Sandra Houston has been dedicated to Montessori education since 1967. After training with close associates of Dr. Maria Montessori — including her son, Mario Montessori — she opened her first school in 1972 in Torrance, California. In 1976, she relocated to Prescott, Arizona and founded Montessori Children’s World, the first Montessori school in the Prescott area.
Her commitment to expanding authentic Montessori education led her to Phoenix in 1983, where she opened North Central Montessori School. She later completed Elementary training with Margaret Stephenson in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1995, Sandra founded Arizona Montessori Charter Schools, growing the organization to five campuses, including one in Prescott Valley.
A co-founder of the Arizona Charter Schools Association and organizer of the Arizona Montessori Schools Consortium, Sandra has also trained teachers, mentored school leaders, and contributed to statewide charter initiatives. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Education from Prescott College and the Administrative Leadership Training Certificate; also through AMI.
In 2024, she and her daughter founded Montessori Children’s Academy to bring an authentic model of Montessori education back to the City of Prescott. In her free time, she loves karaoke, time with her friends and family, watching mysteries, reading nonfiction, playing bocce ball, and creating new lessons and trivia for her students.