WILDFLOWER TEACHING TEAM
Wildflower teachers are highly trained, early childhood experts. They value and recognize the importance of your child's development from birth to 6 years of age. The two co-heads of school are also teachers in the classroom, meaning that they are supporting your children in their learning journey, and are also the ones to make quick, nimble decisions in regards to curriculum to fit your child's needs or to better serve the needs of you and your family. We regularly participate in professional development opportunities as a team, and we pride ourselves on having low teacher turnover on our small team, as well as over 4 decades of collective experience in Montessori education.
Mary Rockett
she/her
Co-Head of School and Teacher-Leader
Mary has been in the field of Early Childhood and Montessori Education for over 30 years. Prior to joining Wildflower, Mary was a Montessori classroom teacher, teacher trainer, Educational Coordinator, and Head of School. She holds both a B.A. and M.Ed in Early Childhood from Boston College, has served as a field consultant for New England Montessori Teacher Education Center, on the advisory board of Westwood Montessori School, the Board of Directors at Summit Montessori School, the adjunct faculty at Lesley University, and on the accreditation committees of several Montessori schools. In January 2014, Mary became the founding head of school at the first Wildflower Montessori School.
Erin McKay
she/her
Co-Head of School and Teacher-Leader
Erin is a teacher leader and co-head of school at Wildflower, and a Montessori child herself. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she attended Arbor Montessori school from the age of three to twelve. After pursuing violin performance at the New England Conservatory, she returned to her Montessori roots and received her AMI primary training from the Montessori Institute of Atlanta in 2008 (now the International Montessori Training Institute). She also holds a Master of Education from Loyola University Maryland. Erin has been teaching in a Montessori environment since 2008. She joined the co-founder of Wildflower, Mary Rockett, as a co-head of school in 2015. In her free time, Erin plays her violin (or viola, guitar, ukulele, or mandolin!) practices and teaches yoga, and spends as much time outdoors as possible. She is passionate and curious about the intersection of Montessori, wholeness, and social justice, and strives to be a lifelong learner.
Kira Repici
she/her
Afternoon Lead Teacher
Kira wants to bring a stronger sense of community, joy and peace into the world through working with children in the Montessori environment. Kira grew up in Lexington, MA. There, she attended a Montessori school, and she believes this experience made a lifelong impact. Years later she decided to return to school to pursue becoming a Montessori school teacher. Kira received a B.A. in Holistic Psychology from Lesley University in 2010. She graduated from NEMTEC (New England Montessori Teacher Education Center) in 2013, and received her Master’s in Education with a focus in Montessori from Gordon College in 2019. Kira is grateful to work in a Montessori classroom where the students get to truly learn at their own pace, discover how to collaborate with their peers and grow into confident leaders.
Ally Fox
she/her
Teacher’s Assistant
Ally began working with children at the age of 14, when her first nephew was born. She graduated with her BA in History from Lasell College and studied Education at Simmons College. After years in the coffee and retail industry, Ally returned to childcare during Covid, as a Pod teacher to a group of 3 children. Starting out as a nanny, caring for Wildflower families, Ally has been a substitute and assistant at various Wildflower Schools. She co-led Wildflower’s first Summer Camp in June 2024, and led a summer session at another Wildflower school in August 2024. Ally also teaches a variety of yoga classes where she focuses her energy towards healing, meditation, strength and nurturing the mind-body connection, and enjoys spending time outdoors and practicing Yoga.
"Now what really makes a teacher is love for the human child; for it is love that transforms the social duty of the educator into the higher consciousness of a mission."
- DR. MARIA MONTESSORI
MEET THE WILDFLOWER BOARD
As a teacher-led school, co-heads of school Mary Rockett and Erin McKay serve on the board of directors in addition to the following community members. Please let us know if you are interested in serving on the Wildflower board or would like to attend a meeting.
Ale Alcaraz
Ale is a native Spanish speaker from Mexico. Her passion for social justice and accessibility to high-quality early education for all children led her to pursue her AMI Primary Montessori training in New England and received her AMI diploma in the summer of 2019. Ale was a Violeta Montessori School Co-Head of School until 2022. In 2018, Ale founded Girasoles Montessori Parent-Child Program, which supports families from low-income backgrounds by offering free Montessori weekend classes in Violeta.
Jason Jackson
Jason was born in the United States, grew up in Jamaica and returned to the US to attend university. After spending several more years abroad he has been a member of the Cambridge community since 2005 and is now a professor at MIT. He has two children, one of whom is currently at Wildflower and the other is a recent graduate and is now at Wildflower's sister elementary school, Allium Montessori.
