Montessori School of Arlington -REVIEWS NEEDED

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here...I am also trying to find out about the school culture. Did you get to meet other parents? Get to know the parents in your DC's grade? Have an organized feeling from the teacher? Get information about what is going on in the classroom?

We are coming from years of private school experiences ($ doesn't buy you a way out of the current state of education in this area when you don't want to be at the $40K and above pricetag) but youngest child doesn't have a great crop of students at her current private school. She needs a wider pool of kiddos. And our neighborhood APS school is the absolute pits.

Thanks for any insights!

Private doesn't work for you. Your neighborhood public school doesn't work for you. Perhaps you should try homeschooling for a better crop of peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kid is dyslexic and struggled until we went private. And the Montessori Mafia (the boosters) is intense.

yes, they rival Nottingham ES, ATS supporters, and HBW-ers. They just go under the radar a bit more and wrap it all up in the serving the underprivileged kids blanket.

There isn't anything under the radar about them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kid is dyslexic and struggled until we went private. And the Montessori Mafia (the boosters) is intense.

yes, they rival Nottingham ES, ATS supporters, and HBW-ers. They just go under the radar a bit more and wrap it all up in the serving the underprivileged kids blanket.

There isn't anything under the radar about them

+1 AMAC is very well organized and very loud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is Montessori like for middle school? Are kids prepared well for high school?

My first was not at all, so we didn't send the second

[Anonymous]

OP there is a parent group for the school on Facebook. You should join and ask your question there.

[Anonymous]

Go to AEM to see Montessori parents losing it over the new JFAC proposal. Spoiler alert - they don't like it much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to AEM to see Montessori parents losing it over the new JFAC proposal. Spoiler alert - they don't like it much.

Arlington Montessori's goal for years has been to get their own brand new school building and expand to 12th grade. That is their sole focus. They are about to get as close to it as they ever will by getting a newly renovated-to-Montessori-specs Career Center building. Changing the plan (again) now, puts them in another existing old building and delays expansion of the program.

[Anonymous]

If people don’t like Montessori then don’t send your kids there. There’s no need for so much hate. Also if Arlington is offering Montessori shouldn’t it be to the needed specs…otherwise why do it half-way! I don’t see an issue with them getting the facilities that they need to properly carry out the program as it was intended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is Montessori like for middle school? Are kids prepared well for high school?

My first was not at all, so we didn't send the second

DP. Can you give more info? Gunston is our neighborhood middle school and we've considering staying in it for the smallness of the program within a program. We like MPSA well enough but concerned if middle may not be preparatory enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to AEM to see Montessori parents losing it over the new JFAC proposal. Spoiler alert - they don't like it much.

Lol option parent tears. They aren’t being catered to like they used to in the olden days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to AEM to see Montessori parents losing it over the new JFAC proposal. Spoiler alert - they don't like it much.

Arlington Montessori's goal for years has been to get their own brand new school building and expand to 12th grade. That is their sole focus. They are about to get as close to it as they ever will by getting a newly renovated-to-Montessori-specs Career Center building. Changing the plan (again) now, puts them in another existing old building and delays expansion of the program.

APS doesn’t owe them an expansion of their program. These people are so entitled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is Montessori like for middle school? Are kids prepared well for high school?

My first was not at all, so we didn't send the second

Can you tell us more? Part of the appeal of the elementary school is that kids can work above grade level given the mix of grades in each class. I was hoping middle would be a good option too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to AEM to see Montessori parents losing it over the new JFAC proposal. Spoiler alert - they don't like it much.

Arlington Montessori's goal for years has been to get their own brand new school building and expand to 12th grade. That is their sole focus. They are about to get as close to it as they ever will by getting a newly renovated-to-Montessori-specs Career Center building. Changing the plan (again) now, puts them in another existing old building and delays expansion of the program.

APS doesn’t owe them an expansion of their program. These people are so entitled.

They also whined earlier this year about needing more access to intensified classes so they can attend TJHSST. These people just want taxpayers to pay for a private school for their snowflakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to AEM to see Montessori parents losing it over the new JFAC proposal. Spoiler alert - they don't like it much.

I saw the comments about Mary not supporting this idea. That school board fiasco and the people trying to blame her makes more sense now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If people don’t like Montessori then don’t send your kids there. There’s no need for so much hate. Also if Arlington is offering Montessori shouldn’t it be to the needed specs…otherwise why do it half-way! I don’t see an issue with them getting the facilities that they need to properly carry out the program as it was intended.

I'm venturing a guess that people who don't like Montessori already are not sending their kids there. Nevertheless, not liking the Montessori parent advocacy group isn't necessarily anti-Montessori. Also, just stating observations about the group does not necessarily mean someone hates Montessori.

But yes, if Arlington is going to offer Montessori, it should be done to Montessori specifications and guidelines. In that vein, it should be serving more - and more significantly poor students. And if doing it properly costs extra, APS should reconsider offering it.