At Montessori Children’s House, we believe that how we work together should reflect the same respect, curiosity, and shared purpose that guide the children’s experience in the classroom. In 2021, we intentionally shifted our governance model to Sociocracy: a system rooted in collaboration, transparency, and collective wisdom.

Unlike traditional hierarchical governance models where decisions flow from the top down, Sociocracy distributes authority throughout the organization through feedback loops. Rather than relying on a single leader or small group to make all major decisions, Sociocracy empowers individuals within defined areas of responsibility to make decisions together. This approach values expertise, trust, and shared accountability, ensuring that those closest to the work have a voice in shaping it.

Sociocracy replaces traditional top-down management with a network of circles, interconnected teams that each hold a defined domain of responsibility and the authority to make decisions within it. Every circle includes representatives who link it to another, creating a web of communication and shared accountability that keeps the whole school connected and aligned.

Our structure includes:

• The General Circle, which holds the broad view of the school’s direction and connects all other circles. It ensures that decisions serve our mission and values while maintaining transparency and flow of information across the organization. A representative from each circle sits on general circle and provides pertinent information to important school decisions that are made.

• Program Circles, for Infant, Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary, and specialists, where educators and program directors collaborate on curriculum, staffing, and student experience. These circles focus on what happens closest to the children.

• Operational Circles, including Administration, and Facilities which care for the systems and infrastructure that make our programs thrive.

• The Leadership Circle, composed of our leadership team, which includes voices from each circle, stewarding long-term visioning and coordination.

Decisions are made by consent, meaning a proposal moves forward when there are no paramount objections, not perfect agreement, but shared willingness to try, learn, and adapt. This process honors diverse perspectives and keeps us nimble, accountable, and deeply connected to our purpose.

Through Sociocracy, we’re not just organizing our work, we’re practicing what we teach: that a healthy community is one where every voice matters, every role has meaning, and everyone contributes to the collective good.