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707 W. 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816.561.4533


Marcia Miller, Director of School

Marcia Miller, Director

Marcia has been in education since 1977 when she earned her B.F.A. from KU and her teaching credential from UCSB in Santa Barbara, California. After taking time out to start a family, Marcia returned to KU, renewed her education certificate and added the elementary endorsement. She taught art for Lawrence Public Schools for nine years, Valley Falls for three years, and was the Program Director for Topeka Collegiate School for two years. She received a Master’s degree in Education Administration with K-12 Principal Certification in 2001. She completed the Montessori Foundations class in 2002 and received her Preschool/Kindergarten Montessori Teaching Diploma from NAMC in 2005. She has been the Director of Global Montessori since July of 2002.

Andrea Williams, Toddler Room Teacher

Andrea Williams is a Montessori certified (MEPI degree in progress) Toddler Teacher and has been with us since July of 2002. She has had over 15 years of experience in day care and loves providing quality care for her toddler friends. She also holds her Child Development Associate degree from Penn Valley.

Brandy Parr, Toddler Room and After Care Teacher

Brandy started working for GMA in January of 2008. She has a teaching credential for public school and has two years of teaching experience in other schools. Her two children also attend Global Montessori Academy.

Mel Baldridge, Primary Montessori Teacher, Galaxy Room

Mel received her Early Childhood Director Certificate from Community college of Denver and now holds her Montessori Certification through NAMC. She has taught in a Toddler Room preschool, an Infant/Toddler room, public schools, and as an after-school assistant. Mel has also volunteered in the Girl’s Club of Denver. She has been a long term sub at GMA, and her son, Aiden, attends GMA as well.

Cristina Larrick, Primary Montessori Teacher, Rainbow Room

Cristina graduated from Kansas City Art Institute with a BFA in photography in 2002. She has been a Montessori art teacher, assistant and classroom teacher since 2004. She received her MEPI teaching certificate from Clay-Platte Montessori Teacher Training Center in 2008. She has traveled around the world several times. She was born in Italy, lived in Saudi Arabia for 8 years and went to an international school in her early years. She has been with GMA since January 2006.

Shawna Fike, Primary Assistant, Rainbow Room and After Care Teacher

Shawna began her GMA experience in September of 2006 after working as the lead teacher in KinderCare in Raytown. She is a graduate of Central Missouri State and earned her Missouri teaching credential in 2002 in both early childhood special education and early childhood education.

Lora Modlin, Primary Assistant, Galaxy Room and After Care Teacher

Lora is a recent graduate of Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg where she obtained an Art Education degree. She completed the student-teaching requirement at the K-4 level in Gladden elementary School in Belton, Missouri, but she also has experience with 8th graders. Lora has had experience substituting at the preschool level.

Anita Schroeder, Spanish Anita formerly taught Spanish at Global Montessori and left in 2000 to take care of her grandson. When she had an opportunity to return to us in January of 2008, we welcomed her back. She is retired from public school teaching and shares her knowledge and skill with us on a weekly basis.

Kim Brown, Gymnastics, Music Kim is a former teaching assistant at Global Montessori who retired to pursue other dreams, but then returned to us as the teacher for our gymnastics program. She incorporates yoga for children into her curriculum when possible. She also teaches our music classes, where she incorporates music and movement for the children.

Trudi Patterson, Art

Trudi received her BA in Art Education during the summer of 2007. She has an MA in studio art from UMKC and has studied in Venice, Italy as well as New York and the Midwest. She worked at Santa Fe Trail for grades K-6, and is an experienced Global Montessori parent. Her artwork has been purchased by Sprint, American Century, and InteliHealth corporate collections. She is currently the president of the UMKC Student Art League.