The Faculty of the school has been carefully chosen for their personal and professional qualifications.
They are outstanding role models for children: they have a love of learning and a strong belief in the curriculum they offer.
They understand and relate well to children and have an extensive background in the principles of child development. All lead teachers are certified and have a minimum of ten years’ teaching experience.
Lynn Richards, the Administrator and Kindergarten teacher, has taught in both public elementary and private Montessori schools since 1985. She has her M.A. in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, is American Montessori Society (AMS) certified and licensed to teach K-8 grade and higher education classes in math, literature and family & consumer studies in Colorado public schools and universities. For the past six years, she has been the administrator and taught Kindergarten classes for a Montessori school in Brighton. She has also been a teacher-trainer at the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in Boulder, Colorado since 1991 and recently was invited to tour China to speak about the Montessori Method.
Jean Richards, the Elementary teacher, brings many years of teaching experience to the classroom. She graduated from Illinois State University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and completed her M.A. at the University of Illinois. Additional post-graduate work was through the University of Northern Colorado with an emphasis in reading and language development. Mrs. Richards taught 27 years in first and second grades in public schools in Indiana, Illinois, and Colorado and three years in a preschool and kindergarten in Texas.
Sherry Pemberton, the morning Preschool Assistant teacher.
Niki Pasley, the morning Preschool Assistant and afternoon Preschool Teacher, is the newest addition to Meadow Lark Montessori. She and her family, which includes her three-year-old daughter, Hannah, moved to Colorado one year ago and currently reside in Brighton. She is working to complete her Masters in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources. She also carries an Associates of Science in Medical Assisting. Her background with children includes ten wonderful years teaching at the YMCA. Before she took this position at MeadowLark Montessori, she was a Life Enrichment Coordinator at Sterling House in Brighton. There, she realized that her heart was with teaching children. Her hobbies include travel (she has lived all over the United States due to her family’s profession in health care), photography, and volunteering within her community. She wishes to thank you all for welcoming her daughter and her to this school; it has been her pleasure to meet each one of your children.
Christie Russell is the morning assistant at MeadowLark Montessori. She moved to Colorado from Oregon seven years ago with her husband, Chris, and two children: Scott, who is almost 16 and Kyndra, who is 12. She has worked with special needs children in BrightonSchool District 27J for four years. Two years ago, Christie and her husband started their own business in real estate investing. They find it hard work, but a lot of fun. As a family, they love to go fishing and kayaking. Christie also loves to cheer her children on during their sports activities. She looks forward to working with all of the MeadowLark children. She knows it will be a pleasure to teach them this year!
Carl Filler, "Mr. Carl" works at Avaya programming telephone systems and loves photography, reading and outdoor activities. He has degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Soils Technology and Telecommunications Technology. He has been involved in Montessori education for over eighteen years, ever since he decided to enroll his children in Montessori preschools. One is now a graduate of RegisUniversity and the other is a senior at UNC. He says early Montessori education gave them the foundation for their success!
Edmund Richards, or also known as "Dr. Ed", is a retired Professor of Medical Physiology. He has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Bio-physics and an M.D., Ph.D. specializing in Internal Medicine Gastroenterology. He had a Clinical Practice at Baylor Medical School in Houston, TX for 14 years. He spent two years doing post-doctoral work at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, then returned to the United States to teach for 24 years at UNC, working with nursing students and residents in the field of Human Medicine. He enjoys design and development, keeping current with innovations in the medical field, and learning about the development of the young minds here at MeadowLark Montessori School.
