Check Out Martha D. Briggs’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Martha D. Briggs.

Hi Martha D., so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Part of my Montessori journey began when I chose to send my boys to a Montessori school as toddlers. Watching them thrive in an environment that honored their individuality, nurtured independence, and trusted them as capable learners was deeply transformative, not only for them, but for me as a parent. Seeing the joy, confidence, and curiosity they developed affirmed the power of Montessori education.
My connection to this work is also deeply personal. As a child, I struggled to adapt to traditional school environments and often felt unseen and unsupported. Those experiences stayed with me and planted a seed: if I ever had the opportunity, I wanted to help create a school where children feel truly welcomed, understood, and safe to be themselves. A place where they are encouraged to speak their native language, where their culture is respected, and where love and peace are at the heart of learning.
My professional Montessori path led me to become part of the Wildflower Organization, where I had the honor of serving on the founding team for the Aurora charter, Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado (WMPSC). Participating in the charter application process and interviews allowed me to advocate for future Teacher Leaders and deepened my commitment to making high-quality Montessori education accessible to all families.
That passion ultimately led me to co-found Mountain Juniper Montessori in Aurora, Colorado. Our mission is rooted in service to low-income families and families from diverse backgrounds. Guided by the teachings of Maria Montessori, who showed us that education must be grounded in respect, love, and peace, we strive to create an environment where every child feels valued, capable, and deeply cared for. With the support of a dedicated Montessori teacher, Michelle Maher, who shares this vision, we have built a nurturing, hands-on learning community.
Mountain Juniper Montessori has now been thriving for three years, is fully enrolled, and is preparing for another exciting enrollment season. I am honored to continue growing our school and sharing the magic of Montessori, an education of the heart as much as the mind, with our community.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a completely smooth road. Mountain Juniper was created within a span of just three months, all while Michelle and I were still committed to finishing the school year at our previous positions. During the day we were teaching and fulfilling our responsibilities at our respective schools, and in the evenings and weekends we were meeting, planning, placing orders, coordinating construction, furnishing classrooms, and sourcing Montessori materials.

We had to think about every detail, not only as educators, but also as administrators, operators, and founders, roles we had not previously held. The learning curve was steep. Every decision, from facilities to compliance to budgeting, required us to grow quickly and think beyond the classroom.

Additionally, Mountain Juniper was the first school to open under the WMPSC charter. There were no established systems, templates, or precedents to guide us. As both the inaugural school and the first primary program within the charter, we were responsible for developing processes while simultaneously implementing them. We were establishing the framework as we moved forward.

While the challenges were significant, they strengthened our leadership and clarified our purpose. Being pioneers has not only shaped Mountain Juniper’s foundation, but has also helped create a pathway for future schools to follow.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At our core, we are Montessori educators and founders committed to building learning environments where children are deeply respected, known, and nurtured. Our work centers on creating authentic Montessori spaces that honor the whole child, academically, socially, and emotionally.

Mountain Juniper Montessori was founded with a clear purpose: to provide a small, intentional, community-rooted public Montessori option for families who want something more personalized and human-centered. As a micro-school, we are able to truly follow the child. Our classrooms are thoughtfully prepared, our relationships with families are close and collaborative, and every decision we make is grounded in dignity, independence, and peace education. We are known for being warm, hands-on, and deeply committed to creating a sense of belonging for every child and family who walks through our doors.

We specialize in authentic Montessori practice within a public charter setting, something that requires both fidelity to the pedagogy and thoughtful navigation of public systems. We are particularly proud of building a school that reflects our values: diversity, accessibility, and individualized learning. Mountain Juniper stands for community, intentional growth, and the belief that children thrive when they are trusted and empowered.

What sets us apart is not just our model, but our heart. We are not only administrators; we are educators who remain closely connected to the classroom experience. We lead with empathy because we have been in the work ourselves. As individuals, we are known for being relational, resilient, and mission-driven. We care deeply, about the children, about families, and about building something meaningful that will last.

What we are most proud of is that Mountain Juniper is not just a school, it is a living community. Families feel it, children feel it, and staff feel it. That sense of connection, purpose, and authenticity is what truly defines us.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons learned is that a “no” does not always mean an ending, it can be an invitation to rethink, refine, and persist. When our initial charter application was not approved, it would have been easy to walk away. The structure of what we were proposing and the newness of the model felt unfamiliar to the district at the time, and the path forward was uncertain.

Rather than giving up, we continued to share the vision. What once felt like a barrier became a point of curiosity for our authorizer, and that curiosity opened the door to deeper conversations. It created an opportunity not only to imagine micro-schools on paper, but to prove that they could exist as vibrant, real learning communities.

That experience fueled a sense of urgency and commitment. We knew the vision deserved to live, and within six months we brought Mountain Juniper Montessori to life, from planning and licensing, to designing learning spaces, to fully furnishing a Montessori environment ready to welcome children. The process required trust, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in the work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wfcopublicschools.org/aurora