Introducing Wendy Fisher

The Board of Trustees of Many Rivers Montessori has selected Wendy Reinsch Fisher to become our next Head of School, effective July 1, 2023.

This unanimous appointment comes with the whole-hearted support of our MRM Head Search Committee, following a thorough search process in which all our community’s constituencies were engaged. In Wendy, we have found a passionate and experienced educator who possesses the creativity, commitment, and vision to build on the excellent leadership provided by our founding Head of School Mark Niedermier, who will retire from headship in 2023 after 32 successful years as a head of school.

Wendy is a lifelong Montessori educator, leader, parent, and advocate.

• She was the longtime head of Mountaintop Montessori in
  Charlottesville, Virginia, an independent Montessori school much like MRM. She has also served on the board of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.

• She is Association Montessori Internationale-certified at the Children’s House and Elementary levels, has completed North American Montessori Teachers Association Adolescent training, and has taught at all three levels. In addition, Wendy has served as an AMI examiner for trainee guides at the Elementary level.

• She has served as a school leader in a Grades 1-12 public charter Montessori school in the Twin Cities; as a Montessori trainer and administrator for an international Montessori training center; and as Vice President of Education for a nationwide Montessori school network.

As we interacted with Wendy throughout her candidacy, we were struck by her wisdom, curiosity, honesty, vulnerability, growth mindset, and deep passion for Montessori. Wendy is coming to Duluth with a desire for partnership with our staff, students, families, and wider community. We look forward to Wendy fostering excellence and growth at MRM in the areas of teaching and learning, equity and justice, administrative efficacy, and operational effectiveness.

MRM’s commitment to authentic Montessori, as well as FUN truly resonates with her, and she is eager to help advance MRM’s exciting and impactful educational mission.

Our sincere thanks to the members of the MRM Head Search Committee who worked tirelessly throughout this monthslong search. In addition, we have appreciated the wise counsel of our search consultant Marc Frankel of Triangle Associates. Finally, we are deeply grateful to our faculty, staff, students and parents. What an amazing community we have! Your participation in the search was indispensable in helping us identify the kind of leader MRM needs for its future.

We invite our community to take advantage of opportunities to meet and get to know Wendy during this transition period, and to welcome her to Duluth and to Many Rivers!

Please click HERE for a press release with more information about Wendy.