A Lifelong Champion of Montessori Education
During his five decades of service to Montessori, Charles has served as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, director of teacher education programs, school administrator and founder, and internationally-acclaimed speaker. He has worked in independent and public schools and has consulted with boards of trustees, heads of schools, adult learners, and countless teachers.
The Building Blocks to the Legacy
1960 – Began three years of studies at American University.
1969 – Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Rutgers University - Camden.
1972 – Earned Early Childhood credential from Assumption Montessori Training Course.
1973 – With Steve Callender, Charlotte Lally, Jane Terranova, and Ravi Romano, co-founded the Montessori Community School (which later became the Inly School). The school opened with 30 children, ages two to 10 with an emphasis on the implementation of Montessori with the highest integrity.
1976 – Trained with Ginny Varga at Gloria Dei Montessori School in a roto-Infant Toddler Course, which later became a recognized Infant Toddler course.
1986 – Earned Elementary I - II credential from Seacoast Center.
Training with the Second Generation of Montessori Pioneers
1985 – With Susan Egan, co-founded Montessori Schools of Massachusetts (MSM), a non-profit membership organization with a mission to promote knowledge and understanding of the Montessori method and to provide a framework for communication and cooperation among Montessori schools within the state and throughout New England.
1992 – With Gary Davidson, co-founded Seacoast Center, an accredited AMS teacher education program at the elementary level.
1996 – Retired as head of school at the Montessori Community School, which later became Inly School.
1996 – Became Early Childhood director of training at the Toronto Montessori Institute.
1997 – Became head of school of Children’s Montessori School in Ipswich MA, which later became Stoneridge Children’s Montessori School.
2002 – Became the third head of school at the Thacher Montessori School.
2007 – Hired as the director of curriculum at Stoneridge Children's Montessori School.
2009 – Taught as the Montessori resource teacher at Tobin Montessori School.
2013 – Began working at Cambridge Montessori School (CMS), first as the curriculum coordinator and then the interim director of CMI in 2013. CMS is the oldest accredited Montessori school in Cambridge, MA, serving students aged 21 months through eighth grade for over 50 years.
2016 – With Munir Shivji, co-founded Cambridge Montessori Institute (CMI) for CMS. CMI training is conducted by master level faculty, which prepares trainees to create a curriculum for students to thrive.
Spring 2019 – Retired from CMS. The CMS board of directors created the Charles Terranova Scholarship Fund to honor and recognize him.
2022 – Assumed responsibility as the Early Childhood consultant to the AMS Instructor Academy.