West Side Montessori School TEP at CRA

We are excited to announce a partnership with West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program, an AMS and MACTE accredited TEP, to offer in-residence training for Montessori elementary teachers at the EL-I (6-9) and EL-II (6-12) levels at CRA beginning this spring.

With 7 public and over 9 private Montessori elementary programs in the area, the demand for certified Montessori elementary teachers is rapidly growing, and we are expanding to meet this need.

Sign up to join us for our upcoming Virtual Open House Zoom session to learn more: Wednesday, January 29th, at 5pm EST

Join us this summer and complete your EL-I credential by summer 2026!

Elementary I AMS Credential

Program Duration 

The Elementary I program has an approximate 18-month completion time. Adult learners will complete an Early Childhood Overview online beginning in March 2025. EL I coursework will begin in June 2025, consisting of in-residence and online coursework. Adult learners may begin their practicum phase in fall 2025 in a Lower Elementary (EL I) classroom.

Program Sections

Philosophy, Child Development, Classroom Leadership, Curriculum Design, Geography, Geometry, History, Language, Math, Movement, Music, Physical Science, Practical Life, Visual Arts, and Practicum.*

The Practicum Experience

Adult learners are required to complete 1,080 in-class teaching hours during their practicum year. The required hours must be obtained over a school-year period of 9 consecutive months with the learner working in the classroom at least 6 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Format

Adult learners will move through the program as a cohort beginning in March 2025. Being a hybrid program, learners will engage with instructors and course content through in-residence and online instruction. Online instruction will be comprised of both synchronous Zoom lectures and asynchronous coursework, which will be delivered through Canvas.

Application Process

The application period will open in January and end in March. Once the application, and $75 non-refundable application fee have been received, the potential adult learner will be contacted to set up a student interview.

*March is the ideal start time, but there is flexibility with the delivery of the Early Childhood Overview Course, which allows learners to start with their cohort in June 2025 and complete the EC Overview Course at a later date.

 

Tuition & Fees

Application Fee: $100

Enrollment Fee: $1,400 (This includes AMS/MACTE learner memberships, books, and materials)

Tuition: $8,950 for EL-I / EL-II $13,500

Early Childhood Overview course (delivered online) is required for Adult Learners who do not have an Early Childhood credential: $750

*Updated 1/16/25

Course Schedule

Adult learners should expect to attend class from 8am to 5pm each day they are in-residence.

In-Residence Dates:

  • June 9 – June 20, 2025
  • July 14 – July 18, 2025

Weekend sessions will be held on the first weekend of each month with the exception of two weekends.

  • Nov 15 – 16, 2025
  • Apr 25 – 26, 2026

There is not a weekend session during the months of August and December.

Synchronous Zoom Class Dates:

  • June 7 – July 11, 2025
  • March 7, 2026 – Peace and Social Justice

Zoom sessions take place from 9:00am to 5:30pm EST.

Elementary II AMS Credential

Adult learners wishing to continue beyond obtaining their Elementary I AMS Credential, will have the opportunity to work toward completion of an Elementary II AMS Credential. As our program extends, closer to this option, we will update to provide EL-II AMS Credential information.

EL-II component is 4 weeks in summer 2026.

The completion of an EL-I AMS Credential is required for EL-II AMS Credential candidates.