Head of School & Leadership

NNM's Executive Team

Head of School

Brian Corley

Hello, everyone. I’m Brian Corley, Head of School here at Near North. It is my privilege to welcome you to the school year.

Not only am I Head of School, but I am also a parent at Near North. I have three wonderful children, two of whom will be in school this fall.

I am so excited to welcome all our parents, teachers, and staff back to the school year – but I’m especially excited to welcome Hannah Richardson, our new Associate Head of School. Hannah joins our Executive Leadership team, which also includes Robert Hart, our Operations and Finance Director, and me. She will also be a Near North parent this year with a child in our Elementary program.

Now all of our parents will have already heard from Hannah and our coaches about our new model for the levels and the work to align Near North so that we feel more like a single school.

Brian Corley, Near North Montessori Head of School, sits outside of the school building

This charge for Hannah is the culmination of listening to parents, teachers, and staff and a great deal of collaborative planning throughout the 21-22 school year. During my first year as Head of School, I learned about the coaching model and the exciting possibilities that were just out of reach due to structure and capacity here at the school. As we searched for a capable Assistant Head of School, Hannah, an expert in the coaching model in Montessori contexts, rose to the surface as the perfect fit to sustain these changes – in a way that maintains the integrity of our classrooms and our Montessori commitments.

The work of school persisted over the summer and continues into the fall as we engage with our strategic plan, which is guided by four pillars:

DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
Elevate and Evolve Near North Montessori School (Academics and Curriculum)
Diversified Financial Sustainability
Community Engagement (Parent School/ Community/School Partnership)

So as Hannah focuses her efforts, expertise, and passion on the academic and curricular work, this allows me to engage deeply into our other pillars. That means partnering on work with key leaders in our school, including teachers, administrators, and many of you who are reading this right now. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself meeting with me soon.

Friends, I am so excited about the work ahead. Standing on the foundation of our culture of care, we are now stepping out together as a community of practice.

Now, as we work together towards our collective strengths and common goals, we commit to asking ourselves and each other this core question in the practice of Montessori: “What is best for the child?” Parents and educators – this is the question and work that unites us and welcomes us all into the 22-23 school year.

Thank you for your partnership.

Associate Head of School

Hannah Richardson

Meet Hannah

Meet Hannah

Hello Everyone! I am the newest member of the leadership team here at Near North, as my role, Associate Head of School, is brand new. I have a husband and 2 beautiful children, one who join the community this year.

While I am new to the school, I am a lifelong Montessorian, with twenty years of experience in the field. I have been a Primary teacher, a program coordinator, coach and administrator at various Montessori schools (private and public) as well as trained and consulted at Montessori schools around the country. I have had the privilege of learning from and working with some of the most well known Montessorians of our day and I strive to always work with the experience of the child at the center of everything I do.

I am here to help support the great work that is being done in service of children, by way of setting up systems for community collaboration through the coaching model. How wonderful it is to be able to capitalize on the wealth of knowledge and experience we have as a community. Children thrive when adults work together.

The coaching model asks us each to step into roles of coaches, sharing our expertise and providing support around the things we know best, while at the same time leaning into others when we can learn and grow from what they offer. Those of us who will be directly coaching will observe often, have discussions to support everyone’s practice, and work together through professional development, supporting children and both shared and individual goal setting. As families, your experience with the directors you have known will mirror your relationships you will hold with the coach at your child’s level. This may include but is not limited to:

Asking general questions about the level
Collaborating around supporting your child beyond the classroom
Working together to foster and implement Montessori practices

This work leads to stronger Montessori experiences for all children. It means we will work more closely as a community to meet the needs of each child and align our practices from infancy through adolescence, including all the co curricular and supporting areas of our school. The goal here is really to ensure experiences that will benefit your child from the day they enter Near North to the moment they graduate.

I love Montessori because I believe it allows us to create a space where children can truly thrive. It requires us to step away from societal norms and truly lean into what is best for children. They have a great journey ahead, and we work to lay foundations for their success, which will benefit all of humanity.

Finance & Operations

Robert Hart

Meet Robert

Meet Robert

Depending upon when or where you met me I am either Robert, (The Finance and Operations Director) Bobby, (the husband to Meg) or Dad… I contain multitudes.

I’m entering my 6th year at Near North. In that time, I’ve been privileged to work alongside committed colleagues and board members to lead our efforts in building the new addition to the Bergen building and to manage school operations through a pandemic. While the stress and challenges were real, I bring a resolved leadership and perspective that has been informed by those experiences. Prior to my time at Near North, I co-founded Steel City Academy (a stand-alone public Charter School in Gary Indiana). I am fortunate to have been able to apply my legal and business background in a field for which I am passionate.

My role is to create and support systems that allow the whole school to function as a fully prepared environment. This includes ensuring we have a sustainable budget that supports all the prepared adults who make this school possible; working with our operations staff to maintain our beautiful facilities and materials; directing operational strategy centered on our principles of diversity, equity and inclusion that help us live out our mission.

I am excited by the challenge to prepare children for life in an ever-changing/ uncertain world. This is big work that requires creative thinking, adaptability and persistence. Each day is rarely like the one that preceded it. I am fortunate to work with so many passionate and thoughtful educators who put the children at the center of their work.

I love Near North for the same reason so many people who came before me: It is my community. From the parents who spent a decade sending their children to the school employee who has spent 30+ years at Near North, this is a place that has become central to their identity. This is true for me, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Updates from our Head of School

The 22-23 Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is comprised of twelve to eighteen NNM parents. The Head of School, Director of Finance and Facilities, and two staff members also serve on the board as non-voting members.

Near North's Board of Directors provides guidance and direction for the school, oversees budgeting to ensure financial stability and ensures that the school maintains its focus on its educational mission.

The Work of the Board
The Composition of the Board

The Work of the Board

The overarching work of the NNM Board is to hold the school in trust for future generations. The primary work of the Board is to promote the school mission, vision and values; focus on long range and strategic issues; select, hire and evaluate the Head of School; and be accountable for the School’s financial stability. The Board is not involved in the daily operations of the school.

The Composition of the Board

The composition of the NNM board is representative of our school community and each member possesses professional experience and talent to support the work of the board. Parents who are interested in joining the Board of Directors or a board committee should contact the Development Office for more information. Interviews for board positions are conducted in February and early March.

Individuals on the board are current parents and possess a wide range of experience and talents and also serve on Board Committees. Members of the NNM community are welcome to attend open board meetings. Meetings are held at least four times a year, typically on Monday evenings, and notification of such meetings are listed in the This Week and on the school calendar.

Our Board Members

Directors

George Aye
Sarah Berghorst
Frédéric Boyer
Lee Clark
Gary Cloudman
Bhumika Gashti
Ali Khan
Caroline Ko
Sachin Master
Kim Nemirow
Erik Nordby
Pilar Ortega
Puja Singh Patel
Rina Patel
Lesley Pinckney
Mary Rudnick
Tony Sutton
Matt Zweifel

Officers

Ali Khan, President
Matt Zweifel, Vice President
Lee Clark, Treasurer
Rina Patel, Secretary

Administrative Representative

Brian Corley, Ex-Officio
(Non-voting member)

Administrative Support

Robert Hart, Finance & Operations Director
Marcela Gomez Sixto, Advisor
April Jean-Baptiste, Advisor