The "Montessori" name is in the public domain; therefore any institution can claim to offer a Montessori education.

So how can parents tell whether a Montessori school is authentic?

AMI CERTIFICATION
Association Montessori Internationale

The original organization founded by Dr. Maria Montessori.

The AMI school recognition program was initiated for the benefit of parents to assist them in making choices about Montessori schools and classrooms. It only awards Montessori schools that follow Dr. Montessori's principles in their authentic integrity and completeness.

An AMI Certificate of Recognition indicates the school upholds the highest standards in Montessori education. It provides credibility to a school’s status both within the Montessori community and throughout the international educational scene.
To receive AMI Recognition, each classroom in the school must have:

• A fully-trained teacher who has completed both a college undergraduate degree and AMI's year-long full time training program;
• A complete set of authorized Montessori classroom materials;
• A three-year range of ages within the single classroom;
• An uninterrupted three-hour work cycle each morning.

Gold Seal Quality Care

In 1996, the Florida Legislature established the Gold Seal Quality Care program to acknowledge childcare facilities and family day care homes that are accredited by nationally recognized agencies and whose standards reflect quality in the level of care and supervision provided to children.

The Montessori School Accreditation Commission

1. To serve the needs of the Montessori school community by providing a non-affiliation based school accreditation process. The accreditation process will be available to all Montessori schools that are staffed with certified Montessori teachers, maintain well-equipped classrooms and exemplify the Montessori philosophy and principles in their classrooms.
2. To provide an accreditation procedure that will assist schools in the process of self evaluation and team building.
3. To provide a quality assurance protocol that will give Montessori schools recognition for excellence within the educational community and the general public.
4. To provide qualifying Montessori schools with the approval of a nationally recognized accreditation organization whose standards meet or exceed state regulations, thus making it possible for the schools to apply for local, state or federal funding.
5. To serve as a vehicle for screening classroom environments suitable for approved teacher education practicum sites.
6. To provide a needed resource for parents seeking a level of assurance that the school they select meets quality standards set by the Montessori community.
7. To motivate Montessori schools to evaluate their programs, thus insuring they are operating within the highest of Montessori philosophical and educational standards.