About Us

Located in beautiful, sunny San Diego, California, MISD is a leader in Montessori teacher training.

The Montessori Institute of San Diego is affiliated with the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), the international organization established by Dr. Maria Montessori herself to maintain the integrity of her work.


Our Mission

Here at MISD, our mission is to train teachers in the Montessori method, an incredible philosophy of education originated by Dr. Maria Montessori over a century ago. Dr. Montessori believed that children are travelers on a limitless journey of self-creation, and that our role as educators is to gently guide them through this self-directed process.

But although the choice to learn, grow, and develop ultimately must originate with the child, setting up the circumstances in which this can best occur is a beautiful and complex art. At MISD, we teach you that art. We train knowledgeable, idealistic professionals, who are prepared in all ways to embark on a rewarding career in Montessori education.

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Our History

Dr. Silvia Dubovoy, MISD’s world-renowned Montessori trainer, founded her training center in 1996. Dr. Dubovoy was inspired by a series of articles written by Ronald Kotulak in the Chicago Tribune, which presented new research in neuroscience that supported concepts such as sensitive periods, the absorption of language, and other principles of early childhood development that Maria Montessori had already discovered inductively, through direct observation, decades before. Reading these articles spurred Dr. Dubovoy to action. She already agreed strongly with the Montessori method, and now that modern science was catching up, she felt that the time was ripe to spread the Montessori message to a new generation of teachers.

In her previous work as psychologist, Dr. Dubovoy had affected people’s lives one-on-one or in small groups. She felt that the next step in her career was to contribute to a broader educational change, by training teachers who would go out into the world and educate thousands of children the way they ought to be educated.

And so, the Teacher Training Center at MISD was established in San Diego, California, in June of 1996. At first, our course of study focused on the Primary age group (three to six years). Later, we added an additional course of study emphasizing younger children, from birth to three years, called the “Assistants to Infancy” course. Brand new in 2013, MISD will also offer an Elementary training program for ages 6-12!

In addition to its affiliation with AMI, the Montessori Institute of San Diego is approved to offer educational training in California by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE): http://www.bppe.ca.gov/. MISD is also affiliated with Loyola University Maryland, a relationship that allows our graduates to apply their MISD training toward a Master’s of Education. Please see the partner program website for more information: Loyola University Maryland

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International Students Welcome!

At MISD, we welcome international students from around the world, and are pleased to provide sponsorship for F-1 student visas. Our students and alumni are a diverse community, from all countries and backgrounds, united by a common philosophy. Upon graduation, many of our alumni find positions at Montessori schools in the United States, and ultimately choose to stay in this country. Many also choose to return to their home countries, or seek positions in other countries around the world, bringing with them the knowledge that they have gained to enrich the global community of Montessori educators.

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Montessori really changed my perspective on life and that of my family. Not only did it prepare me to be a better teacher, but also a better mother, and most of all a better member of society. At MISD, I met some of my best friends. Together, we had a wonderful time learning about who children really are and how we can best help them to become good citizens of the word.” – Paula, Primary class of 2010, A-I class of 2012

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MISD is a private institution approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Approval to operate means the institution is compliant with the minimum standards contained in the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (as amended) and Division 7.5 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

MISD is institutionally accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council on Teacher Education (MACTE). MACTE is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) and is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE).

Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education 420 Park Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 202-7793
info@MACTE.org