Position: Program Director, AMS-Affiliated Montessori Teacher Training Center

Organization: Princeton Center for Teacher Education  (PCTE)

Location: Princeton, NJ

Lead. Inspire. Transform.

Are you a passionate Montessori educator and visionary leader ready to shape the future of Montessori teacher preparation? The Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE) is seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking Program Director to lead our AMS-affiliated, MACTE-accredited training center into its next era of growth and innovation. If you believe in the power of authentic Montessori education, have stellar leadership skills, and a passion for preparing exceptional educators, we invite you to apply!

About PCTE

PCTE is dedicated to developing highly skilled, passionate Montessori educators who foster authentic learning environments and believe in the joy of childhood. Our rigorous training programs integrate Montessori principles with cutting-edge adult learning strategies, ensuring that educators are well-prepared to make a lasting impact. As a leader in Montessori teacher training, PCTE is poised for expansion—offering new opportunities for professional growth, innovation, and accessibility.

Your Role as Director

We are looking for a change agent—a leader who will inspire, innovate, and elevate our well-established Montessori teacher training center. As the Director of PCTE, you will oversee all aspects of our Infant/Toddler, Early Childhood, and Elementary teacher training programs, ensuring excellence, accreditation compliance, and program expansion through in-person and online learning opportunities. You will also provide vision and leadership to expand the offerings of the training center to develop new revenue streams and meet the ever-changing needs of today’s adult-learners and Montessori educators worldwide. 

Key Responsibilities

• Shape the Future – Provide strategic leadership and vision to enhance and expand PCTE’s teacher training programs.
• Innovate & Expand – Develop and implement blended and online learning models to increase accessibility and engagement for adult learners.
• Uphold Excellence – Ensure all training programs align with Montessori principles and maintain AMS and MACTE accreditation standards.
• Build Community – Cultivate relationships with Montessori schools, organizations, and educational leaders to promote PCTE’s programs and attract top adult learners.
• Inspire & Mentor – Recruit, develop, and support a team of dedicated Montessori instructors, field consultants, and faculty.
• Ensure Quality – Oversee curriculum development and ensure the highest standards in Montessori teacher preparation.
• Lead with Impact – Represent PCTE at Montessori conferences, events, and networking opportunities to expand visibility and influence.
• Manage Resources – Oversee fiscal responsibilities, ensuring effective budgeting and financial sustainability.

What We’re Looking For

• Deep commitment to Montessori philosophy and authentic teacher preparation.
• Montessori credential (I/T, EC, or Elementary) with at least five years of teaching experience in an AMS-accredited classroom. (EC preferred) 
• Proven leadership experience in teacher training, school administration, or a related field.
• Expertise in adult education, including online and blended learning methodologies.
• Joy in mentoring and coaching adults
• Strong vision for advancing Montessori teacher training through innovation and accessibility.
• Exceptional communication, organization, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience with MACTE and/or AMS accreditation processes.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in education, leadership, or a related field preferred.
• Continued professional development (minimum of 30 hours over the last 3 years).

Why Join PCTE?

This is more than a job—it’s an opportunity to lead a movement and build the future of Montessori education. As the Director of PCTE, you will:

• Shape the next generation of Montessori educators and expand the reach of authentic Montessori training.
• Drive innovation in Montessori education through cutting-edge training models and new learning formats.
• Join a passionate, mission-driven community dedicated to advancing Montessori education worldwide.
• Enjoy a competitive salary and benefits package within a highly professional, collaborative environment.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you are a visionary leader ready to transform Montessori teacher education, we want to hear from you!  To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and statement of educational philosophy to hr@princetonmontessori.org.

Princeton Center for Teacher Education is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage educators of all backgrounds to apply. All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and fingerprinting. No phone calls, please.

Join us. Inspire the educators of tomorrow. Shape the future of Montessori education today!

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About PCTE

Learn. Grow. Transform.

Are you the type of person who thrives on learning new things, accepting new challenges, and basking in seeing an idea come to fruition? If so, then I encourage you to reach out to learn more about the Director position at Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCYE). 

For years, PCTE has been known for delivering exceptional Montessori Teacher Training. We believe that - even as adults - humans never stop learning. At PCTE, we form lasting partnerships with our adult learners to support them throughout their training and throughout their careers.

Looking to the Future

The ideal PCTE Director would be someone with fresh ideas and a vision to lead the training center into the future – a true change agent willing to see beyond the way things currently are. Someone who can envision the future and then take the steps necessary to make that vision a reality. If this sounds appealing to you, we encourage you to apply. 

PCTE currently has a limited scope of services. We focus on one thing - providing training for adult learners to help them earn an AMS teaching credential. Imagine the possibilities of PCTE expanding our services to include other offerings. Could PCTE offer consulting services? We have an entire team of Princeton Montessori School professionals who are highly competent to visit schools, observe their environments, listen to their needs and concerns, and make recommendations for improvements.

PCTE could also offer professional development workshops to adult learners, both Montessori and non-Montessori individuals. Why not reach outside our current Montessori markets? Could the many early education day centers in the area benefit from offering their staff professional development, such a child development class? All Montessori educators are well-versed in child development and could easily facilitate a course like this. The right Program Director candidate would see this as an exciting opportunity and be able to take this vision and make it into a reality. 

I envision PCTE not only as a thriving training center but one that is truly aligned with the principles of the Princeton Montessori School. As a lab school, it is important that the training center and the school are philosophically in alignment. The ideal candidate for the program Director would believe in this approach and work towards building relationships with and recruiting PCTE instructors from the Princeton Montessori School’s pool of talented faculty, so both organizations truly enjoy a symbiotic relationship. 

The ideal candidate for the Director position would be someone who is tech-savvy and able to embrace technology and move all of the current online classes to a new learning platform to best meet the needs of today's adult learners. 

If this sounds exciting to you, and you are ready to take on new challenges, then I encourage you to apply for the PCTE Director position. Please email hr@princetonmotnessori.org to learn more. 

Our Mission

The Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE) is dedicated to providing quality training courses and professional development to those who embrace the method and philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori.  Our programs are based on Montessori pedagogy and best practices in the fields of education and child development. We seek to provide an experience of personal and professional transformation for our adult learners as they prepare to become world-class Montessori educators.

PCTE is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse community and learning experiences that challenge us to appreciate differences and act in a way that is respectful to all.

About PCTE

Founded in 1989, Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE) is a Montessori teacher training center dedicated to helping adults find and cultivate the maximum potential in every child as the focus of its Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) accredited and American Montessori Society (AMS) affiliated teacher education programs. Its world-class facility within the Princeton Montessori School offers a hands-on learning experience led by a highly-trained and experienced faculty that is second to none.

Each year, PCTE graduates an average of 20-25 adult learners with AMS credentials in Infant/Toddler, Early Childhood, and Elementary I. (We are currently a candidate for Elementary II training.) We follow a hybrid schedule that is a blend of in-person learning here at our beautiful Princeton campus and synchronous and asynchronous and online learning.  

PCTE is committed to providing an inclusive and diverse community and learning experiences that challenge us to appreciate differences and act in a way that is inclusive and respectful to all. PCTE welcomes faculty, staff, and adult learners of every race, color, nationality, gender identity, or ethnic origin. It does not discriminate on any basis in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other school-administered programs.

Montessori Teacher Training Programs

We designed our teacher education courses to deliver content in a way that adults learn best. Our programs are accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) and provide graduates with an American Montessori Society (AMS) credential at the Infant and Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary I, and Elementary II levels.

At PCTE, we are committed to creating a learning environment that is grounded in the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity. We believe that by thoughtfully integrating these principles into our content, experiences, activities, and assignments, we built a strong sense of belonging and community for all learners.

Our instructors provide well-structured course content while presenting materials alongside rationale and practice opportunities. We also incorporate Socratic dialogue into our approach, encouraging critical thinking and nurturing intellectual flexibility while exploring the core principles of Montessori philosophy and methodology.

PCTE has adopted a hybrid training format, balancing onsite hands-on activities with online learning experiences using the Google Classroom platform. We have found that the combination of online information and hands-on practical activities creates a strong understanding that is consistently reinforced over time. This schedule of a spiral education models our style of classroom teaching.

While the coursework demands significant work outside of class hours, with assignments due throughout the school year, we are dedicated to offering ongoing support and mentorship to guide you through every step of the process. We understand the challenges but also know that the journey is transformative. Becoming a Montessori teacher is a gradual evolution, one that requires patience, trust, and dedication.

At the end of this journey, adult learners emerge not only with the knowledge and skills to guide young learners but with the foundation for a fulfilling, lifelong career as a Montessori educator.