Public Notice of Board Meetings

Our Board of Directors' Meetings for the 2008-09 school year will be held on the dates below. The meetings are always open to the public. They are held at Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse, 837 E. Parker, Lakeland, FL beginning at 6 pm.

August 11, 2008
October 6, 2008
December 1, 2008
February 2, 2009
April 6, 2009
June 1, 2009

General Agenda
Approval of Minutes for previous meetings
Report of School Progress
Financial Report
Business Items
Board Member matters
Public Comment

Guidelines for speakers at Board Meetings:

• Each speaker shall be given 3 minutes in which to make his or her presentation.  A timekeeper shall regulate this time.  The timekeeper shall advise the speaker when 30 seconds remain and when the 3 minute time period expires.
• The Board Chair shall have the right to waive the above guidelines so that each possible position may be heard and each subject may be addressed, both pro and con.

Board of Directors/Officers

Lakeland Montessori’s Board of Directors is a collection of concerned parents, educators, and community members that are committed to developing, implementing and continuing a long-term educational Montessori choice option in Polk County. Each member brings individual abilities and skills to aid in the development of our school.

The main concern in selecting members is to ensure that the group consists of not only educators, nor only parents, but a well-rounded range of members that can each bring their expertise together as a team to ensure that a Montessori education is available in our community. These expertise fields include such areas as law, education, real estate, international marketing, former experience on a board, economics and the ability to communicate our vision well to the community.

Harlan Crosswait serves as the Chairman of our Board of Directors as well as having his grandson enrolled. Mr. Crosswait has owned and operated Florida Financial & Insurance Services in Lakeland, FL for many years and has an extensive marketing background that aids Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse in communicating its vision to the community, and in creating awareness of our program to parents. His financial and administration experience aid in the School’s accountability in the financial areas. The academic education and community involvement of Mr. Crosswait’s children and grandchildren were and continue to be an important concern to him. One evidence of this is his son’s graduation from MIT with a doctorate degree in nuclear engineering and his service to the military and Senate of the United States.

Harriet Feld serves as the Vice-President of our Board of Directors. Ms. Feld was was trained in the Montessori Method by an instructor that was personally trained by Dr. Maria Montessori. Ms. Feld was raised in Polk County and has been a Florida educator for over 25 years, including serving as a Montessori teacher. Her Montessori teaching background brings valuable insights to the continued development of our educational program. She has also worked for the Polk County School Board for 14 years and currently runs an ESE Pre-K program. In addition, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Polk Association of Young Children in various capacities such as President, Vice President and Historian. She brings to LMS the wisdom of a person who has experienced the many trials and successes of the educational process here in Polk County, aiding in our maturity as a successful Montessori charter school.

Tamika Plymill also serves on the Board of Directors. Ms. Plymill is a life-time resident of Lakeland. She has acquired many administrative and drafting design skills which are useful in operation of Lakeland Montessori. In addition, as an African American business member of the Lakeland community, she is highly interested in contributing to our school culture by helping to ensure that our School is racially, ethnically, and culturally balanced and diverse.

Louree Vailoces serves as the Secretary of our Board of Directors as well as having her three daughters enrolled. Mrs. Vailoces is a Physician and received her M.D. from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center. She also received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the Philippines. Mrs. Vailoces is the co-founder of the Bristol Integrated School providing her with both business and educational expertise that aid in the continued success of Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse.

Lori DeAngelis also serves on the Board of Directors as well as having her two sons enrolled. Mrs. DeAngelis is an Attorney for Publix Super Markets and received her Juris Doctor from Western New England College, School of Law. She also received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Conneticut. Her legal experience aids in Lakeland Montessori’s compliance and needs in legal matters.

Click below to learn more about our:

Administrators
 
Teachers