: Aim, Scheme & Implementation
Thursday, July 24 · 5–7pm CST · Tuesday, July 29 · 5–7pm CST · Thursday, July 31 · 5–7pm CST
Strategic planning in Montessori environments must be aspirational, grounded, and human-centered. Over three sessions, participants work through the Montessori Makers Organizational Mapping framework — crafting a 3–5 year roadmap aligned with people, structures, and systems. Sessions cover: (1) aim and vision, (2) scheme and stakeholders, (3) implementation and accountability.
Format
Three formats. One aligned system.
Workshop — $200
A focused 3-hour live session. Practical tools and frameworks you can apply the next day. Best for individual leaders or distributed teams.
Intensive — $350
A 5-hour deep-dive into a single system or challenge. Structured for action, not just understanding. Includes scenario-based practice.
Systems Cohort — $450
Three 2-hour sessions held across several weeks. A full implementation cycle — build the system in session, apply it between sessions, refine in the next.
Who Attends
Built for people actively leading.
Practical work you use the next day.
No prerequisites. No theory overload. Register for an individual session or explore the full catalog.