Dr. Ayize Sabater took over this summer as head of school for Willow Oak Montessori’s Children’s House and Charter School.
lesson planning Willow Oak Montessori’s new head of school doesn’t mind ‘jumping … and waiting for the universe to catch up’
D
PHOTO BY BETH MAN N
r. Ayize Sabater replaced Willow Oak Montessori’s
founding leader, Pete Rubinas, this summer as the head of school. Ayize brings both an academic background in large urban school systems and universities and also a gregarious personality, sprinkling conversations with both academic
82
Chatham Magazine
October/November 2019
language and exuberant outbursts when it comes to his students. Ayize now heads both Willow Oak’s private Children’s House (age 2 through kindergarten) and its public charter school (grades first through eighth) in Governors Village. He moved to the area with his wife, Rhonda, this summer. They have two school-age children, Akoma, 13, and Chinua, 17, along with three adult children, Ayize II, Shalom and Joshua. Executive Editor Matt White sat down with Ayize to discuss his background, charter schools and his plans for Willow Oak.