Who We Are
Compass Montessori School is a public charter school dedicated to offering an authentic Montessori education to students in Children’s House (Preschool) through 12th grade in Wheat Ridge and Golden, Colorado. Established in 1998, we are committed to guiding students to a love of learning by protecting concentration and nurturing their curiosity. Cameron grew up in Steamboat Springs and loves to bike and paddle board. She has a big, strategic vision for our school, holds high expectations for students to learn to lead from within themselves and offers her seasoned perspective at every turn. |
Dr. Cameron Gehlen, Executive Director
Dr. Cameron Gehlen is the Executive Director for all grade levels on both campuses at Compass Montessori. She is led by our Compass Board of Directors, and she oversees the principals and administration teams. Prior to her role as ED, Dr. Gehlen was a Lower Elementary teacher for ten years, as well as a principal at the Wheat Ridge campus. She was appointed the Executive Director role in 2018.
A true Montessorian, she completed AMS Montessori training from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies (MECR) in Boulder; she has a Master of Science in Education from Regis University, and a Doctorate from CU’s Leadership for Educational Equity Program with a focus on Educational Law and Policy. As Executive Director at Compass Montessori, Cameron is committed to ensuring that our programming is exceptional, pure, and consistent throughout all levels and across both campuses.
She has a knack for learning every child’s name, and she is committed to really knowing them and leading a school that meets each student where they are academically, socially, and emotionally. The students know her, look up to her and respect her because she believes they are capable of great things. Cameron makes herself accessible, and she has mastered the art of setting an amazing example by reminding students to be themselves, think for themselves, and leave Compass Montessori with a motivation for life-long learning. |
Her kind, peaceful energy reminds us all to breathe. She is a wealth of knowledge to the Montessori community, and she leads by example in her principal role. Her commitment to our school and an authentic Montessori experience for every student makes her a treasure to our community. |
Kymm Garcia, Golden Campus Principal
Kymm Garcia is the Principal for our Pre-K through Secondary (7th - 12th grade) programs. She has over 20 years of Montessori experience, and she has been at Compass for 15 years.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Family Studies and Developmental Psychology from Metropolitan State College of Denver, and a Master’s in Education from St. Catherine University. Additionally, she holds a Principal’s License through UNC, AMI Infant/Toddler Training, and AMI Primary Training. She spent three glorious summers in Elementary Training at the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota, and she holds a Colorado State Teaching License in Early Childhood Education with an Elementary Endorsement. Kymm was previously a teacher in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary at our Golden Campus. Currently, in addition to her role as Secondary Principal, she trains new Montessorians at the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies (MECR) in Boulder, Colorado.
Kymm is a Compass veteran and her insight about where Compass Montessori began and vision for where it’s headed is a treasure to us all. As principal to adolescents, she is graceful with this age group and rooted in the belief that meetings students where they are developmentally is the key to a lifelong love of learning for each of them. |
 "My wife and I are deeply connected to the community and love attending Compass events, especially Harvest Fest. Outside of school, I can be found trying out new vegetarian recipes, exploring farmers’ markets, and enjoying our beautiful Colorado nature with my wife and daughter." - Amy |
Dr. Amy Fleig, Wheat Ridge Campus Principal
I have been in this school community since 2013, and I feel so fortunate and humbled to serve on the Compass Montessori Leadership Team as the Principal at our Wheat Ridge campus. I have enjoyed applying my experiences teaching Upper Elementary in the Earth Room and then serving as the cross-campus Head of Student Support administrator to lead our Section 504, intervention, special education, gifted and talented, English language learning, and multi-tiered systems of support programs to meet the needs of all of Compass’ learners for the past six years. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and moved west to attend Colorado College. I earned my B.A. from CC in Psychology of Education and also received my Colorado State Teaching License in Elementary Education. I then moved to Charlottesville, Virginia to complete my M.Ed. in Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science. After moving back to Colorado, and teaching at a neighborhood public school, I knew I envisioned something more student-centered for public education. I learned about Compass Montessori at that time and joined an AMI Elementary Montessori training cohort in Atlanta, Georgia. I then completed my K-12 principal licensure through Western Colorado University and am currently pursuing my doctorate in Leadership for Educational Equity with a concentration on Executive Leadership through the University of Colorado, Denver. I recently earned my Doctorate of Education in Executive Leadership for Educational Equity from the University of Colorado, Denver in Summer 2024. My doctoral studies focused on non-profit leadership and expansion of Montessori offerings in the public sector. I love working toward a true Montessori experience for all of our students, and believe in the significant difference it can make for each intrinsically motivated individual. |