Who We Are, What We Do, & Why We Do IT
“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking: it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.”
-Maria Montessori
Who We Are
Friends-Montessori School is an independent elementary school located in Asheville, North Carolina. We serve children aged 6-12 (traditionally known as 1st through 6th grade) with a holistic, self-directed education based fundamentally on the research and guidance of Maria Montessori and Quaker practices and values found in the rich history of Friends education.
As a school community, we seek to provide a learning environment that allows children to continue their academic, social, emotional, and spiritual development with nurturing guidance. We do this through the Quaker practices & values of simplicity, equality, peace, community, stewardship & service, and traditional Montessori methods such as mixed-aged classrooms, didactic materials, cooperative and independent learning, prepared environments, cosmic curriculum, and peace education.
Our purpose is to provide an education that honors the child and their place in society by fostering self, community, cultural, environmental, & spiritual awareness. We believe as Maria Montessori said, “Within the child lies the fate of the future.” We hope to play a small part in a more just and peaceful future.
Our Staff
-
Cara Beth
Elementary II Guide (9-12), Head of School
You can find Cara Beth guiding the Elementary II classroom, teaching mathematics, language arts, cultural studies, sciences, and more, acting as head administrator & clerk of the school committee, leading morning sing, heading whole school communication, co-leading fundraising efforts, managing building needs & repairs, and knowing where every school material is at all times.
-
Emmaly
Elementary I Guide (6-9)
You can find Emmaly spending her days with the students of EL1. She may be teaching small group lessons, teaching mathematics, language arts, cultural studies, and sciences, helping students one-on-one, gardening, co-leading fundraising efforts, learning something new, reading in a silly voice, singing, dancing, or drinking a cup of tea and enjoying a moment of silence within it all.
-
James
Elementary I Assisting & Aftercare Guide
You can find James supporting the Elementary I students, leading our aftercare program, playing board games, teaching board games, gardening with students, restocking school supplies, and going all out at recess.
-
Canaan
Studio Arts Guide, Curriculum Coordinator
You can find Canaan teaching art daily in the atelier, supporting Elementary II students, teaching “love light” peace education lessons, serving as recording clerk during Meeting for Business and school committee meetings, serving pizza on Fridays, volunteering monthly at MANNA with 6th years, and heading admissions, tuition, and other supportive administrative tasks, and seldomly wearing shoes.
The staff at Friends-Montessori School work together to create an intentional, collaborative, and supportive work environment. They bring with them years of experience, qualifications, training, and their own individual strengths & interests. At FMS we seek to define ourselves not by job titles, but by roles, responsibilities, & relationships with the students & families. It is our goal that the students at FMS see us as embodying the cooperative & friendly work relationships we ask of them.
Friends-Montessori School is an independent, tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization. Our school is governed by a School Committee that serves as our Board of Directors. Our current committee comprises the founding guides of the school and a few members of our school community. Our School Committee works to operate our school as a horizontally structured organization in which the majority of decisions are made collaboratively or delegated according to interest and accountability.
Meet the School Committee
(Board of Directors)
-
![]()
Cara Beth Brackins
Cara Beth (she/her) is a founding member of Friends-Montessori and serves as the school’s Elementary II Guide & Lead Administrator. She holds an Elementary I & II (6-12) certification from the American Montessori Society & has been teaching in Montessori schools since 2014. Cara Beth is a Quaker.
-
![]()
Canaan Brackins
Canaan (he/him) is a founding member of Friends-Montessori and serves as the school’s Studio Guide & Supporting Guide & Administrator. He holds an Elementary I (6-9) certification from the American Montessori Society & has been teaching in Montessori schools since 2013. Canaan is a Quaker & attends Friendship Friends Meeting which is part of North Carolina Yearly Meeting (Conservative).
-
![]()
Tera Ford
Tera (she/her) has been a Montessori parent since 2021. She is a clinical psychologist and has worked as both a therapist and an assessor in helping neurotypical and neurodivergent children and their families identify barriers to learning and gain the support needed to succeed. Her career as a psychologist has extended across a variety of settings to include school behavioral health, community mental health, and the federal government.
-
![]()
Sharon Lechner
Sharon (she/her) has been a Montessori parent since 2016 and a part of the FMS community since the very beginning. She is a family physician at Community Family Practice and has helped guide the schools through pandemic protocols and medical decisions.
-
![]()
Damon Hearne
Damon (he/him) has been a Montessori parent since 2013 and a part of the FMS community since the very beginning. He works for conservation and grant funding with the State of North Carolina. He has worked for & with non-profits and boards for his entire career. Damon grew up in a Quaker household and brings a familiarity with consensus building and decision making in the manner of Friends.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Friends-Montessori School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, sex or gender, gender expression, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance, or military status, or in any other way based on personal identity markers that do not relate to the capacity of an individual person to carry out the responsibilities of a role, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, student enrollment and classroom composition, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and providing of services.
Friends-Montessori School is an equal opportunity employer. We shall not discriminate and will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, Board membership, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, sex or gender, gender expression, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance, or military status, or in any other way based on personal identity markers that do not relate to the capacity of an individual person to carry out the responsibilities of a role, or for any other discriminatory reason.