Community Highlights: Meet Kelly Gomes of Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Gomes.

Hi Kelly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Kelly began her career through Teach for America in Dallas/Fort Worth teaching high school English Language Arts. Later, she was a founding teacher for Democracy Prep Endurance Middle School in Harlem as a 7th and 8th grade ELA teacher. While in New York, she became Assistant Principal supporting academics, culture, and operations. Before moving to Wildflower, Kelly was a principal at a charter school in Denver. focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and social-emotional learning in conjunction with strategic discipline shifts, which significantly lowered suspension rates using restorative practices and shifting academic priorities and practices raising ELA and math scores across all grades on both internal and state assessments. When her children became of school age, she knew it was time for a shift that fit the needs of her children. As a career educator, Kelly knows the value of empowering teacher voice. Working with Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado, she can support educators lead in unique opportunities while watching her own children flourish at the schools Mountain Juniper Montessori and Meadow Rue Montessori, both under the WMPSC charter umbrella.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course not! Joining WMPSC has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my career. Working in a self-managed organization is truly magical—but it required me to unlearn almost everything I thought I knew about how schools and systems are supposed to function.

This model asks a lot of you: deep trust in your colleagues, comfort with ambiguity, and a willingness to take big leaps of faith—faith that you and your team have the skill, commitment, and shared purpose to build something genuinely innovative. It hasn’t always been smooth, but the challenge is exactly what makes the work meaningful and transformative.

We’ve been impressed with Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado is a small network of teacher-led, high-fidelity Montessori public charter schools designed as micro-schools. Each site serves a close-knit community of roughly 30–60 children and is led by two Teacher Leaders who are both the instructional guides and the leaders of the school. These educators are Montessori-trained in the age levels they serve and are trusted with real decision-making power—over curriculum, budget, enrollment, and the culture of their school. The result is a decentralized model that centers children, elevates teachers, and stays deeply rooted in the local community.

I am proud to work for WMPSC because it is living proof that innovative, human-centered education can exist within the public system. This organization trusts educators as professionals, believes in shared leadership, and is willing to do the hard, values-driven work of reimagining how schools operate. It is not the easiest path—but it is the right one. Being part of a system that prioritizes Montessori fidelity, teacher autonomy, and access for families across Colorado is both humbling and inspiring, and it continually challenges me to grow as a leader and collaborator.

What’s next?
My plans for the future are very much rooted at Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado. I plan to stay for the foreseeable future—this is both my professional home and my family’s community. My children are here, and my youngest, who is eight months old, will be joining WMPSC in the coming years. More than anything, I deeply believe in the work. The mission and vision of WMPSC are truly transforming what education can look like for children and families in Aurora and Grand Junction.

I am excited about what lies ahead. We have plans to expand Meadow Rue to include an upper elementary program, to open an additional upper elementary in Aurora, and to grow our presence in Grand Junction with two new sites, including Lavender Bee Montessori, opening in fall 2026. I want to be part of seeing WMPSC successfully meet its expansion goals and secure charter renewals, ensuring the long-term sustainability of this model. Once that work is complete, I can reflect on next steps—but right now, my focus and commitment are firmly with WMPSC and the future we are building together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wfcopublicschools.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildflower.wmpsc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wildflower.MPSCO
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-gomes-732b3262/