Dr. Juliet King, with her respectful and soft-spoken demeanor, reflects and models what it means to be a Montessori educator. But this reserved nature is not to be underestimated. Juliet is fiercely passionate about Montessori, social justice, and using the former as a vehicle to promote the latter. She is the co-founder and co-director of Coral Reef Montessori Academy, an AMS-accredited school in Miami, Florida and a civil rights activist, community advocate, and lifelong educator.
Immediately after graduating from Benedict College with a business degree, Juliet moved to Florida and, in 1969, began teaching for Miami-Dade County public schools. Between 1969 and 1982, she worked at R. R. Morton Elementary, Whispering Pines Elementary, Bel-Air Elementary, Everglades Elementary and Pine Villa Elementary School.
Dr. King’s first introduction to Montessori was at Pine Villa. She was so inspired by the methodology and pedagogy of Dr. Montessori that she pursued related studies, earning a Master’s degree in Montessori Elementary education from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, in 1992. This was her second Master’s degree; her first was in Elementary education with a certification in Urban Education from Florida International University in Miami, Florida.
In 1998, in collaboration with Dr. Lucy Canzoneri-Golden, another Montessori educator, Dr. King co-founded Coral Reef Montessori School, the first Montessori charter school in the state of Florida. As teachers, Drs. King and Canzoneri-Golden shared a passion and respect for the intrinsic value of Montessori teaching and learning. Barry’s graduate program involved many group projects designed to foster interdependence, much like students working together in a Montessori classroom. It was during their time commuting to Barry and teaching in a summer Montessori Program that the seeds of their dream were planted. ADSOE congratulates Dr. King on this wonderful achievement. We are #BarryProud.