MEET THE DIRECTOR

Written By

Dr. Michelle S. Williams

Founder | Director 

OCMS 

April 15, 2026

Welcome to Oakland Community Montessori School! I am so glad that you’ve found us and even more excited to share our school and our blog with you. 

I am the founder and director of OCMS. And, one thing that I often forget to do is share about myself and how we got started. So, I’ll share a bit with you in this blog post. 

ABOUT ME

I am a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest public school district in the nation. And though I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my schooling experiences, I am also keenly aware that my experience, and my results are not necessarily typical of my peers within the district.

After high school, I earned my BA in English Literature from Emory University and later a Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University. My educational career began here and my journey later brought me to earn a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California (Fight On! ✌🏽 ). But, I’ll share more about that experience later. 

I have over two decades of professional experience as a teacher, administrator, and instructional coach in the public, private, and charter sectors of education. I have taught every level from preschool through graduate school. I do this work because of my love for children and my passion for amplifying lesser-heard voices. I began my official career as a guest teacher in northern California before returning to Sountern California to teach high school English.

After meeting the love of my life, we moved to New Orleans, Louisiana where I served as an instructional coach serving teachers, students, and administrators across the Greater New Orleans area. I later returned to California and served as a teacher and administrator in Sacramento before founding The Foundation for Black Excellence, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose vision is to cultivate generational health, wealth, and knowledge in the Black community. 

I found my way to The Bay Area when I served as an instructor and support provider for pre-service teachers before stepping into my vision and founding Oakland Community Montessori School. 

MY FIRST MONTESSORI ENCOUNTER

But, why Montessori? Most Montessorians look fondly upon their introductions and I am not an exception. I was first introduced to Montessori over ten years ago when searching for a preschool for my oldest child. I was blessed that she was able to be home for her first 18 months, but it became evident that she was hungry for social interaction with children her own age. 

When on our daily walks, we always walked past a preschool less than a block from our home. So, when it came time to choose a school, we, of course, looked there first. I knew it was a Montessori school. But, Like most educators here in the United States, I didn’t know much of anything about Montessori. I had preconceived notions of “freedom” and children running wild with no boundaries. 

When I walked through that door, I was AMAZED. Yes, what I saw in this classroom of 18 -29 month old children was nothing short of A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! 

First, it was quiet. Not stiflingly quiet, but quiet like the buzzing of an office of people busy at work. Each child was enthralled in their own plans and I watched one little girl carefully prepare to play. First, she put a mat on the ground. Then, she walked over to the toddler-sized shelves, grabbed the dollhouse, and walked gingerly back to place it on her mat. Then, she went back to the shelf and grabbed each piece one by one, placing each one on the mat before going back for another piece. Once everything was on the floor, she sat down and began to play. This story may not be significant for you, but the amount of planning and patience demonstrated by this little person under three years of age rivaled my high school students! 

But then, there was my little one. And, despite the numerous doll houses, barns, animals, pictures, and other materials on the right-sized shelves, my daughter found a screwdriver! My parent-mind immediately thought “No!”. I rushed over to grab it, thinking, “of course my child would find the one thing she’s not supposed to touch”. But, before I could get to her, the very calm, soft-sounding-but-strong-acting guide stepped in and asked, “May I?”.

“Well, yeah. That’s what I’m here for.” I thought to myself. But I just said, “of course!”. 

And the guide walked over, knelt down, and quietly asked, “would you like me to show you how to use this?” 

My daughter nodded her head and they walked over to a large board full of places to screw, hammer, turn, click, and much more. The guide showed her how to use the screwdriver, and my tiny person happily screwed and unscrewed for the rest of our visit. 

From that brief experience, I was hooked! As a public high school teacher, I had rarely seen a classroom work in this manner. What was this MAGIC?? I read every book, volunteered whenever I could, and eventually successfully implemented a few key principles into my own teaching. I was forever changed. 

A few years later, I would apply for a doctorate of education and write my dissertation based on my research in Montessori. 

And the rest… is history. 

For specific information about how I started OCMS. Stay tuned for the next blog post.