Joe Bruno

About Joe Bruno:

Joe grew up in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.. He had an early introduction to working with children at his uncle’s day camp, and went on to study Elementary Education at Frostburg State College in Frostburg, Maryland.

His travel experiences include a trip to Egypt in 1973 and two weeks in China touring schools as part of the 1996 US education delegation organized by People To People, a non-profit professional exchange program. During his youth Joe was very athletic. High school baseball and football, as well as college football and lacrosse gave him an understanding of the importance of physical activity. The discipline acquired during those years later helped him deal successfully with the profound challenges of multiple sclerosis. Before the onset of MS in 1992, handball and backpacking were regular activities in his life. Joe’s current hobbies are guitar, songwriting, woodworking and sailing.

Joe has received many accolades for his years of devotion to the children and families in our community. During the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, he was chosen to carry the Olympic torch for Austin, Texas.

Joe was introduced to and deeply inspired by the Montessori philosophy during his last year of college, and recognized then that this would become his life’s calling. He took his AMI Primary training in 1975 at The Washington Montessori Institute, and taught Primary for two years. Soon afterward, he moved into the Elementary classroom, and launched what has become a 35-year career as a Montessori teacher!

Joe spent many years giving workshops to private and public school teachers on the use of mathematic manipulatives. Joe has been instrumental in the start up of five schools during his career. His project for the past five years is helping a small primary school in Topeztlan, Mexico that is now expanding into a Montessori elementary program.

In January of 1991, Joe and Claire Bruno were presented with the opportunity to build and open their own school, with the help and vision of two friends and benefactors, Eduardo Longoria and Mary Ann Justman. Over the next six months a nearly condemned and abandoned meat packing plant was slowly transformed into the beautiful campus of Parkside Community School. Today Joe’s role at the school is that of philosopher, mentor, tutor, musical director, and overseer of the Parkside curriculum.

Joe has had the great honor of witnessing former students grow up and become inspired to take their own Montessori training, earn their Masters in Education, and then return to Parkside to teach alongside him. Joe continues to hold a uniquely positive and inspired vision for Montessori education in our community and across the world.