Cathy Tobin Email and Phone Number

I currently serve as school principal for Innovation Montessori's preschool through 8th grade programs. We provide public Montessori in K-8 and private Montessori for our three and four year old students, with a total school population of just over 800. I am honored to support ten primary teachers, fourteen lower elementary teachers, ten upper elementary teachers, eight middle school teachers, twenty one teacher assistants, six enrichment and elective teachers, and a student services team. One of my great joys is in supporting teacher development, designing professional development and coaching opportunities. In 2022, while still dealing with the challenges of educating during COVID, we earned both Cognia and International Montessori Council accreditations under the leadership of our incredible Executive Director, Patrice Cherico. I was grateful to have been able to participate in these processes. I also participated in the hiring of a new high school principal and most recently have been invited to input on the hiring of a new Executive Director to replace Patrice as she retires.

I served as the sole Assistant Principal at Innovation Montessori Ocoee, Florida during a period of great growth. During my time in this role the school moved from a strip mall location to a brand new 18 acre campus, dramatically increasing its school population in the transition. I had responsibility for opening a brand new primary building on the campus, serving 155 children ages 3 through 6, and all the entailed licensing requirements.

In this position, as well as leading a class of twenty kindergartners through the Montessori primary (with only 50% of the children having previous Montessori experience), state standards, grace and courtesy, and conflict resolution curriculums, I also worked as level lead for two kindergarten and one pre-k 3/pre-k 4 classroom. I also took responsibility for starting and administrating a staff Facebook page, and a high usage classroom Facebook page. I met with our entire teaching team about the benefits of considerate social media interaction with families. During my educational leadership internship I undertook the implementation and administration of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing in our school, and also put in place admittance systems for our school's private pre-k room. I also participated in the hiring of teaching staff, and developed rubrics and interview process for same. I developed and presented staff training, for both teachers and teachers assistants, and prepared and hosted a variety of parent education events.

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I completed a three month senior teaching internship at Pinecrest Creek Academy and was invited to take a full time teaching job for the following school year. It was my first time teaching in a traditional school and I was eager for that experience. Also, working in a high poverty area was very appealing to me, especially as the principal agreed to allow me to incorporate Montessori methods and materials. It was a challenging year of great growth. I worked with some of the most dedicated and inspirational teachers I had ever met, and also with some of the most amazing children. I learned a lot about determination and the traditional model, and realized how Montessori positively impacts all children.

Immediately after I graduated with my teaching degree I was contacted by Montessori of Winter Garden Charter School (the former name of Innovation Montessori Ocoee) and asked to finish out the school year with them. I joined their kindergarten class in January and spent the next five months becoming familiar with the public Montessori model, teaching both Montessori primary materials and state standards. I created an alignment between Montessori primary materials and state standards. This was a very successful and informative experience.

After an arranged internship at a charter school close to my home fell through (due to a new principal who was not interested in having interns), my college, Western Governors University, tracked down the principal who had initially agreed to take me and arranged an internship in his brand new Title I charter school. Not only was it my first time teaching outside of the private school realm, but also my first time teaching with traditional methodology, and in a very low income area. I assisted a very talented and dedicated third grade teacher and benefited by observing a highly effective teacher at work in very challenging circumstances. This three month internship, under the supervision of a past district superintendent, was a period of great professional and personal growth for me. I will always be grateful.

I was invited to join this wonderful, family owned, private Montessori school and enjoyed five school years as lead teacher in a primary (ages 3 to 6) classroom. I was allowed to exercise great independence in my role as lead teacher, and had wonderful success with the children in my care. I took responsibility for preparing and presenting many parent education events during my time at Baldwin Oaks Academy.

I originally contacted Maitland Montessori through their training center, as I was interested in taking lower elementary Montessori teacher training. After an initial meeting the wonderful owners invited to to take a job as co-teacher in one of their three Montessori primary classrooms. I worked there for a year in a classroom with 30 children and three co-teachers. It was a great experience where I observed very strong administrative leadership and gained an appreciation for well thought out procedures and policies.

Having moved to Florida, to be with my (fellow immigrant) mother, I decided to follow a long time interest and become a certified Montessori teacher. Montessori Children's Academy (which was later sold, and became Baldwin Oaks Academy), was the site of my Montessori internship and first three years of Montessori teaching. I made great connections and am, to this day, still in contact with co-workers, and parents from that time.