Faculty & Staff
Below please find biographies for several of our MRC faculty members.
Rita Nolan
Rita is the Executive Director of the Montessori Network, overseeing both the Montessori Residency of Chicago's Teacher Training program and the Montessori School of Englewood, a charter school in Chicago's southside community. Rita has over 30 years of experience in the field of education and holds AMI certification for both Elementary and Primary levels. In 2019, the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) awarded Rita the Dennis Shapiro award for Innovation in Teacher Education for her commitment, dedication, and passion for quality Montessori education through strong teacher training programs. Rita is committed to the success in public Montessori schools, with a vested effort in empowering underserved communities. Rita is the mother of 3 grown children, who all attended Montessori schools from toddlerhood through adolescence.
* Rita currently serves as MRC's Executive Director!
Reena Vohra Morgan
Reena is MRC's Early Childhood Program Coordinator and has over 20 years of experience in the Montessori sector. She was a Primary teacher for 7 years, an Early Childhood Director for 13 years and now is the founder of Hive Educational Consulting and Parent Coaching. Reena is a certified Montessori Coach and consults with Chicago area schools, offering coaching & mentorship to teachers and administrators. Reena is also a certified Parent Coach from the Jai Institute, supporting parents in their journeys. Reena has both her AMS and AMI Primary Certifications, and holds a Masters Degree in Child Development from the Erikson Institute in Chicago. Reena's best teachers are her own children, who currently attend an urban Montessori school in Chicago.
* Reena will be teaching Early Childhood Theory/Foundations; Montessori 101; Understanding Behaviors...; What I Wish I Knew...; Prepared Adult & Environment this summer! Reena currently serves as MRC's Program Coordinator.
Anne Matern Bergen
Anne is MRC's Program Coordinator and has over 30 years of experience working in education. Anne is currently a consultant with Hive Educational Consulting and Parent Coaching. Anne has taught at both the 6-9 & 9-12 level at Near North Montessori School, a private urban Montessori school in Chicago. For 13 years, she served as the Elementary Director, sharing her decades worth of knowledge and experience with teachers, providing an excellent education for children. She has experience facilitating success for children, parents, educators, and administrators. Her experience inside and outside of the classroom allows her to look at situations from a variety of perspectives which always benefit the child and parents. As a skillful communicator, Anne effectively shares insight to a variety of audiences. Anne is passionate about the optimal education of children and has a wealth of knowledge, earned through decades of service, that she enjoys sharing with others. Anne is a wife, mother to three children (all successful adults who attended Montessori), and a “dog grandma.” She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and gardening in her free time
Anne is AMI Elementary trained (ages 6-12) and has received numerous trainings and certifications in leadership and curriculum development. Anne is passionate about elevating her expertise in teaching Literacy and Math through innovative and engaging practices.
* Anne will be teaching Elementary Theory/Foundations; Biology/Zoology; Prepared Adult/Environment this summer and serves as MRC's Program Coordinator.
Stephanie Rywak Toon
Stephanie has been with the Montessori School of Englewood for 12 years. She holds a dual bachelors degree in Political Science and English from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She holds two masters; one is a Masters in Public Administration and the other in Elementary Education. She has received her Montessori Certification from MMTTC. She has been both a lower and an upper elementary teacher in Montessori classrooms in Englewood. She has also trained in Mathematics, History/Geography, and ELA at MRC. She is currently the Director of Academics at the Montessori School of Englewood. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys hanging out with her daughter and husband, playing soccer, running, and doing puzzles.
* Stephanie will be teaching Elementary Math again this summer!
Nour El-Youssef
Nour graduated from Haverford College with a BA in Cultural Anthropology and a Concentration in Africana studies. She was first exposed to Montessori pedagogy as an assistant teacher in lower and upper elementary classrooms at Alcuin Montessori School in 2017, and hasn't looked back since. She is entering into her seventh year as a teacher at the Montessori School of Englewood. She obtained her Montessori Certification at the Montessori Residency of Chicago and recently completed a Masters of Arts in Teaching at National Louis University. She holds an Illinois Professional Educator License and is endorsed to teach ELL and Bilingual Education. Nour grew up as a bilingual learner herself and is excited to teach a diverse bilingual classroom at MSE. She speaks French, Spanish, and Portuguese fluently and has spent time traveling, living, and teaching abroad in numerous countries, including but not limited to, Brazil (through Fulbright scholarship), Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba, Syria, Lebanon, and Ghana. In her spare time she enjoys reading fiction, biking along the lakeshore, and attending Latin dance events in Chicago.
* Nour will be teaching Elementary Geometry again this summer!
Clare Heath
Clare is currently a coach and educational consultant. She has over twenty years of experience working with children from toddler through eighth grade. She holds both Lower and Upper Elementary certifications from the American Montessori Society, and spent eight years guiding a 1st-3rd classroom. As a teacher, she was sparked by Montessori’s concepts of spiritual preparation, observation and reflection, nurturing each person’s “cosmic task.” Clare also worked as the Elementary Program Director and then Assistant Head of School at Chiaravalle Montessori School in Evanston, Illinois. Those nine years in administration were driven by the question: Is what we are doing in the service of children? She cares deeply about supporting teachers, administrators, and families so they can bring their best selves and skills to working with our children. Clare is the mother of two teens. Some of her passions outside of education include drinking tea, playing guitar and singing, being in nature, serving as a doula, and hosting dance parties.
* Clare will be returning to teach Elementary Language this summer and is currently serving as MRC's Elementary Field Consultant.
Sonja Fauske-Smith
Sonja has been working in education for 30years. Sonja has been teaching in a Montessori elementary classroom for 28 years. Sonja holds an AMI teaching certification for ages 6 -12 years old. She is currently working in an urban Montessori school in Chicago in an upper elementary classroom. Sonja has written several books, has a 15-year-old daughter and two cats.
* Sonja will be teaching Elementary Geography again this summer!
Frances (Fran) Buckingham
As a Montessori child, Ms. Buckingham fell in love with the Montessori philosophy and environment. Today, she is a Montessori teacher, and her passion is to follow each child as an individual. Nature has also had an enormous influence on her everyday life. She spends a lot of time exploring the outdoors and nature has become a part of the day to day curriculum in her classroom. The cultural area of the curriculum supports her passion for life science and nature. Currently, she has a beautiful public Montessori classroom in Chicago. She is Montessori credentialed in both Early Childhood and Elementary. Her love for the Montessori philosophy thrives every day as she continues her education and growth as a Montessori teacher.
* Ms. Buckingham is returning back to MRC this summer and will be teaching Early Childhood Language!
Norah O'Brien
For over 20 years, Norah has taught at Montessori schools in Chicago, San Diego, and Atlanta.
However, her Montessori journey actually began long before she began teaching, when her
mother made the sound decision to take her to a Montessori parent-infant class. She
cannot remember when Montessori was not a part of my life. Today she is in her 16th year as
a public Montessori teacher, having taught both Elementary 1 and Early Childhood, and in her
20th year of being a Montessori parent. The appreciation the Montessori philosophy has
for following the child and allowing children to flourish within a safe, prepared, and
sequential environment compares to no other kind of learning environment. The joy of
watching a child make an independent discovery and take ownership of their learning inspires
her every day as an educator and lifelong learner.
* Norah will be teaching Sensorial & Cultural Studies again this summer!
April Jean-Baptiste
April was first introduced to the world of Montessori through her two children who attended Near North Montessori School in Chicago, starting as toddlers. April’s involvement with Montessori deepened as she observed her children’s experiences and saw their individual spirits celebrated and their thirst for knowledge fostered. So she decided to experience it herself and pursued her Montessori certification. April taught as a Primary Guide at Near North for 18 years. She is trained at both the 0-3 and 3-6 levels and also finds joy in teaching prenatal workshops and infant massage classes to families. April’s work has taken her all around the world. Her passion for meeting new people, experiencing new places and fostering global connections started when she lived in Venezuela during high school and Japan in college. She enjoys all things musical (singing, playing instruments, dancing), as well as reading, yoga and outdoor activities like hiking, camping and canoeing.
* April will be teaching Early Childhood Practical Life again this summer and is currently serving as MRC's Early Childhood Field Consultant!
Juan St. Mane
Juan has a long history with Montessori education, both as a student at Lake Country Montessori School in Minneapolis, MN and as a teacher for 15 years here in Chicago IL, working at the Early Childhood level with the 3-6 age group. Juan has a passion for working at the beginning stages of child development. He holds an AMI teaching certification for ages 3-6 from The Montessori Training Center of MN. He is currently working at The Montessori School of Englewood. Juan enjoys robust outdoor activities with friends and family on his summers off. He is looking forward to passing on his knowledge with his years of Montessori experience working with young, curious, and absorbent minds.
* Juan will be teaching Early Childhood Math again this summer!