Alex Brown
Alex Brown is the Head of School for Lee Montessori - East End. In this capacity, Alex is responsible for the overall outcomes of the school, managing all on-site staff, and community relations. Before being promoted to Head of School, he was the Principal-in-Residence at the Brookland campus, where he led Lee Montessori’s work to put the organization’s commitment of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to practice. Alex was a 2015 CityBridge Education Innovation fellow and an Entrepreneur in Residence.
Alex began his career teaching English in Tanzania and South Korea. Upon returning stateside, he taught 4th and 5th grade math at Friendship Public Charter Schools, where he was the 2011 Teacher of the Year and recipient of the Epic Award for high student achievement in urban schools. Alex also served as a 5th grade teacher and mathematics chair at Randle Highlands Elementary School, where he launched a blended learning pilot that achieved three consecutive years of double-digit PARCC achievement growth. This success contributed to DCPS adopting a Blended Learning model in 40 DCPS schools. During his last year with DCPS, he was nominated again for Teacher of the Year, but turned down the award to work with CityBridge Education.
Alex graduated magna cum laude from Old Dominion University with a degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in business management and organizational psychology.
Maati wafford
Maati is the founder and creative mind of Radiant Mind
Solutions, an educational advocacy organization that inspires
and enhances lifelong learning by building & sustaining
equity in education.
Maati works to create avenues for the coexistence of science,
spirit & social justice by holistically informing teaching,
learning and life.
She is a published writer, social worker, highly trained equity
practitioner, spirit-led credentialed Montessori Administrator
who infuses a fierce love of learning, appreciation of diverse
cultures and critical consciousness into her interactions with
children, fellow parents, and educators.
For nearly two decades Maati has created brave spaces for teachers,
children and their families to expand, build, and create more
equity in the world. She is a firm believer in divine
intelligence and understands that we all sit at the very
center of that space!
koren clark
Koren Clark, MEd (Montessori education), is a Montessori-trained guide and coach with over 20 years in the field of education. She holds an AMS Elementary I credential, an Administrator credential from New Leaders, and California state-teaching certification. She is a UC Berkeley graduate and has gone on to conduct educational research internationally in Egypt. She has lived in Zimbabwe and Germany.
Koren founded an independent school, Lotus Blossom Academy and is the designer of KnowThyself Inc., a Montessori materials and professional development organization. She currently serves on the board of the Black Montessori Education Fund and Montessori Life and also partners with Wildflower Schools, where she helps teachers develop liberated teacher-led Montessori micro-schools. Koren is a mother of three who loves spending time in nature and writing poetry.
