Lee Montessori - Brookland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

What's their explanation for the godawful test scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

Well yes, founding families tend to be super invested any school. But so what?

[Anonymous]

Op talk to people in your neighborhood, DCUM has nothing good to say about charters. They want you to stay at your title 1 school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

What's their explanation for the godawful test scores?

Not the PP, but basically, the one time (?) that any Lee kids took PARCC before this year, I don’t think they did a lot of test prep, and Montessori isn’t known for their computer usage. So there’s that. Supposedly they did more this year. So we’ll see if the scores are any better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op talk to people in your neighborhood, DCUM has nothing good to say about charters. They want you to stay at your title 1 school.

Hardly. DCUM is critical of charters that have the buzz for their nice preschool but fall short in upper elementary. And that's what Lee does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a few families with kids in the first class at Lee who are now in 6th grade. They love it and their kids are thriving. I see these kids a lot and they are wonderful and intelligent and curious. We also have friends who had kids there and left because it wasn't a good fit.

In other words, you'd get a very different impression of the school depending on who you happen to talk to.

What's their explanation for the godawful test scores?

Not the PP, but basically, the one time (?) that any Lee kids took PARCC before this year, I don’t think they did a lot of test prep, and Montessori isn’t known for their computer usage. So there’s that. Supposedly they did more this year. So we’ll see if the scores are any better?

That kind of rationalizing could excuse scoring a 3 rather than a 4. Not scoring a 1 rather than a 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op talk to people in your neighborhood, DCUM has nothing good to say about charters. They want you to stay at your title 1 school.

Hardly. DCUM is critical of charters that have the buzz for their nice preschool but fall short in upper elementary. And that's what Lee does.

Sure. Say whatever you want but people still choose charters over your title 1 school.

[Anonymous]

Besides the test scores issues, how are the actual teachers and classes at Lee? Do the students know appropriate age-level academic content and just not test well because Montessori doesn't usually test prep?

Do traditional DCPS and other charter schools spend a lot of class time doing test prep at the expense of other learning opportunities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op talk to people in your neighborhood, DCUM has nothing good to say about charters. They want you to stay at your title 1 school.

Hardly. DCUM is critical of charters that have the buzz for their nice preschool but fall short in upper elementary. And that's what Lee does.

Sure. Say whatever you want but people still choose charters over your title 1 school.

Some people do, some people don't. That's why our title 1 has increasing enrollment. Do some people want Montessori badly enough to overlook the issues at Lee? Sure. But it's not the no-brainer it used to be. And SSMA, well, the waitlist stats speak for themselves.

[Anonymous]

Lee did some PARCC-specific tutoring this year - an hour or so twice a week for about six weeks. Curious to see if it makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Longtime Lee parent here. Yes, the test scores suck. The reason is pretty obvious: much less time is spent learning the narrow academics tested on the PARCC test. I’m not saying those topics aren’t valuable, but it doesn’t mean your kid isn’t learning things, just that they’re not learning as much of those specific things. (I do think some of it is that they aren’t taught math and reading in the form it is tested by PARCC, but I don’t believe that’s the whole explanation.)

Most parents seem think it’s a terrific school and are happy to send their kids there every day. The five-year qualitative review from 2018 is worth reading. (Ok, it’s old, but I think it still applies.) The review is stellar. Lee quotes from it on their website:

“Classrooms were peaceful and quiet, and students were happy; lessons were well planned and taught with passion; students with all needs were fully supported; teachers understood the Montessori model and implemented it with fidelity.”

Report is here: https://dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2018-05-17-QSR-Report-Lee-Montessori-_Redacted.pdf

I also think the cliche that a Montessori education isn’t for every kid is true. My older kid probably would have been better off with more structure. Montessori expects kids to be motivated in part by their interests. The older one mostly did as little work as possible and could get away with it more than at a traditional school. Now in middle school they’re struggling with the stricter expectations and would probably have an easier time if those expectations were there since kindergarten.

The younger kid loves Lee and is tearing it up there. They’re able to work a year ahead on math because kids can work at their own level in Montessori. They’re interested in most of the lessons. They love that they can work with other kids whenever they want and talk (quietly) in class and move around. They love writing stories and can spend an hour or more doing that most days - provided it’s balanced with other work. They’re probably going to do great in middle school whether it’s Montessori or traditional.

So, yes, the test scores suck, but the total picture is a lot bigger than that.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if they’re going to have a principal for next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they’re going to have a principal for next year?

They announced the principal last week in a communication on PS as well as on social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they’re going to have a principal for next year?

They announced the principal last week in a communication on PS as well as on social media.

Does the new principal have Montessori experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Longtime Lee parent here. Yes, the test scores suck. The reason is pretty obvious: much less time is spent learning the narrow academics tested on the PARCC test. I’m not saying those topics aren’t valuable, but it doesn’t mean your kid isn’t learning things, just that they’re not learning as much of those specific things. (I do think some of it is that they aren’t taught math and reading in the form it is tested by PARCC, but I don’t believe that’s the whole explanation.)

Most parents seem think it’s a terrific school and are happy to send their kids there every day. The five-year qualitative review from 2018 is worth reading. (Ok, it’s old, but I think it still applies.) The review is stellar. Lee quotes from it on their website:

“Classrooms were peaceful and quiet, and students were happy; lessons were well planned and taught with passion; students with all needs were fully supported; teachers understood the Montessori model and implemented it with fidelity.”

Report is here: https://dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2018-05-17-QSR-Report-Lee-Montessori-_Redacted.pdf

I also think the cliche that a Montessori education isn’t for every kid is true. My older kid probably would have been better off with more structure. Montessori expects kids to be motivated in part by their interests. The older one mostly did as little work as possible and could get away with it more than at a traditional school. Now in middle school they’re struggling with the stricter expectations and would probably have an easier time if those expectations were there since kindergarten.

The younger kid loves Lee and is tearing it up there. They’re able to work a year ahead on math because kids can work at their own level in Montessori. They’re interested in most of the lessons. They love that they can work with other kids whenever they want and talk (quietly) in class and move around. They love writing stories and can spend an hour or more doing that most days - provided it’s balanced with other work. They’re probably going to do great in middle school whether it’s Montessori or traditional.

So, yes, the test scores suck, but the total picture is a lot bigger than that.

This is all very relatable. We are at another Montessori and with my older in lower El, not totally sure if she is more like your older or younger. Seems to be doing ok but I wonder if more traditional structures would benefit. Looking at test scores is a pretty rough way to gauge an education like this.