About Dr. Marlene Barron

An established expert in early childhood education, Marlene Barron, Ph.D., has over forty-five years experience as a consultant, educator and Head of School. She founded the Staten Island Montessori School in 1965; was Head of School of West Side Montessori School in New York City from 1979-2007, and co-director of their teacher education program until 2008. She earned a Ph.D. from New York  University in early childhood education with a specialization in emergent literacy. She was a professor of education at NYU and project director of the NYU-Montessori Teacher Education until 2008.

As an international consultant, Dr. Barron has worked with education associations in Africa [Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa], Europe [Italy, Russia, Sweden], England, Asia [Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan], Brazil, Puerto Rice and the US Virgin Islands. Her work has ranged from professional development series focused on specific curriculum areas and assessment protocols to consultations on public policy, strategic planning, curriculum development, and school organizational issues. She currently serves at Chief Academic Officer to the Etonkids Educational Group and Director of its Montessori Teacher Education Program, EMTTA.

Until fall 2011, she served as a Commissioner for the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). Her other volunteer positions include past president of the American Montessori Society’s (AMS) board, secretary/treasurer of the International Association of Montessori Educators (IAME), and past chair of the AMS Asia Taskforce. In New York City, her activities include serving as Treasurer of the Independent Schools Admissions Association of New York (ISAAGNY) and co-chair of the LPOS coalition of NYC Agency for Child Development programs. She earned the 1995 Outstanding Dissertation Award by the American Montessori Society and was honored with the 1992 Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Early Childhood Education from the Montessori Teachers Associations of Pennsylvania and with the 1988 Leader in Educational Excellence from St. Albans Montessori in New York.

Dr. Barron’s books for parents include the Ready, Set, Learn series. Her previous book, I Learn to Read and Write the Way I Learn to Talk: A Very First Book about Whole Language, is published in English and Spanish. In addition to numerous articles, she has written books for Montessori teachers, Sensorial Ideas [in English, Japanese], Recording and Reporting: A Comprehensive Recordkeeping System for Early Childhood [in English and Chinese], and Cosmic Education.