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Kym Elder is the executive director and founder of Island Village Montessori Schools. She received Montessori educator certification from the American Montessori Society in both early childhood and elementary levels and has worked with students from three years old to eighth grade in Montessori environments since 1994.
Kym is a graduate of both Pine View School and New College, and has been a Sarasota County resident for most of her life. Kym holds a master's degree in charter school educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University and has Florida professional certifications in educational leadership (K-12), elementary education (K-6), integrated middle school curriculum (5-9), and exceptional student education (K-12). Kym is an adjunct instructor at Argosy University for a new graduate level concentration in Montessori education. She is working with the university to develop one of the first online graduate programs focusing on the Montessori method for elementary educators.
Kym returned to Nova Southeastern in the doctorate in education program with a concentration in Internet technology and distance education and hopes to complete her Ed.D. in 2010-11. In addition to school administration duties, she is project director and founder of Montessori Live, an Internet-based Montessori lesson library and teacher-training program as well as Montalign, an Internet-based software that tracks authentic mastery. Both projects are being developed at IVMS and are designed to strengthen the quality of Montessori programs in the United States and abroad.
Kym has been a speaker at numerous Montessori and Florida Charter School conferences. She has been thrice appointed by Governor Crist to the Florida Charter School Review Panel and has been published in the Public School Montessorian. Kym has two children and is married to Don Elder, a local fine arts and antiques dealer. Kym's son was a member of IVMS's first graduating class in June of 2003 as well as the first graduating class of Island Village Middle School in June 2006. Her daughter is currently a middle school student at IVMS and will graduate in June 2011.
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