AMS Affiliation & Your Program

AMS-affiliated teacher education programs are part of a global membership organization that influences the direction of Montessori education. Achieve affiliation for your TEP and you will be helping to support successful outcomes for adult learners worldwide.

You will gain:

• Connection with the AMS teacher education team, made up of former AMS TEP directors and other experienced and passionate staff who are ready to support you in building an inspirational and vigorous credential course.
• Membership in the AMS Teacher Education Section, a forum for teacher educators to develop a knowledge base in the instruction of and best practices for the preparation of Montessori educators.
• An invitation to the annual Montessori Teacher Educators Day, the ultimate blend of finding your people, reconnecting with what matters, learning, and sharing tools and strategies for professional growth.
• Voting rights in AMS elections and access to valuable, members-only resources. You will also have opportunities to have your program news highlighted in our quarterly magazine, Montessori Life.

Types of Programs

Teacher education programs are not one-size-fits-all. Prospective adult learners appreciate variety and choice—and so do we. You are eligible to apply for AMS affiliation for your program if it is any of the following:

• Within an accredited university or college
• Within an educational organization, such as a Montessori school
• A freestanding institution that exists for the sole purpose of operating a teacher education program

In addition, you may either offer all of your instruction in person, or as a blend of experiences that take place in person and online.

Affiliation & Accreditation

Affiliation by the American Montessori Society is a voluntary process. In the United States, all free-standing teacher education programs who choose AMS affiliation are also required to seek MACTE accreditation as part of the affiliation process. AMS values the accreditation process and supports the quality assurance that accreditation provides.

There are two types of teacher education programs that do not require MACTE accreditation:

1. AMS affiliated university-based teacher education programs that offer state licensing and which are offered by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States and hold accreditation by another teacher education accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education or meet their state’s requirements for teacher education accreditation, are not required to hold accredited status for their AMS affiliated course(s) from the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).
2. AMS affiliated teacher education programs outside of the United States are not required to hold accreditation from Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). This does not apply to U.S. based TEPs with additional locations outside of the United States or teacher education programs based outside of the United States with additional locations within the United States.

The AMS teacher education staff is standing by to support you throughout the process of affiliation. We offer you personalized support, as well as the opportunity to participate in monthly meetings with other program directors pursuing AMS affiliation.

The affiliation process includes submitting an application to AMS, writing a self-study, and gathering documents such as course syllabi and an academic schedule.

Highly qualified Montessori educators review the documents and the process culminates in an onsite visit.

The process is our way of ensuring that any Montessori teacher education program granted AMS affiliation demonstrates fidelity to our standards of excellence. We hope and trust that you will find it to be purposeful and enriching.

Getting Started

Here are 3 steps you can take now to get started on the road to AMS affiliation:

1. Order the AMS Handbook for Teacher Education Program Affiliation by sending your order form to affiliation@amshq.org. There is a small fee (sent separately, once we acknowledge your order). 
2. Meet with the AMS director of teacher education.
3. After reviewing the handbook and you are ready to apply, complete the application and send it to our affiliation team.

The "AMS Handbook for Teacher Education Program Affiliation" is the essential, go-to resource for any teacher education program seeking affiliation by the American Montessori Society. It has detailed information about:

• The affiliation process, timeline, and fees
• Standards for teacher education programs (by course level)
• Standards for practicum sites
• Standards for online learning
• Qualifications for teacher education program personnel
• And much more

The "Affiliation Handbook" will leave you prepared and confident to start—and to navigate through—the AMS affiliation process.