Korey Dudley

Korey Dudley has been on the Montessori World Educational Institute Board for over 25 years. Korey earned her BS from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1980. She had the great fortune to be a Child Development student there in 1979 when Margaret Homfray, co-founder of the St. Nicholas Training Center in London, and colleague of Dr. Montessori, gave courses in Montessori Education. Korey always knew that she wanted to teach young children, but after one evening with Ms. Homfray, she knew that Montessori education was her calling. She immediately signed up to take all of the courses that Ms. Homfray gave on weekends in San Luis Obispo and at summer workshops in Santa Barbara. Korey was also one of a small group of students who participated in the pilot Montessori program on the Cal Poly campus at that time. In that program, led by Dr. Robert Blodget and Dr. Bette Tryon, she learned about an available building in Atascadero that was zoned to be a school. Korey and her college friend, Donna Henley, decided to move into that building after graduating college in 1980 to open Children’s House, the first Montessori school in the San Luis Obispo North County. The school started with thirteen 3 and 4 year old children. Korey later took over the school with the help of her husband, Stephen. They expanded to third grade with over 50 students during the next 5 years.

In 1988 Korey and Steve found a beautiful 2 1/2 acre parcel along a creek reserve in Atascadero where they designed and built the school of their dreams. Today, after expanding 3 separate times, Children’s House Montessori School serves over 120 children, ages 18 months to 12 years. A staff of about fifteen includes lead and support teachers for the five classrooms, a music teacher, an art instructor, a PE coach, a computer teacher, and a full time administrative assistant. Countless parents also provide additional services which may include Spanish instruction, writing lessons, science lessons, etc. A new 2000 square foot multi-purpose room, the Stephen B. Dudley Community Barn, is used for drama productions, workshops, film festivals, concerts, and teacher training courses among other things. Korey Dudley is still the owner, director and administrator.

In addition to running her school, Korey has taught teacher training courses for MWEI at the Primary and Elementary levels. She holds Montessori diplomas in Pre-Primary, Primary and Elementary 6-12. Her school, with its beautiful flora, artistic touches and whimsical charm is a source of inspiration for its students, parents and staff and for all the teacher trainees from the Montessori World Educational Institute.