Brookview Montessori School Names Maggie Bischoff Executive Director
Longtime Brookview educator and recent Assistant Director to succeed Larry Schanker, PhD, who steps down after leading the school since 2015
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — August 14, 2026 — The Board of Directors of Brookview Montessori School announced the appointment of Maggie Bischoff as the school's next Executive Director, effective August 1, 2026. Bischoff, who served as Brookview’s Assistant Director for two years and Brookview’s Program Director for three years, succeeds Larry Schanker, PhD, who has led the school for 11 years. Schanker will remain part of the Brookview community as its music specialist, a role he has held for 28 years.
“Following a comprehensive national search, we are proud to select Maggie Bischoff to lead Brookview into our next chapter,” said Liz Beres, Brookview Board Chair. “Maggie brings deep experience in Montessori across every stage of youth education. Most importantly, she brings a profound understanding of our Montessori mission and commitment to inspiring lifelong learning. As we enter this next chapter at Brookview, I want to thank Larry for his years of steady, passionate leadership, and for the music he brings to our Brookview community that will continue to fill these halls.”
About Maggie Bischoff
Bischoff has spent more than 25 years at Brookview, working with students and families across nearly every aspect of the school community, including as a classroom assistant, lead teacher in the Infant, Upper Elementary, and Middle School classrooms, department coordinator, program director, and most recently Assistant Director. She holds American Montessori Society (AMS) credentials in Infant & Toddler education from Seton Montessori Institute, and in Elementary I-II from the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center in Evanston, Illinois.
In addition to her role at Brookview, Bischoff served as an American Montessori Society (AMS) Regional Action Commissioner representing the Midwest Region, which spans 12 states and represents AMS's second-largest region for member schools. She was a member of the Michigan Montessori Society Board of Directors from 2020-2025, a graduate of the AMS Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program, and has worked as a field consultant for Seton Montessori Institute and the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. She earned her bachelor's degree in family studies and child development from Western Michigan University.
“Brookview has shaped not only my professional career, but my entire adult life. I have watched this community meet real challenges with remarkable resolve,” Bischoff said. “What I love about Montessori education—both inside and outside the classroom—is watching our children grow into themselves. I've seen children arrive at Brookview small enough to carry and leave for high school as people I genuinely admire. Getting to look after the place that guides them through that journey is the honor of my career."
About Larry Schanker’s tenure
Schanker joined Brookview as a music teacher in 1998 and became Executive Director in 2015. He described holding both roles as a privilege, because it let him know every student as both a leader and a fellow musician. During his tenure, Schanker guided the school through gaining full accreditation from the American Montessori Society and led Brookview through two of the most demanding periods in its history.
The first was the COVID-19 pandemic, when classrooms initially shifted to remote instruction and learning continued uninterrupted. The second began in November 2022, when a structural defect required them to close half of the main school building. Under Schanker's leadership, the school kept every classroom running, first at community locations across the area, including Sarett Nature Center and River of Life School in Benton Harbor, and later in modular classrooms on campus. During that time, Schanker also oversaw a comprehensive renovation that included new HVAC, electrical, and fire and security systems. Students and staff returned to the fully renovated building in August 2025. The project drew support from the Frederick S. Upton Foundation, the State of Michigan and Brookview community donations.
Schanker will continue as Brookview's music teacher. He holds a PhD in music composition from the University of Chicago, a master's degree in composition and a bachelor's degree in popular music from Northwestern University, along with a Montessori credential at the middle school level.
“For 11 years in this role, I’ve had the gift of growing alongside this school. I could not be happier to be handing over the role of Executive Director to Maggie, whom I’ve worked alongside for many years and who embodies the passion, warmth and guidance that are so essential to a Montessori educator,” Schanker said. “Stepping back from day-to-day operations gives me the space to pursue creative work I’ve long wanted to make time for, including writing music, accompanying silent films, and finding new opportunities to share my perspective as a musician and educator. I’m also grateful that I can continue to spend time where I began at Brookview—sharing my love of music with these children and bringing music and the arts into their classroom experiences.
About Brookview Montessori School
Founded in 1974, Brookview Montessori School has served families in Southwest Michigan for more than 50 years, growing from a single classroom in the basement of a Benton Harbor church to a 10-acre campus with 13,500 square feet of classroom space, an organic vegetable garden and a boardwalk over wetlands. The school currently serves approximately 120 children from infancy through middle school and is a fully accredited member of the American Montessori Society. Brookview's curriculum rests on four core values: respect, trust, community commitment and global perspective. The School’s mission is to celebrate individuality and ignite passion for learning in an authentic Montessori environment.
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Media Contact
Gwen Schanker
grschanker@gmail.com
