Satwant Singh Khalsa’s tenure at Khalsa Montessori spanned forty of the school’s most formative years. He arrived in 1973 with a vision of creating holistic education for young children that nurtured their natural abilities and guided them towards success in a changing world. Starting as a Primary and then Toddler classroom teacher (1973 to 1976), he became School Administrator from 1974 to 1976. After several years building his own business, in 1980 Satwant accepted the position of School Director. For the next three decades, Satwant guided the school through gradual expansion and improvement of its facilities, class levels, staff, and student performance. He also cultivated the school’s community by developing many of the school’s holiday traditions and yearly events.
In 1996, Satwant led the effort to turn Khalsa’s private Elementary program into the state-approved charter Khalsa Montessori Elementary School, becoming its first Director and Board President. Soon, KMES began regularly receiving statewide recognition, including yearly State of Arizona top “A” ratings and the inclusion of Khalsa students’ work in the competitive A Celebration of Young Poets. In 2008 the school was honored as one of the top three charter schools in Arizona in improving student achievement (Success Measured, Four Foundational Elements of Student-level Growth; Arizona Charter School Association). Satwant was also actively involved in the Arizona Statewide Consortium of Montessori Schools and Sikh Dharma Children’s Education Commissions, and served on the Arizona’s Alternative Teacher Certification Committee and New Charters Technical Review Panel.
In 2010, Satwant began a gradual transition towards new school leadership. After passing the School Director position on to Keerat Giordano in 2012, he continued as the school’s Financial Director until 2016 and as a member of the KMES and KMPS Boards of Directors until the fall of 2018.
Satwant received his B.A. in History and Child Development from Stanford University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with honors. He received his M.A. in Educational Psychology from Arizona State University and taught Educational Psychology at ASU for three years. His research study on the development of ordering skills in young children was presented at the 1988 Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. Satwant is currently enjoying retirement life in New Mexico where he lives with his wife Jaswant Khalsa and continues avidly pursuing his passions for photography and hiking.
