Founder / President | Upper Elementary Directress – Oak Classroom
Brandy (Warner) Franks is the Founder and President of Absorbent Minds Montessori School in Stow, Ohio, where she also serves as an Elementary Directress. With extensive training and experience in Montessori education, Brandy has dedicated her career to creating learning environments where children are encouraged to develop independence, confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.
Montessori Education & Experience
A graduate of Tallmadge High School, Brandy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Mount Union College and her master’s degree in Elementary Education with a Montessori concentration from Plymouth State University. She holds a Primary Montessori Education diploma for preschool and kindergarten from North American Montessori Center (NAMC).
Brandy continued her post-graduate Montessori training through the Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, earning American Montessori Society (AMS) certifications in both Elementary I (Grades 1–3) and Elementary II (Grades 4–6). Her Montessori experience later expanded beyond teaching children to preparing and mentoring future Montessori educators. For several years, Brandy served as a Montessori Elementary Teacher Educator through the University of Nebraska, sharing her knowledge and classroom experience with teachers pursuing Montessori training and certification. She is also a member of the American Montessori Society (AMS) and the North American Montessori Teacher Association (NAMTA).
A Lifelong Connection to Montessori
Throughout her career, Brandy has worked with children in a variety of educational and developmental settings, including child care, Montessori schools, athletic coaching in softball, swimming, and basketball, and treatment programs through The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Brandy’s connection to Montessori education began long before her professional career. Some of her fondest childhood memories are from her own experience attending a Montessori school. The lasting impact of that experience helped inspire her to choose the Montessori Method not only for her own children, but ultimately as the foundation for Absorbent Minds Montessori School.
Today, Brandy continues to pursue her passion for helping children learn and grow while supporting the teachers and families who make up the Absorbent Minds community. She remains committed to providing an authentic Montessori education that respects each child as an individual and nurtures academic, social, and personal growth.
Brandy resides in Stow with her husband and four children. Learn more about the Montessori programs offered at Absorbent Minds Montessori School.