Q&A with Apple's Executive Director of Education

At Apple Montessori Schools, education is about so much more than academics—it's about nurturing confident, curious, and capable children who develop a lifelong love of learning. For over 50 years, Apple has remained committed to guiding each child's growth through a thoughtful balance of independence, hands-on exploration, and strong academic foundations.

Behind that experience is a passionate team of educators dedicated to continuously evolving and strengthening the Montessori journey for every child and family in our schools. One of those leaders is Chelsea Etse, Apple's Executive Director of Education, who plays a key role in shaping curriculum, supporting teachers, and ensuring consistency and excellence across all schools.

In this Q&A, Chelsea shares her perspective on what makes Montessori education so impactful, how Apple brings these principles to life in the classroom, and what families can expect as their children grow through each stage of development. From building independence in the earliest years to fostering leadership and confidence in kindergarten and beyond, her insights offer a meaningful look inside the philosophy—and the heart—of an Apple Montessori education.

AppleMontessoriSchools.com: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background!

Chelsea Etse: Hi, I’m Chelsea! I’m the Executive Director of Education at Apple, where I spend my time focused on improving student outcomes by overseeing the development and implementation of rigorous curriculum as well as developing high quality teacher training and development. I started my career in education as an early childhood teacher at a Head Start program. Through this role, I learned how to translate childhood development theories into practice, as well as how to differentiate instruction and track student progress. In my next role, I worked with students with disabilities by supporting them in accessing curriculum, relating to their peers, and achieving their goals. What brought me to Apple Montessori was the organization's focus on delivering high-quality Montessori instruction with a modern approach. I'm so excited to continue to innovate in the space of Early Childhood Education and continue to bring best practices to our classrooms to help our students achieve their goals. When I’m not training staff and working with students, I’m probably baking with my children!

AMS.com: The Education Department in at Apple is relatively new. Can you speak about why it was created and what its goals are?

CE: The Education Department was created to place the much-needed focus on the purpose of our work each day, which is education. Our goals are two-fold: to drive strong student outcomes through high-quality instruction, and to support our wonderful teachers to grow professionally. As part of the creation of our team, my education directors are able to spend more time in the schools, which allows them to provide meaningful individualized attention to students and instructional support to teaching staff. The investment in my team truly shows Apples commitment to educational excellence.

AMS.com: What is your day-to-day like? How about a typical week... what does that look like?

CE: I facilitate meetings with members of my field team (Apple's Education Directors) to ensure high-level goals are being carried out on a company wide basis. I meet with cross-functional teams to align on organizational needs and determine actions my team needs to take to support our objectives.

On a more weekly basis, I visit my field team at their locations. Each location has unique needs, and it's helpful to be there in person to address those needs. I also review our assessment data to see where students are excelling and where there are knowledge gaps.

Also, I create training for our teaching staff, and either through podcasts or by reading articles, I love to stay up-to-date on what is happening in the Montessori professional world, so that in turn, Apple stays up to date.

AMS.com: What is your favorite part of the job?

CE: My favorite part of my job is working with and training teachers. I started my career as a teacher and I remember feeling like my mentor was so impactful on me during my first year of teaching. Teaching is not easy, but when you feel like you have support, training, and individuals invested in your growth, it makes you want to keep going. My goal is to leave the same lasting impact on the teachers in our company.

AMS.com: What do you wish people knew about Apple?

CE: One of the first things I noticed when I started working at Apple was the tenure of the staff. In my opinion, a company that is able to retain staff for over 20 years is a company that truly cares about their staff. When staff is taken care of, they’re able to pass that same care onto their students. There is something so special about the way in which the company continues to grow, but at the same time maintain a family feeling.

AMS.com: What do you think sets Apple apart from other early childhood education centers and schools?

CE: Apple is deeply invested in the development and growth of its teachers to a level not seen at other early childhood education centers. We provide four full-day professional developments a year, and we enroll our staff into the North American Montessori Center (NAMC), which is a Montessori teacher training program. In addition, we provide support throughout the year through instructional coaching and ongoing feedback. Each of these pieces demonstrates our commitment to our teachers and reflects in our classrooms in the form of high-quality nurturing instruction.