Tahiira Lee was born and raised in Washington, DC and attended Dunbar Senior High School. She went to undergraduate school in Oklahoma and continued her education at UDC, Trinity and Loyola University, where she earned her Montessori diploma.

Beyond her work in the classroom, Ms. Lee recognized the need to promote Montessori in Washington, DC, especially in low-income communities and to students of color. As a result, not only did she inspire generations of students, but also a number of professionals whom she either introduced to Montessori or helped flame the fires of their passion for the work that we do. Several of these people were instrumental to the founding of Lee Montessori Public Charter School, including Megan Hubbard, Co-Founder and Principal; Fatima Green, Founding Assistant; and Caprice Boler, Assistant.

Dr. Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in a small town in Italy, she was a physician, educator, and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method that builds on the way children naturally learn. She was the first woman to become a medical doctor in that country. Through her interests in social and medical sciences and through her interaction with children in her medical practice, she came to be enthralled with the learning potential of children. She formed an educational philosophy based on scientific observation, pedagogical experimentation, and a deep respect for the child.

Utilizing scientific observation and experience gained from her earlier work with young children, Maria designed learning materials and a classroom environment that fostered the children’s natural desire to learn.

Dr. Montessori’s first school, the Casa dei Bambini, was opened in 1907. The results were such that the Casa drew international interest. Today, more than a century later, there are Montessori classrooms and training centers all over the world, proving that Dr. Montessori’s educational methods work, across time and cultures.

October 2019: Lee Montessori Brookland earns Tier 1 Status from the DC PCSB two years in a row, putting it in the highest rating for public charter schools in DC.

February 2019: Lee Montessori East End finds a home in Anacostia.

December 2018: The DC Public Charter School Board approved the expansion of Lee Montessori’s charter, enabling the high-performing, Tier 1 school to establish the first standalone public Montessori school East of the Anacostia River.

May 2018: Lee Montessori Becomes Only Fully-Recognized Public Montessori School in DC

May 2013: Lee Montessori Public Charter School was one of just two schools - and the only K-12 school - whose application was approved by the Public Charter School Board.