AMI vs. AMI Montessori?

[Anonymous]

Anyone out there give me a clear understanding of what the differences are? From what I've seen so far the AMI schools seem to have higher tuitions, but seem to have more put-together classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Did you mean AMI vs AMS? Isn't there just a slight variation on style of instruction depending on which body certifies a teacher?

[Anonymous]

PP is correct. Signed, AMS Montessori teacher.

My school has both AMI and AMS teachers.

[Anonymous]

As explained to me by the director of a Montessori school in Alexandria, AMI is more rigorous in terms of teacher training/certification, but AMS is the much better structured option for the certification of a *school*.

Also, there is a popular conception of AMI as more "strict" Montessori, whereas AMS is supposed to be more flexible in terms of interpreting the philosophy.

[Anonymous]

Is AMI always more expensive? I checked out the AMI website and only Aidan is certified in DC...that place is SO expensive and impossible to get into unless you are a sibling. Only other choices are in VA or MD.

[Anonymous]

Is there any benefit to attending a school that is certified (vs attending one where all teachers are certified but the school is not)? As PP noted, there are few certified schools, a few more with all teachers that are certified, and then there are those with "Montessori" in the title but who have only partially certified teachers or have an otherwise "diluted" Montessori program.

[Anonymous]

In doing some quick research on Wikepidia, Dr. Maria Montessori and her personal assistant son, Mario Montessori, approved only the international organization, AMI.

AMS won the court battle to "steal" the Montessori name, against Dr. Maria Montessori's authorization or permission.

[Anonymous]

Franklin Montessori in NW DC is with AMS,
not AMI.
That explains why they need not answer uncomfortable questions, either to its parent body or its community, about the recent child left behind at the neighborhood playground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Franklin Montessori in NW DC is with AMS,
not AMI.
That explains why they need not answer uncomfortable questions, either to its parent body or its community, about the recent child left behind at the neighborhood playground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In doing some quick research on Wikepidia, Dr. Maria Montessori and her personal assistant son, Mario Montessori, approved only the international organization, AMI.

AMS won the court battle to "steal" the Montessori name, against Dr. Maria Montessori's authorization or permission.

This is most interesting to me...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Franklin Montessori in NW DC is with AMS,
not AMI.
That explains why they need not answer uncomfortable questions, either to its parent body or its community, about the recent child left behind at the neighborhood playground.

Can anyone elaborate on this story it seems to be mentioned anytime there is a thread on franklin but nothing that elaborates. Was the child harmed? How did staff realize the student was missing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Franklin Montessori in NW DC is with AMS,
not AMI.
That explains why they need not answer uncomfortable questions, either to its parent body or its community, about the recent child left behind at the neighborhood playground.

Can anyone elaborate on this story it seems to be mentioned anytime there is a thread on franklin but nothing that elaborates. Was the child harmed? How did staff realize the student was missing?

It was a big hush-hush scandal. Just ask the school yourself. But they wouldn't tell you anything.

[Anonymous]

Basically if one of the 6-10 teachers or aides had not paid and gone through AMS school in full and are active, the school must be AMI.

Tour them and see for yourself how strict each is. AMS and ami.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Franklin Montessori in NW DC is with AMS,
not AMI.
That explains why they need not answer uncomfortable questions, either to its parent body or its community, about the recent child left behind at the neighborhood playground.

Can anyone elaborate on this story it seems to be mentioned anytime there is a thread on franklin but nothing that elaborates. Was the child harmed? How did staff realize the student was missing?

Yes, I can elaborate. The primary classes go to Forest Hills playground a couple times a week. At the time of the incident, the teachers were supposed to do head counts at some set intervals during the trip, including as the very last step before returning to the school. Apparently, in this instance, the teacher did one last thing after conducting the final check (I forget the precise details; it was something like helping a student re-tie a shoe) and one of the children had wandered off.

The class returned to school without the child. I believe that the teacher realized the mistake prior to arriving back at Franklin, but by that time, a parent at the playground had already noticed the child was left behind and had called the school, so the school knew the child was missing before the supervising teacher did. The child was not harmed (other than in the sense that the entire situation sounds traumatic).

After the incident, the school director decided to handle it by instituting a set of additional safety policies (different checking procedure, introducing Franklin neckties with the school's phone number, her attending all playground trips personally for several months, etc.). The school director sent a letter to the parents listing the new safety procedures and a very general statement of why they were being instituted. The letter did not include a detailed description of the incident itself, though the school director did provide specifics if you asked her about it in person. Her reasoning was that the safety procedures were relevant to every parent at the school, but that the specifics of the incident itself were primarily a private matter involving that particular family, and that she should not share it without their permission.

The parents at the school were split about whether the director handled it correctly. I thought she did; what mattered to other parents was what the school was going to do to make sure the incident never happened again, and I thought she conveyed her prevention plan clearly and effectively. Others thought that she inherently had an obligation to spell out in more detail what happened to this particular child. I see their point of view, but disagree.

The parents of the child who got left behind decided not to withdraw the child from the school (at least for that school year; I don't know what they decided the following year).

[Anonymous]

The head of school still accompanies the group to the park, so if she's not available, they don't go.