About Our School
Who We Are
Dandelion Montessori is a collaborative community of Montessori learners, ages 2.9 through 6 years, educators and families in Somerville, MA. Established in 2015, Dandelion is a Wildflower Network School, an innovative approach to Montessori education started by the Social Computing Group at the MIT Media Lab.
What We Believe
We believe children to be intrinsically good, intrinsically peaceful and intrinsically motivated to learn. At Dandelion, children and adults work together to create a peaceful, cooperative, loving, and joyful learning environment.
Where We Are
Dandelion is located on the unceded land of Pawtucket and Mass-aschu-es-et peoples. We acknowledge the Pawtucket and Mass-aschu-es-et community, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations.
What We Do
Dandelion provides high quality, authentic Montessori education for children during their early childhood and kindergarten years. Our school supports children and their families in an inclusive and diverse community that fosters the growth of the whole child on their journey to becoming peaceful, powerful, and purposeful human beings.
Our Teacher Leaders
Devanshi Desai
she/her
Head of School and Montessori Guide
Devanshi has her M.Ed in Montessori education. She has worked in several early childhood environments that were Montessori or Reggio classrooms for 5 years before finding Wildflower and Dandelion. She started at Dandelion Montessori as a Fellow of the Global Majority and after-care teacher in 2017 and has been connected to Dandelion since.
Devanshi believes strongly in Wildflower and its evolutionary path which centers around equity and access for children and educators. She is deeply committed to critically examine the materials and practices in the classroom from an equity lens. She is excited to explore an intentional outdoor curriculum as well as engage in early education research.
Devanshi is grounded by her children, Reva and Zuri, some of the Indian cultures and traditions, nature, and belief that education is a tool for lifetime and can pass to generations to come.
Our Staff
Leena Wright
she/her
Montessori Guide
Originally from Queens, NY, Leena’s New York upbringing shaped her appreciation for diverse cultures, food, music, and art. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Studies from Lesley University and an AMI Montessori diploma, bringing experience in both Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies. Her connection to the Dandelion community began in 2019 as a parent when her son attended Dandelion Montessori.
Her personal experiences and journey as a mother have shaped her belief in alternative education and the importance of honoring different ways of thinking, learning, and experiencing life. Leena is passionate about fostering independence, curiosity, and confidence, empowering children to trust their abilities, find their voice, and confidently navigate the world around them.
Outside the classroom, Leena enjoys live music, dancing, and spending time with her son, who continues to teach her as much about life as she hopes to teach him.
Rosie Allen
she/her
School Operations Administrator
Rosie comes to Dandelion with Montessori experience as both a student and as a teacher and believes the Montessori philosophy allows both children and adults to embody their best selves and purpose in the world. Rosie attended a Children's House Montessori program for preschool and Kindergarten before returning to the Montessori world years later, first as a Support Teacher and After School Teacher/Coordinator and then as a Montessori Primary Teacher. She completed her Montessori teacher training at the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center and the coursework for her M.Ed. at Gordon College. She also has experience working for a small community-based non-profit and in academic book publishing/publicity.
Rosie has two young children who keep her busy and noticing the world with a fresh perspective. She enjoys spending time with her children and husband exploring the outdoors. Rosie also loves to read, sew, craft, and as of a year ago, compete in speed jigsaw puzzle races.
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Jenny Powers
she/her
From a young age, Jenny Gomatos always wanted to be a teacher, often playing "classroom" with her cousins. Now living her childhood dream, she strives to inspire and guide children in a safe, thriving environment.Jenny earned a bachelor's degree in child, family, and community studies from Merrimack College, focusing on early childhood education. With over nine years of experience, she joined Dandelion in 2021 and developed a passion for Montessori education. She continues to enhance her skills through ongoing training.In her free time, Jenny enjoys cooking, hiking with her husband Cam and their dog Bailey, and spending time with family and friends.
Support Teacher
Johalin Sosa
she/her
Support Teacher
"Mi nombre es Johalin Sosa Santana y trabajo como personal de apoyo en Dandelion Montessori. Me mudé a los Estados Unidos hace nueve meses y actualmente vivo en Somerville, Boston, Massachusetts. Tengo un bebé y mi sueño es ser una mejor persona cada día. Trabajo duro para dar lo mejor de mí a mi familia y a mi hijo. También tengo un bebé en Santo Domingo, que es el amor de mi vida. Todos los días me despierto con una determinación renovada para seguir adelante. Llevo trabajando en Dandelion siete meses y este trabajo me ha traído un sentido de familia, paz y felicidad con mi hijo. Aunque estoy lejos de casa, estoy profundamente comprometida a mejorar cada día, a darlo todo a nuestros hijos y a nuestra familia y a ser una mejor compañera de trabajo".
Matt Hassan
he/him
When Matt Hassan attended King's Wood Montessori in Foxboro, he spent most of his time at the marker table drawing and writing stories. Since then, he’s continued to explore different forms of art as well as help children to explore their creativity through painting, filmmaking, and animation at various summer camps and afterschool programs. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Filmmaking from Providence College before moving to Boston to pursue his MFA in Media Art at Emerson College. He now joins Dandelion and looks forward to working with children in the environment that made him the artist he is today. On the weekends, Matt sells his paintings, linocut prints, and other art at markets around Boston.
Support Teacher
Emeritus Teacher Leader
Micki Sausen
she/her
Micki has enjoyed a 45 year journey in the world of Montessori education. It took her through a diverse world of both private and public schools throughout the US — the last five years of it spent growing Dandelion Montessori in partnership with Lindy McGrail Younis and with the support of Devanshi Desai. Throughout her work she found continual proof that Montessori works for children of all cultural, socioeconomic and developmental backgrounds. While retired from the classroom, Micki will continue to be active in Montessori education through consulting at Dandelion and other Montessori schools throughout the Wildflower Network and beyond, as well as spending many lovely hours with her husband and ever-growing number of grandchildren.
Micki Sausen
she/her
Micki has enjoyed a 45 year journey in the world of Montessori education. It took her through a diverse world of both private and public schools throughout the US — the last five years of it spent growing Dandelion Montessori in partnership with Lindy McGrail Younis and with the support of Devanshi Desai. Throughout her work she found continual proof that Montessori works for children of all cultural, socioeconomic and developmental backgrounds. While retired from the classroom, Micki will continue to be active in Montessori education through consulting at Dandelion and other Montessori schools throughout the Wildflower Network and beyond, as well as spending many lovely hours with her husband and ever-growing number of grandchildren.
Micki Sausen
she/her
Micki has enjoyed a 45 year journey in the world of Montessori education. It took her through a diverse world of both private and public schools throughout the US — the last five years of it spent growing Dandelion Montessori in partnership with Lindy McGrail Younis and with the support of Devanshi Desai. Throughout her work she found continual proof that Montessori works for children of all cultural, socioeconomic and developmental backgrounds. While retired from the classroom, Micki will continue to be active in Montessori education through consulting at Dandelion and other Montessori schools throughout the Wildflower Network and beyond, as well as spending many lovely hours with her husband and ever-growing number of grandchildren.
Emeritus and Founding Teacher Leaders
Lindy McGrail Younis
she/her
Lindy McGrail Younis, inspired by her Montessori experiences as a child, dedicated her career to nurturing young minds at Dandelion Montessori. Her journey began at Fairfield University, where she researched Montessori preschools in post-Soviet countries, leading to a Fulbright Scholarship in Slovakia as a guest lecturer. Upon returning to the U.S., Lindy furthered her Montessori expertise at Walnut Park Montessori School in Newton, MA, and earned her certification in 2012.
In 2015, Lindy co-founded Dandelion Montessori, where she was deeply committed to highlighting the incredible potential of children. Her mission was to use Montessori education as a catalyst for both local and global change, ensuring that every child and adult at Dandelion recognized the profound contributions children can make to the world.
Micki Sausen
she/her
Micki has enjoyed a 45 year journey in the world of Montessori education. It took her through a diverse world of both private and public schools throughout the US -- the last five years of it spent growing Dandelion Montessori in partnership with Lindy McGrail Younis and with the support of Devanshi Desai. Throughout her work she found continual proof that Montessori works for children of all cultural, socioeconomic and developmental backgrounds. While retired from the classroom, Micki will continue to be active in Montessori education through consulting at Dandelion and other Montessori schools throughout the Wildflower Network and beyond, as well as spending many lovely hours with her husband and ever-growing number of grandchildren.
