Passionate about creating a school environment with the highest quality of education, Diane founded Castle Island Bilingual Montessori, a Spanish immersion elementary school, for children living in the Capital Region. She sought to establish an independent school that merges optimal learning environments for both bilingual language immersion and the Montessori educational approach. With 30 years of experience as an educator, she has achieved NYS certificates as a teacher of elementary education, English as a Second Language, and Spanish, and as a K-12 Administrator.  Her career has included work as a bilingual teacher trainer and as a Montessori school administrator. Trained in Montessori school management at the Center for Montessori Education | New York, she holds an Administrator Credential from the American Montessori Society. Her degrees include a BA in Anthropology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and a MS in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from SUNY at Albany.

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She leads the school community in a brand new Downtown Albany facility, fostering an optimal intercultural and innovative learning environment, and guiding work toward continual school improvement to meet Castle Island's mission: providing accessibly, world-class education.  Her career has included work as a teacher spanning early childhood through secondary levels, a bilingual teacher trainer, and a Montessori school administrator. Diane is also involved with policy advocacy at the statewide level in her work as an officer of the board of the NYS Montessori Alliance. 

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She is proud that Castle Island, with its mission towards social justice, creates an intentional and inclusive space for learning where each child and their family is honored. When not working on developing the programs and growth of the school, she cooks dinner for her family, practices competitive Irish step dance, enjoys the Adirondacks for hiking and skiing, listens to her four bilingual sons share about their day and about their dreams.