Born and raised in Queens, New York, Patti earned a BA and MA from State University of New York, College at New Paltz. She subsequently was awarded a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Fordham University, and worked as a clinician for nearly 20 years – 14 of these in boarding high schools in upstate NY and central California. Patti accepted her first Headship at Mulberry School, a preschool through 5th grade independent school in Los Gatos, CA, serving that community for six years. She then became the Executive Director for a charter school management organization in Alameda, learning a tremendous amount in the four years she served the Community Learning Center Schools. Returning to independent schools, Patti became Head of School for Helios School in Sunnyvale, CA, and then Interim Head of School for Andover School of Montessori in Massachusetts. It was during her year in Andover that Patti found her passion with the teachings and philosophy of Maria Montessori – absorbing all she could by observing classrooms, being mentored and oriented to the Montessori prepared environment and materials, and by reading Dr. Montessori’s books and biographies.
When the opportunity arose for Patti to join the VMS community, she did so most eagerly. She continues to love all things Montessori, recognizes the effectiveness of this educational philosophy, and is committed to being a lifelong learner in this regard. Patti lives in Santa Clara with her husband, Jozef. Their three adult children all reside in Northern California, which allows them to visit frequently. Patti loves to cook, garden, take long walks, and play with their four cats.
Department: Administration