Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan

[Anonymous]

Per Henderson's announcement today:

•Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan (Ward 6) will convert from a pre-K to grade 5 school to a pre-K to grade 8 school and add more early childhood education seats.

[Anonymous]

The principal announced the extra seats at the Open House last night. 63 prek 3 spots and I think he said 20 new prek4 slots.

[Anonymous]

Great news! Really pleased--they're our top DCPS choice (no surprise), and maybe we'll actually have a snowball's chance in hell now.

[Anonymous]

Would love some feedback here from current parents, btw. Especially on elementary.

[Anonymous]

I spent time in the school as an outside observer a year or two ago. I love Montessori but the Capitol Hill elementary program is terrible. It's total chaos, the kids do no work, and the leadership is inept. It's a shame too because their primary programs are great and the philosophy of Montessori elementary is great - but that is not what Cap Hill is doing. It's total bedlam all day everyday and the classrooms are perpetually a total mess. Also - the lead teacher gives no lessons. I don't understand how she's even able to collect a paycheck she does so little teaching. I'd sooner leave kids unattended at Union Station then enroll them in CHM. I literally cannot believe that parents keep their kids in that place.

[Anonymous]

Previous Poster, you don't know if it was a year ago or two years ago that you visited?!?! I am not really paying much attention to your observations as a result....instead I am calling shenanigans!

[Anonymous]

Or, 19:05, I am a Montessori-trained teacher who is keeping his identity vague and his professional association with the school murky because the Montessori community isn't a large one.

I don't have a kid in the DC-metro area, so I really don't have a dog in the fight. But if you've been in the school, you know the elementary classrooms are horrifying.

[Anonymous]

As another "outside observer" I tend to agree. I've spoken with people intimate with the program since it was at Watkins and it really is chaotic.

Just go check it out for yourself. The younger grades may be calmer, but the older grades have very few boundaries.

[Anonymous]

On what basis were they given the go ahead to expand through 8th grade? Seems crazy. Assuming that no one can transfer in without a montessori background so they better be able to retain their current students. Seems like it will be a tiny program. DCPS decision making totally baffles me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On what basis were they given the go ahead to expand through 8th grade? Seems crazy. Assuming that no one can transfer in without a montessori background so they better be able to retain their current students. Seems like it will be a tiny program. DCPS decision making totally baffles me.

+1. I used to teach in a private middle school (not in DC) that had a Montessori school as one of its feeder elementary schools. The kids were socially well-prepared, but academically behind the students who came from the more traditional elementary schools. I think that Montessori is a great program for early years education, but older students need more structure so as not to be overwhelmed by the academic programs at most high schools and certainly at the college level. DCPS tends to make strange and erratic decisions that are not always well-grounded in pedagogy.

[Anonymous]

As VERY happy parent of a child in Logans primary program, this thread is concerning to me. I cannot speak to whether correct that the elementary program is so lacking, just hoping it is not. Any current elementary parents care to weigh in? I think you are truly the only ones who know here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As VERY happy parent of a child in Logans primary program, this thread is concerning to me. I cannot speak to whether correct that the elementary program is so lacking, just hoping it is not. Any current elementary parents care to weigh in? I think you are truly the only ones who know here.

Elementary was not a good experience for us and we ended up leaving. One child was in the huge class and the other was in a smaller class (teacher was there for one year).

[Anonymous]

9:14 have you observed the upper grades in action? I think there's a difference between self-guidance and virtually no boundaries. It's borderline Lord of the Flies in there...

[Anonymous]

This is 9:14, and not really aside from an open house. My childs primary class is very calm and the kids all seem enjoy what they are doing. Its my feeling now that if I get one of the 3 teachers there for elementary I will be happy and if I get one of the the other 2 I will not be. When we are closer to elementary I will take a hard look, but these posts do concern me for sure!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is 9:14, and not really aside from an open house. My childs primary class is very calm and the kids all seem enjoy what they are doing. Its my feeling now that if I get one of the 3 teachers there for elementary I will be happy and if I get one of the the other 2 I will not be. When we are closer to elementary I will take a hard look, but these posts do concern me for sure!

You've got to be drowning in the CHM@L koolaid for the upper grades not to concern you.