Carmen Lafranzo - Principal
Mrs. Carmen is the Principal of the School and the “cosmic view” Directress of CMA; she also teaches philosophy, psychology, and spiritual development classes throughout the School. Mrs. Carmen has a B.A. from Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, and an M.Ed. from the National College of Education in Evanston. Mrs. Carmen received her Montessori training from the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center under legendary Dr. Urban Fleege when he began the first Elementary Montessori Training Program in Chicago and is certified in Preprimary and Primary/Elementary, with extensive work on the Erdkinder (High School) level. She also has completed Junior Great Books training. She has been a Consultant and Evaluator for the American Montessori Society, a supervising directress for Montessori interns, a Montessori teacher trainer (for the last nine years at a school north of us which has a new Erdkinder Program), and the American Montessori Society Teacher's Research Network. Mrs. Carmen is also on the Board of the Think Virtue Project. Mrs. Carmen has been a teacher for fifty-five years, a Directress at CMA for forty of those years. She is delighted to be able to enjoy second-generation Carmel children in her classes!
Jacob Lafranzo - Erdkinder (High School) Director & Head of School
Mr. Jacob Lafranzo was a Montessori child himself and attended CMA! He holds a B.S. in Biology from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota, a B.A. in Music from the University of Charleston in South Carolina, and an M.S. in Music Composition from the Boston Conservatory. He has had additional work in marine biology at the University of Charleston and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. "Mr. L" as he known at CMA, is a composer, with a special emphasis on symphony music, and an artist, especially in conjunction with his work in marine biology. Mr. LaFranzo took the Montessori Preprimary Training at the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center in Evanston. Mr. L serves as both a American Montessori Society Accreditation Team Member and a Montessori Consultant. He continues to work on his studies in
adolescent psychology; his special interest is brain development and research. In addition to his administrative work, Mr. LaFranzo directs the Erdkinder Program and will be teaching Mathematics and
Science this year. His daughter
Kimberly attended CMA since the age of 2 and currently attends the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance; his daughter Michelle is in the Erdkinder Class.
Ruth Gallegos - Preprimary Directress & All School Spanish Teacher
Mrs. Ruth has worked at Carmel Montessori for the last eight years. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from Universidad Veracruzana in Veracruz, Mexico. Mrs. Ruth took her Montessori training from the Adrian
Dominican Montessori Teacher’s Education Institute in Adrian, Michigan. She also took the Montessori Primary Training at Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center. Prior to joining the Carmel community, she taught for eight years in private schools in Mexico, and nine years at four Montessori schools in the Chicago area, with a special focus on bilingual and immersion Spanish
environments. Both of Mrs. Ruth’s children, Eliesse and Elliot, attended CMA and are currently attending the University of Illinois and Kendall College respectively.
Alex Calhoun - Primary/Elementary Director & Erdkinder (High-School) English/Literature Teacher
Mr. Alex grew up in New Hampshire where he enjoyed hiking in the White Mountains and began his work with children as a camp counselor. He attended Columbia University in New York City, earning a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing. After graduation, he lived and worked at St. Joseph’s House, a soup kitchen and intentional community in New York. Mr. Calhoun received his M.A. in Education at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Soon after, he discovered the writings of Maria Montessori and enrolled at the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center in 2015. Mr. Alex has three children at CMA. His oldest daughter, Frances, is in the Primary/Elementary Class, and Naomi and Anne are in the Pre-Primary class.
Andrea Lafranzo - Music Department
Mrs. Andrea LaFranzo will again be teaching String Instruments and Music Classes throughout the School for the twentieth year. Mrs. LaFranzo completed the National Symphony Fellowship Program in Washington, D.C. and graduated cum laude from the Boston Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance. She has her Paraprofessional Montessori training at MECA-SETON (AMS) here in the Chicago area. Mrs. LaFranzo has a private cello studio of 30 students, is an adjunct professor at Aurora University, and directs the Fox Valley Youth Orchestra as well as the Fermi Community Orchestra. Mrs. LaFranzo also has an avid interest in history and government. Her daughter Kimberly attends the University of Michigan majoring in viola performance at the school of music, and her youngest, Michelle, is in the Erdkinder Class.
Amy Cacini - Pre-primary Assistant Directress
Amy holds an associates degree from William Rainey Harper College and studied at the University of Iowa. In addition, she has been certified as a Bradley natural childbirth instructor and has guided a number of couples through their birthing experience over the years; mot recently, working as a post party doula. Amy has provided in-home daycare, childcare, and elder care for numerous families, taking ride in creating a nurturing environment that honors the individual, meeting them where they are in their life journey. She has served as an Awana leader at her church and taught dance classes at a local homeschool co-op. As a former homeschool parent of six children and a grandmother to one, she is a firm believer in the value of child-led learning and positive reinforcement. She considered it a great honor and blissing to partner with families in the development and nurturing of their children. her favorite pastimes include being out in nature, raising chickens and working on her 18th century farmhouse.