Meet the Team

Founder/Assistant Head of Schools

Jessica McMordie, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC is the founder and assistant head of schools of the Texarkana Montessori School.

She also serves as the president on the school’s board. She is the mother of three boys and lives in Texarkana with them, her husband, one cat, one dog and a few chickens. She is passionate about providing the Montessori experience to all children. She grew up attending a Montessori school until kindergarten. Her boys have experiences with Montessori in a school setting and in the home.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education (K-12) from Missouri Western State University and a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She is also a Certified Lactation Counselor. She has worked in a variety of settings as a teacher and speech-language pathologist including the public school system, private tutoring, private outpatient setting, and academic hospital. She enjoys working with all ages across the lifespan but specializes in pediatric feeding disorders from preterm infants through school age.

Specialty Certifications

• American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) certificate of clinical competence
• Texas State Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist
• Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)
• Completed training in Fiberoptic Endoscope Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) Pediatric and Adult
• Basic Life Support/AED Certified
• Conscious Discipline
• Mandated Reporter Training
• North American Montessori Center (NAMC) Early Childhood Training
• Montessori Positive Phrasing Training
• Montessori Observation Principles
• Montessori Toilet Learning

Head of Schools

Arianna Stover is the head of school of the Texarkana Montessori School. She has served in early education for 16 years in various roles including, teacher and director. She is passionate about early childhood education and ensuring equal access to preschool for all children. She believes that each child learns at their own pace and deserves an individualized approach which is what drew her to the Montessori method. Her passion is creating an environment that lays the foundations for a love of learning through curiosity and community relationships. As a former teacher herself, she relies on hands-on classroom support for guides while applying their strengths and encouraging development in areas of growth. She has two beautiful girls, a husband, and a dog who live with her in Texarkana. She is dedicated to providing a quality Montessori experience at Texarkana Montessori.

Specialty Certifications

• ASQ3
• CPR/AED
• Director’s Orientation A, A2, B, C
• Conscious Discipline
• ServSafe Manager Training
• Mandated Reporter Training
• Program Administration Scales: Basics
• Staff Development and Communication, CCOT, ERS, ELS, ITERS/ECERS
• Personal Care Assistant Certified Aid
• North American Montessori Center (NAMC) Early Childhood Training
• Montessori Positive Phrasing Training
• Montessori Observation Principles
• Montessori Toilet Learning