Administrators Track

with Dr. Paige Krabill and Kate Millie

Administrators Track Schedule

Saturday, February 13, 2027

Sunday, February 14, 2027

The Power of Possibility: A Montessori Framework for Building Ecosystems of Belonging

with Dr. Paige Krabill

Participants will leave this presentation with:

A transformed lens: one that no longer locates inclusion and support challenges in the individual child or in the accumulation of disconnected services but instead sees them as ecosystem conditions requiring intentional preparation, philosophical alignment, and shared leadership.
Clarity about the difference between Montessori-aligned tools and a Montessori-aligned framework and why that distinction changes how schools lead, communicate, and make decisions.
A concrete understanding of what Montessori-based support services look like in practice and how to build, evaluate, and protect that ecosystem school-wide.
Renewed confidence that Montessori — when lived with fidelity and led with clarity — is not one piece of the inclusion strategy. It is the strategy.
A shared language around being, becoming, and belonging that can anchor professional development, family communication, and board-level conversations.
A practical 3x3 Action Plan (Prepared Adult, Prepared Environment, Support Systems) grounded in the Power of Possibility framework.

Montessori Schools as Communities of Belonging

with Kate Millie

Montessori schools are uniquely positioned to function not only as educational environments for children but also as relational communities that extend beyond the classroom. This workshop explores how school leaders can intentionally design programming and practices that foster belonging, strengthen relationships, and connect the school meaningfully to the wider community.

Drawing on the presenter’s experience as a Montessori school leader (Director of School at Dundas Valley Montessori School), Chair of AMI Canada, and Executive Director of Gather Montessori, a community-based Montessori organization, this session introduces a relational leadership framework that positions belonging as something that is intentionally cultivated through structure, programming, and daily practice.

Participants will examine how early, intentional points of entry into a school community shape long-term engagement for families. The session expands to explore inter-generational programming, partnerships with community organizations, and opportunities that connect children, families, and seniors in meaningful ways.

Through this lens, participants will consider how leadership decisions, including communication practices, program design, and use of space, can either support or limit the development of community. The session includes real examples of programming that extend Montessori principles into the broader community.

Participants will engage in collaborative activities to reflect on their own school contexts and identify opportunities to strengthen belonging across their programs. This session honors Montessori’s legacy of human connection while exploring how schools can evolve to meet the relational needs of today’s communities.

Dr. Paige Krabill

Dr. Paige Krabill is a clinical and school psychologist with over 25 years of experience at the intersection of child development, inclusive education, and Montessori practice. She has served as an administrator and special education director across both private and public educational settings. She holds a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, an AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Institute of North Texas (MINT), and an M.Ed. in Montessori Integrative Learning from Endicott College. Dr. Krabill is the founder of the Montessori Institute of Northeast Ohio and the Inclusion Innovation Workshop. She is the developer of The Power of Possibility©, a Montessori-based inclusion framework that has been presented in school communities, conferences, and publications nationally.

Kate Millie

Katherine Millie is a PhD candidate in Educational Leadership and Policy at Brock University and the Director of School at Dundas Valley Montessori School in Hamilton, Ontario. She serves as Chair of AMI Canada and is the Executive Director of Gather Montessori, an organization dedicated to extending Montessori principles beyond the classroom into the broader community. With over 20 years of experience in Montessori education, her work focuses on relational leadership, parent engagement, and the development of school communities that support both children and families.