LEARN WITH US
UD Montessori Academy faculty

Linda S. Zankowsky, Ed.D., is director of the UD Montessori Teacher Academy and UD Montessori Teacher Residency (UDMTR). She has served as interim director of UD’s Early Learning Center, as a UD adjunct instructor and assistant professor, and has consulted with schools and presented nationally on literacy assessment. With more than 33 years as a reading specialist, classroom teacher, school principal and Montessori head of school, Linda’s focus has been on literacy and assessment, social curriculum, and building professional learning communities. 

Melissa Sugzdinis, M.Ed., is the UDMTR program manager and has been a Montessori teacher for over 20 years, teaching both lower and upper elementary, and served as elementary enrichment coordinator, reading specialist and Title I math specialist in private, charter and public schools in Ohio, Delaware and Pennsylvania, and is state certified in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Melissa was involved in the development of the Center for Montessori Advancement and has worked with the Delaware STARS program to bring professional development to Delaware Montessori teachers. She has partnered with AMS and MACTE on various initiatives.

Click here to read more about the UD Montessori Teacher Academy team.

‘EXACTLY WHAT OUR SCHOOL NEEDED’
Hear from a recent UD Montessori Teacher Academy professional development partner

“The uniquely flexible and customizable approach to professional development provided by the UD Montessori Academy is exactly what our school needed.

“In our first year of professional development (PD) partnership with UD Montessori Academy, staff satisfaction with PD increased, we have a mechanism in place to meet the needs of seasoned Montessorians and teachers new to Montessori, and we also have six teachers engaged in coaching training and two teachers ready to start their Montessori training journey.

“We have never come across a PD partner so willing to work with us to develop the best possible plan for our community to meet external mandates required of us as a public school without compromising essential elements of Montessori.

“Since launching our partnership, teachers and staff are expressing increased satisfaction with professional development, and frequently share how grateful they are for our work with UD Montessori Academy. I was very confident that our UD partnership would benefit our school but even I underestimated just how valuable it would be.”

Monica Donnelly, Managing Director
Baltimore Montessori, Inc. | Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School