Our Teachers
Ian Becker
Ian enjoys spending time in community with children. He finds great joy in teaching everything from basic skills like doing dishes, to reading music, and multiplication, alongside playing games of chase, telling stories, and singing songs. He has been advocating to engage with young children as active members of our larger communities since he was still too young to vote. Since 2015 he has connected this passion with Montessori education. Ian has many years of experience working in early childhood, has worked as an educational researcher studying Montessori classrooms, and has taught graduate school classes for students of Montessori. When he is not teaching in some form or another, Ian enjoys spending time biking, juggling, and playing viola.
Jack Eiford
Born and raised in Bellingham, it has been Jack's dream to build a school in his hometown ever since he became passionate about Montessori in college. As a former Montessori student, Jack resonates deeply with Montessori philosophy, specifically the emphasis on self-directed learning that follows the child’s interests and needs. After earning his BA in Philosophy, Jack pursued Montessori training and received his Primary certification at Montessori Northwest, along with a Masters in Montessori Education from Loyola University. He then returned to Bellingham, where he has worked for the past eight years in Montessori classrooms. As a teacher, Jack enjoys connecting with students, observing how they learn, and adjusting his approach to meet them where they are. He strives to build a structured environment that allows for children’s intrinsic motivation to drive their learning. Jack believes that children are the future, and by supporting children in their autonomy and independence, we can help bring about the social progress that will lead to a more peaceful and harmonious world. Outside of the classroom Jack enjoys playing tabletop games, working on the fantasy novel he’ll probably never publish, chasing his Bengal cats Pippin and Spiri, and enjoying the latest sci-fi/fantasy content. He’s also happy to be sharing his third year of married life with Kayla—his high-school sweetheart and partner of over 15 years.
Kayla Eiford
Kayla has been working in both Elementary and Primary age Montessori classrooms since 2021. Her passion for Montessori education began when she first stepped foot into a primary age classroom for the first time to observe. The independence, joy, and creativity of the children was extremely inspiring. Kayla believes that children are our future, and that through Montessori Education and their intrinsic drive to learn, children can bring peace, awareness and necessary change to our world. She is excited to bring her many years of administrative experience to a Montessori school environment and create a space of positivity, joy, and a love of learning for the students, teacher-leaders, parents, and community members. Outside of the Montessori environment, Kayla enjoys teaching dance, playing with her two cats Pippin & Spiri, and spending time with her husband Jack and both of their families.
Board Members
Ian Becker, Ravensong Montessori teacher
Jack Eiford, Ravensong Montessori teacher
Kayla Eiford, Ravensong Montessori teacher and administrator
Scott St Clair, financial advisor
Maddie Thomson, psychologist
Heather Zolzer, Lilac Montessori teacher and member of Wildflower Network