Community Montessori
Community Montessori Staff
CathyRaye Hyland, MiT
Head of School
CathyRaye became a volunteer in 1990 when her oldest son, Max, started at Community Montessori. A second son, Alex, started in 1993 and she joined the Board of Directors. Since 1996, she has worked more than full time as a volunteer. In 2001 her efforts resulted in the demolition of the old church and the expansion to 82 children. CathyRaye holds Primary and Infant-Toddler Montessori certificated, a Master in Teaching degree from Heritage University, and a Washington State teaching certificate with endorsements in early childhood and elementary education. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from the University of Washington, Seattle. She has studied at UPS Law School, the PLU MBA program, and Portland State Montessori.
She worked for many years in finance as a CFO/comptroller and ran her own company providing financials and marketing programs and materials. She works on pedagogy, accounting through year end, program evaluation, administration, and ECE teacher when needed.
She was the Gifted Youth Coordinator, the Treasurer, and a past President of Mensa of Western Washington (a high IQ society). She is also a member of the American Montessori Society and the Pacific Northwest Montessori Association, a member of the Alternative Education Resource Organization (democratic schooling), the American Mathematical Association, and a member of the Washington State Association of Parliamentarians, a Parliamentary Law unit, and the National Association of Parliamentarians.
CathyRaye has dedicated much of her adult life to supporting children by creating environments where they are able to learn and grow academically and socially, and to helping them to reach their potential as lifelong learners.
Hope Speaker, MAT
Assistant Head of School, Classroom Teacher
Hope Speaker began volunteering at Community Montessori as a teen while attending Tacoma Community College, and later the University of Washington, Seattle where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English at 20 years old. She returned to Community Montessori as a full-time teacher in 2017, and dedicated herself to studying dozens of books on teaching, learning and parenting, and is well-versed in the Montessori Method and its implementation in the real world as both a teacher and the parent of a Montessori child.
This return inspired her to return to school, while working full-time, and complete her Master of Arts in Teaching degree with Western Governors University. She completed her degree in February of 2023, and became a Washington State certificated teacher, holding an endorsement in Secondary English.
Hope has volunteered as the Assistant Gifted Youth Coordinator for Mensa of Western Washington and is a member of the American Montessori Society and Pacific Northwest Montessori Associate and is a member of the Alternative Education Resource Organization.
In addition to teaching, Hope provides technical support to the school and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering to explore her passion for technology and innovation.
She is passionate about enabling her students to freely explore and inquire, and to both accept and relish the responsibility for their own learning.
Leslie Nelson
Preschool Lead Teacher
Ms. Nelson studied at Green River Community College, Pierce College, and Washington State University. Additionally, she has completed education classes at Clover Park Technical College. She has many years of experience working with young children, both her own and within an Elementary School, and as a nanny.
Ms. Nelson has dedicated many years to the children of Community Montessori, working with toddlers and preschoolers.
Janice Robbins
Preschool Lead Teacher
Ms. Robbins studied at the University of Nebraska, City University, and the University of Phoenix. For many years she worked in the telecommunications field, often in training neophyte customers on the intricacies of complex telecommunications systems. After retirement, she desided to contribute to the well-being of young people by serving as the health clerk at McCarver Elementary School.
Ms. Robbins also volunteers with MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) which works with children of color who are underrepresented in STEM careers and with Palmer Scholars, which provides scholarships and mentorships to low-income, immigrant high school students who want to attend college but face many barriers to their success.
Community Montessori 