AMCS

Alief Montessori Community School

Developing love for lifelong learning

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2023-2024

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Paula Palamountain

Board President

Mrs. Palamountain is also one of the founding members of the Board since 1998 and she is serving as the current Secretary of the Board. She came from a Montessori educator and has extensive administrative experience. She guided a Montessori primary class for ages 3-6 in the reputable Northwood Montessori in Houston for over 25 years. Mrs. Palamountain also served as a co-director for the school in addition to her full time teaching duties. The Northwood Montessori School continues to carry on the highest quality of Montessori education under her mentoring after her retirement. Mrs. Palamountain has also been volunteering weekly since her retirement as our special reading tutor for the students who need one-on-one assistance in reading.

Perpetua Socorro J. Salvatus Guerrero, Esq.

Board Treasurer

Mrs. Salvatus-Guerrero joined AMCS Board in 2016 and has served as the new Board Treasurer. Mrs. Salvatus-Guerrero was trained in special education, accounting and law. She is a certified public accountant and has her own law firm in Houston, Texas. Mrs. Salvatus-Guerrero is actively volunteering as the Pro Bono Lawyer for Catholic Charities, defending children’s right and woman empowerment. She loves reading, poetry, and creative writing.

Elizabeth Smith

Board Secretary

Mrs. Smith is a retired, former AMCS teacher from SY 2013-2018. She joined the AMCS Board in 2020. She taught Upper Elementary for four years, finishing her teaching career at AMCS in 2018. Prior to that she taught 14 years in the Fort Bend, Houston, and Aldine ISDs. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sam Houston State University and is certified to teach grades 1-12 in Texas. She previously worked as an administrative secretary at Cullen Bayou Place, the children’s psychiatric and residential treatment program at DePelchin Children’s Center. Mrs. Smith has volunteered with the AFS Intercultural Program, an international youth exchange organization, serving as a counselor and liaison to foreign students from many different countries, and has traveled extensively. She is a dedicated supporter of Montessori education.

Charmaine Constantine

Board Member

Ms. Constantine has served on our school board since 1999. She is the superintendent of Ser Niños Charter School and has been responsible for the development and growth for Ser Niňos since 1997. She has her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and MEd in Math Education from the University of Houston. Ms. Constantine had extensive and outstanding classroom experiences in math, science and social studies prior to taking over her leadership role at Ser Niño Charter School. She was the Teacher of the Year in 1992 from Anderson Elementary School of HISD.

Erica McCready

Board Member

Ms. Erica McCready is concurrently the Superintendent and Special Education Coordinator of Houston Heights Charter High School. She joined the AMCS Board in 2020. Ms. McCready has a Masters of Education from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, LA. She has extensive experience in Special Education as a teacher, case manager and coordinator in HISD middle and high schools. As a parent, she also chose Montessori education for her children in their primary years in school and has been a supporter ever since.

Delia Presillas

Board Member

Mrs. Presillas is the current Superintendent of Alief Montessori Community School. She joined AMCS in 2007 as a lower elementary teacher before becoming the principal in 2013. She has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration. She trained with Region 4 ESC Teacher Trak for her Texas EC-4, ESL and Principal certifications. She is also certified in Montessori elementary and adolescent studies from Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). Before her career in education, she had extensive experience in government service, serving as a project development officer then as a planning director in government agencies and as a presidential management staff officer for the Office of the President, Philippines.

Tim Snow

Board Member

Mr. Time Snow joined the AMCS Board in March 2023. Tim attended Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and received his elementary AMI certification at the Montessori Institute of North Texas under the direction of AMI trainer, Jean Miller. Tim has been at St. Catherine's since 2006 in a variety of roles–music teacher, adolescent theology teacher, lower elementary guide, and currently as an upper elementary guide.