Educational Psychology Faculty Member Elected to American Montessori Society Board of Directors

September 18, 2019
Dr. Janet Bagby

Janet Bagby, Ph.D., senior lecturer of educational psychology in the Baylor University School of Education, was elected to the board of directors of the American Montessori Society.

SOE Contact: Meg Cullar, Baylor School of Education, 254-710-6435
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WACO, Texas (Sept. 18, 2019) – Janet Bagby, Ph.D., senior lecturer of educational psychology in the Baylor University School of Education, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Montessori Society (AMS). Board members are elected by a vote of the group’s members, which number 14,700 individuals and 1,520 schools and span 70 countries. Bagby took office in July for a term that will extend until July of 2022.

“I strongly believe in the Montessori philosophy and in the important work of AMS to support and promote quality opportunities for all children to learn,” Bagby said.

Bagby became interested in Montessori education 25 years ago, when her son attended Waco Montessori School and she served on the school’s board for three terms. That interest led to Bagby’s 2002 dissertation, “The Characteristics of Problem Solving Transfer in a Montessori Classroom,” which won the AMS Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award.

Bagby has served on the AMS Research Committee for more than 10 years, conducted research studies related to Montessori education and published articles related to Montessori education. She has given over 25 research presentations on Montessori-related topics and has current research projects underway related to Montessori education, along with Baylor colleague Tracey Sulak, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of educational psychology. Bagby is a regular contributor to Montessori Life and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Montessori Research.

Bagby’s areas of educational expertise and teaching include human development, educational research and learning theory. She also conducts research into the higher education challenges for veterans and is the founder of the Baylor University VETS (Veteran Educational and Transition Services) Program.

She is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.S. in early childhood education and her M.Ed. in counseling and guidance. She earned her Ph.D. from Baylor in educational psychology.

Founded in 1960, the American Montessori Society is a professional membership organization and the leading member advocacy organization, research forum and resource collaborative for the global community of Montessori educators.

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For more than 100 years, Baylor educators have carried the mission and practices of the School of Education to classrooms and beyond as teachers, superintendents, psychologists, health education professionals, academics/scholars and more. With more than 50 full-time faculty members, the school’s growing research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation, while graduate programs culminating in both the Ed.D. and Ph.D. prepare outstanding leaders, teachers and clinicians through an intentional blend of theory and practice. Visit www.baylor.edu/soe to learn more.