Administration

Mahdi Dadrass, Executive Director

As our Executive Director, Mahdi Dadrass is the head of the school and oversees all of the school's programs and long-term initiatives. Mahdi and his family own and operate two highly regarded Montessori Schools (The Grove Montessori School and Lincolnshire Montessori School) in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Mahdi is a certified (AMS) Montessori educator with over eight years of Montessori teaching and administrative experience. He trained at the Seton Montessori Institute, holds a Montessori 3-6 Certification and taught at the highly esteemed Near North Montessori School in Chicago. Mahdi's extensive involvement with his family's existing schools combined with his experiences, observations and collaborations with other leading Montessori educational institutes have given him a deep understanding of the ideal Montessori learning environment. Mahdi holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from The University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as a certificate of Basic Vocational Specialist in Montessori Early Childhood Education with High Honors.
You can contact Mahdi at mahdi@southloopmontessori.org or (312) 431-8050.

Mina Dadrass, Chair of Advisory Committee

As Chair of the Advisory Committee of South Loop Montessori School, Mina Dadrass provides guidance to the school's management and educational staff regarding programs, operations and other initiatives. She is the Directress of The Grove Montessori School and Lincolnshire Montessori School in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. As a certified (AMS) Montessori educator and with over 15 years of Montessori teaching and administration experience, including founding, owning, operating and directing existing, successful Montessori schools, Mina is a key counselor and contributor to the growth and success of South Loop Montessori School.

Sameer Shanbag, Administrative Director

As our Administrative Director, Sameer Shanbag manages the school's day-to-day operations. He has worked as a management consultant for a global consulting agency and as a corporate attorney for a large Chicago law firm. Throughout his career, Sameer has shown a dedication to education. Prior to attending law school, he was the business manager and administrator for a new engineering program at Northwestern University and was also a volunteer with the City Year AmeriCorps program where he taught literacy to kindergartners in a low-income Chicago Public School. He has also been an SAT teacher with The Princeton Review, involved in mentorship programs in undergrad and law school and worked with a large not-for-profit while at his law firm to teach legal concepts to Chicago Public School students. Sameer holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.
You can contact Sameer at sameer@southloopmontessori.org or (773) 263-5577.