Kelly Jarrell

Kelly Jarrell brings a wide range of experiences in Montessori education and working with people. She holds a BA in psychology, a Masters in Social Work (MSW), a NAMC diploma in Primary Montessori Education, and an AMI diploma in Elementary. People are her passion. She first came to Montessori as a child, experiencing two years in Children’s House. Fast forward to motherhood, she was the founding director of a Montessori-based preschool program in the Central Texas hill country, Rio Blanco Montessori. She later became the founding administrator of a new elementary program for a long-standing primary Montessori school in the surrounding Austin area, Cedars Montessori School. At that time, she decided to get her diploma as an AMI Elementary Guide. In 2008, she joined Austin Montessori School. She has served in multiple roles, including assistant, upper and early elementary guide, enrichment programs developer, and campus coordinator. She currently serves as the founding Movement and Sports Coordinator. She has completed the AMI Montessori Sports course and now serves on the International Team of Coordinators for AMI Montessori Sports.

Kelly has served on the AMI/USA Human Rights and Social Justice (HRSJ) Advisory Council since 2021. She is committed to the Work of Equity, Belonging, Anti-bias and Anti-racist Education, and Social Justice. As a white woman, mother, educator, program developer, social worker, and people lover, she fully embraces the never-ending work required to amplify these principles and values that determine the well-being of all human beings. These concepts are embedded in AMI/USA’s strategic plan, and she is ready to apply her skillset of a systems perspective and strategize how best to move from concept to action in AMI/USA’s commitment to Peace Education through its strategic plan.