Strategic review leads to big changes at Montessori Australia

As first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald and confirmed on the association’s website, Montessori Australia Foundation has recently undergone a strategic review that has led to the appointment of a new board as well as the restructuring of the organisation’s related businesses.

 

Montessori Australia, as the national body is now referred to, is charged with supporting the diverse Montessori movement in Australia of which Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres play an important role.

 

Montessori Australia is a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity. It provides a range of tailored services to schools, centres, teachers, other professionals and parents engaged with the Montessori movement and acts as a central hub for information and communication for all things Montessori related.

 

As noted in the Sydney Morning Herald, Montessori Australia has recently faced a set of challenges of a financial nature across some of its related organisations that have triggered a need to restructure.

 

These issues have now allegedly been resolved and have been followed up with a reorganisation of the business into a group structure with four key divisions namely; educational services, community services, training services and resource services.

 

The Montessori Australia Board of Directors has also been subjected to a significant renewal as part of its constructive change management agenda.

 

An open invitation for expressions of interest to the Joint Board of Montessori Australia (MA) was advertised to the Australian Montessori community and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).  

 

Through a process of face-to-face interviews and discussions, candidates were invited to observe the Board in situ and nominate for membership to the MA Board of Directors. The result of this process has secured a range of accomplished leaders, including four who are already Montessori trained, with significant experience in corporate governance, finance and Montessori education to make up the new Board team.

 

The recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer is still ongoing.

 

For more information on Montessori Australia and the Montessori method please see  here and here.