Lee Montessori open slots for 1st and 2nd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent at Lee, with a kid in the open grades, I can confirm the academics are lacking. The teachers are nice but the majority of parents I talk to all have tutors for math and/or reading. Yes, some of the problems with reading can be attributed to COVID but not all. The school even had tutoring for the kids last year taking the PARCC. The community is great but if you’re looking for academics this isn’t the place. I wish I had done more research and I think if the school put as much effort into the academics as they do restorative justice (which they don’t even do properly) you would see a big improvement. But they don’t because they are coasting on the decent ECE and the fact that it’s a nice campus with an involved parent community.

Thank you for your candor, PP. Are you going to stay at Lee, or leave?

Hit submit to soon. No we will look for other options in the coming year or 2, including DCPS again. I’m under no illusion that there is a perfect school, but I do expect that my kid should be on grade level. I also don’t supplement to push them ahead, but it’s really to get them on grade level especially reading after the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My eldest is in K at Lee and is working on precursory skills for multiplication after having already done addition and subtraction. The parents who complain about "lack" of academics likely don't understand how the Montessori method works, and probably would feel more comfortable at a school that drills their kids to do well on standardized tests. I just don't see that as a priority.

That's unusual for any kindergartener, it's possible your kid is simply naturally gifted at math and this has nothing to do with his school. Most kids do not start doing multiplication in K, whether Montessori or no.

It's not that people want their kids doing drills for standardized tests. Most parents hate that stuff. But pretty much all parents want their kids to learn to read, write, and do math at a competent level. Montessori often relies on the idea that children will naturally gravitate towards those things if they are offered in the right way, and for some kids that's true. And for some kids it's not true. It's easy to believe that your 3 yo will do well in Montessori, but once they've gotten past the pre-academic stuff, lots and lots of kids gravitate not towards academics but other things, and need more structure and focus in order to learn these basic skills.

I guarantee there are kids in your son's K class who can barely do any addition. And the question for them is whether they will get enough math this year to keep them at grade level. And the issue compounds after K because you are no longer doing foundational work but building on foundations. So if you lack sufficient phonemic awareness or have not mastered the concrete mathematical concepts, it is basically impossible for you to work on your reading comprehension or abstract math skills at grade levels.

Which is why parents often leave Lee and other Montessori programs in 1st or 2nd. It's not that they desperately crave rote memorization of standardized testing subjects. It's that their child is not performing at grade level on basic subjects and they worry that if they wait too long, the problem will compound and become harder to address. Parents with kids who LOVE math and reading and push themselves to go further in these subjects on their own don't get it and like to feel superior. But criticizing parents because they want their children to learn to read and do math is ridiculous.

Montessori is not for everyone, and it is especially not for everyone past ECE.

+1000. If I had a nickel for every ECE parent who thinks everything's great at their HRCS and the whiny complaining older-kid parents just don't understand [Montessori/immersion/their school's special sauce/whatever], I'd have enough to pay for 30 minutes of tutoring!

Look, it's hard to acknowledge that your lottery "win" isn't actually that great beyond ECE. But if your kid falls below grade level it's going to cost you in money and time to catch them up, and it can really affect their mental health. At some point you won't be a Montessori parent, or maybe you'll need them to be competent in math or reading to do some other activity. How long are you willing to wait for your child to be on grade level?

THIS. +100. I was this parent; I was proven very wrong as my child got older. By 3rd and 4th grade at my DS's former charter the outsized focus on community and social justice at the expense of foundational academics (multiplication, division, fractions) left him far behind grade level (even with expensive tutoring to support).

[phone] We were at a HRCS. At some point the outsized focus on social and emotional development seemed to be just a crutch or excuse for not supporting rigorous academics. The pandemic saved us because our school relied heavily on computer programs so our kid was able to advance, but that was in spite of, not because of, our HRCS. The irony is that the social and emotional stuff also failed because they treated 4th and 5th graders like ECE and the kids got over on all of the teachers.

FWIW I don't think this is specific to charters; I think this is par for the course in DC. We were fortunate to get out when our lottery came up roses. We sometimes sit around and ponder what we would have done had we not gotten lucky.

P.S. The term "supplementing" is gross and I really wish DCUM would stop using it. For generations parents have supported kids' learning outside the classroom without the need for yet another buzzword designed to reinforce how special and privileged they were.

+10000. Also, supplementing SUCKS. I already have 10 jobs; I don't want to be my children's' tutor/teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My eldest is in K at Lee and is working on precursory skills for multiplication after having already done addition and subtraction. The parents who complain about "lack" of academics likely don't understand how the Montessori method works, and probably would feel more comfortable at a school that drills their kids to do well on standardized tests. I just don't see that as a priority.

That's unusual for any kindergartener, it's possible your kid is simply naturally gifted at math and this has nothing to do with his school. Most kids do not start doing multiplication in K, whether Montessori or no.

It's not that people want their kids doing drills for standardized tests. Most parents hate that stuff. But pretty much all parents want their kids to learn to read, write, and do math at a competent level. Montessori often relies on the idea that children will naturally gravitate towards those things if they are offered in the right way, and for some kids that's true. And for some kids it's not true. It's easy to believe that your 3 yo will do well in Montessori, but once they've gotten past the pre-academic stuff, lots and lots of kids gravitate not towards academics but other things, and need more structure and focus in order to learn these basic skills.

I guarantee there are kids in your son's K class who can barely do any addition. And the question for them is whether they will get enough math this year to keep them at grade level. And the issue compounds after K because you are no longer doing foundational work but building on foundations. So if you lack sufficient phonemic awareness or have not mastered the concrete mathematical concepts, it is basically impossible for you to work on your reading comprehension or abstract math skills at grade levels.

Which is why parents often leave Lee and other Montessori programs in 1st or 2nd. It's not that they desperately crave rote memorization of standardized testing subjects. It's that their child is not performing at grade level on basic subjects and they worry that if they wait too long, the problem will compound and become harder to address. Parents with kids who LOVE math and reading and push themselves to go further in these subjects on their own don't get it and like to feel superior. But criticizing parents because they want their children to learn to read and do math is ridiculous.

Montessori is not for everyone, and it is especially not for everyone past ECE.

+1000. If I had a nickel for every ECE parent who thinks everything's great at their HRCS and the whiny complaining older-kid parents just don't understand [Montessori/immersion/their school's special sauce/whatever], I'd have enough to pay for 30 minutes of tutoring!

Look, it's hard to acknowledge that your lottery "win" isn't actually that great beyond ECE. But if your kid falls below grade level it's going to cost you in money and time to catch them up, and it can really affect their mental health. At some point you won't be a Montessori parent, or maybe you'll need them to be competent in math or reading to do some other activity. How long are you willing to wait for your child to be on grade level?

THIS. +100. I was this parent; I was proven very wrong as my child got older. By 3rd and 4th grade at my DS's former charter the outsized focus on community and social justice at the expense of foundational academics (multiplication, division, fractions) left him far behind grade level (even with expensive tutoring to support).

[phone] We were at a HRCS. At some point the outsized focus on social and emotional development seemed to be just a crutch or excuse for not supporting rigorous academics. The pandemic saved us because our school relied heavily on computer programs so our kid was able to advance, but that was in spite of, not because of, our HRCS. The irony is that the social and emotional stuff also failed because they treated 4th and 5th graders like ECE and the kids got over on all of the teachers.

FWIW I don't think this is specific to charters; I think this is par for the course in DC. We were fortunate to get out when our lottery came up roses. We sometimes sit around and ponder what we would have done had we not gotten lucky.

P.S. The term "supplementing" is gross and I really wish DCUM would stop using it. For generations parents have supported kids' learning outside the classroom without the need for yet another buzzword designed to reinforce how special and privileged they were.

+10000. Also, supplementing SUCKS. I already have 10 jobs; I don't want to be my children's' tutor/teacher.

While I agree supplementing sucks I also fear it's just the way it is now (Montessori or not). If you have an advanced kid who eats up the curriculum and asks for more, you wind up supplementing to keep them engaged (especially in DC where tracking is uncommon, particularly in elementary). And if your kid is below grade level, you have to supplement to catch them up. And even people with kids at grade level sometimes supplement because you worry that curriculum at your school is insufficiently preparing your kid for MS or HS. This last one is the most dubious but it's very common in DC.

I'd love to just send my kid to school and have faith they were learning what they need. I don't think that's how it works anymore though.

[Anonymous]

I’m laughing that we have heard from very few currently enrolled parents - 2? Maybe 3? One in favor of upper school and one who dissents…but still sends kid(s) to this school. Quite a few of you are ready to draw blood without any experience and are excited to vomit cliche Montessori criticisms seen across the country. Did you Google your talking points? Good job. Your inferiority complex is laughable at best but frightening at worst. Please, get some help.

No chip in the game as my kids are older and we have moved out of “state.” Here simply for the chatter and to itch my desire to shame rich (white) parents who want to control every HRCS they can slime their way into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m laughing that we have heard from very few currently enrolled parents - 2? Maybe 3? One in favor of upper school and one who dissents…but still sends kid(s) to this school. Quite a few of you are ready to draw blood without any experience and are excited to vomit cliche Montessori criticisms seen across the country. Did you Google your talking points? Good job. Your inferiority complex is laughable at best but frightening at worst. Please, get some help.

No chip in the game as my kids are older and we have moved out of “state.” Here simply for the chatter and to itch my desire to shame rich (white) parents who want to control every HRCS they can slime their way into.

Weird comment because many people on this thread are simply weighing in on their feelings about Montessori or about charters in DC in general, which is fine and allowed. Most of these comments are not even specifically critical of Lee but more talking about why a Montessori school might lose some families in 1st or 2nd, based on personal experiences. All of that might be useful to a family considering taking one of these empty spots at Lee. As numerous posters have said even while being critical, Montessori and Lee specifically could be the right school for the right kid. The comments here probably help parents get a sense of whether that applies to them.

Yet you are critical of these comments while offering literally nothing of value and stating that you don't even live in DC and are only here to shame people. Okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m laughing that we have heard from very few currently enrolled parents - 2? Maybe 3? One in favor of upper school and one who dissents…but still sends kid(s) to this school. Quite a few of you are ready to draw blood without any experience and are excited to vomit cliche Montessori criticisms seen across the country. Did you Google your talking points? Good job. Your inferiority complex is laughable at best but frightening at worst. Please, get some help.

No chip in the game as my kids are older and we have moved out of “state.” Here simply for the chatter and to itch my desire to shame rich (white) parents who want to control every HRCS they can slime their way into.

Weird comment because many people on this thread are simply weighing in on their feelings about Montessori or about charters in DC in general, which is fine and allowed. Most of these comments are not even specifically critical of Lee but more talking about why a Montessori school might lose some families in 1st or 2nd, based on personal experiences. All of that might be useful to a family considering taking one of these empty spots at Lee. As numerous posters have said even while being critical, Montessori and Lee specifically could be the right school for the right kid. The comments here probably help parents get a sense of whether that applies to them.

Yet you are critical of these comments while offering literally nothing of value and stating that you don't even live in DC and are only here to shame people. Okay.

“Offering literally nothing of value.” My apologies. I misunderstood this site. I did not know families came her and researched, with fidelity, schools that their children may/might/must/can/could attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m laughing that we have heard from very few currently enrolled parents - 2? Maybe 3? One in favor of upper school and one who dissents…but still sends kid(s) to this school. Quite a few of you are ready to draw blood without any experience and are excited to vomit cliche Montessori criticisms seen across the country. Did you Google your talking points? Good job. Your inferiority complex is laughable at best but frightening at worst. Please, get some help.

No chip in the game as my kids are older and we have moved out of “state.” Here simply for the chatter and to itch my desire to shame rich (white) parents who want to control every HRCS they can slime their way into.

Weird comment because many people on this thread are simply weighing in on their feelings about Montessori or about charters in DC in general, which is fine and allowed. Most of these comments are not even specifically critical of Lee but more talking about why a Montessori school might lose some families in 1st or 2nd, based on personal experiences. All of that might be useful to a family considering taking one of these empty spots at Lee. As numerous posters have said even while being critical, Montessori and Lee specifically could be the right school for the right kid. The comments here probably help parents get a sense of whether that applies to them.

Yet you are critical of these comments while offering literally nothing of value and stating that you don't even live in DC and are only here to shame people. Okay.

“Offering literally nothing of value.” My apologies. I misunderstood this site. I did not know families came her and researched, with fidelity, schools that their children may/might/must/can/could attend.

*here*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m laughing that we have heard from very few currently enrolled parents - 2? Maybe 3? One in favor of upper school and one who dissents…but still sends kid(s) to this school. Quite a few of you are ready to draw blood without any experience and are excited to vomit cliche Montessori criticisms seen across the country. Did you Google your talking points? Good job. Your inferiority complex is laughable at best but frightening at worst. Please, get some help.

No chip in the game as my kids are older and we have moved out of “state.” Here simply for the chatter and to itch my desire to shame rich (white) parents who want to control every HRCS they can slime their way into.

Weird comment because many people on this thread are simply weighing in on their feelings about Montessori or about charters in DC in general, which is fine and allowed. Most of these comments are not even specifically critical of Lee but more talking about why a Montessori school might lose some families in 1st or 2nd, based on personal experiences. All of that might be useful to a family considering taking one of these empty spots at Lee. As numerous posters have said even while being critical, Montessori and Lee specifically could be the right school for the right kid. The comments here probably help parents get a sense of whether that applies to them.

Yet you are critical of these comments while offering literally nothing of value and stating that you don't even live in DC and are only here to shame people. Okay.

“Offering literally nothing of value.” My apologies. I misunderstood this site. I did not know families came her and researched, with fidelity, schools that their children may/might/must/can/could attend.

I'm sorry your feelings are hurt that some people not his site don't like the school your kids USED to attend. Obviously things are going great for you guys now which is why you are getting upset about this now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m laughing that we have heard from very few currently enrolled parents - 2? Maybe 3? One in favor of upper school and one who dissents…but still sends kid(s) to this school. Quite a few of you are ready to draw blood without any experience and are excited to vomit cliche Montessori criticisms seen across the country. Did you Google your talking points? Good job. Your inferiority complex is laughable at best but frightening at worst. Please, get some help.

No chip in the game as my kids are older and we have moved out of “state.” Here simply for the chatter and to itch my desire to shame rich (white) parents who want to control every HRCS they can slime their way into.

Weird comment because many people on this thread are simply weighing in on their feelings about Montessori or about charters in DC in general, which is fine and allowed. Most of these comments are not even specifically critical of Lee but more talking about why a Montessori school might lose some families in 1st or 2nd, based on personal experiences. All of that might be useful to a family considering taking one of these empty spots at Lee. As numerous posters have said even while being critical, Montessori and Lee specifically could be the right school for the right kid. The comments here probably help parents get a sense of whether that applies to them.

Yet you are critical of these comments while offering literally nothing of value and stating that you don't even live in DC and are only here to shame people. Okay.

“Offering literally nothing of value.” My apologies. I misunderstood this site. I did not know families came her and researched, with fidelity, schools that their children may/might/must/can/could attend.

I'm sorry your feelings are hurt that some people not his site don't like the school your kids USED to attend. Obviously things are going great for you guys now which is why you are getting upset about this now.

+100000 I thought it was pathetic when people attending schools had their self worth tied up in those schools and their beloved pedagogies. But now comes someone so invested in their experience at an elementary school their kids don't even attend, living outside of DC where they could not return to those schools, whose life and self worth are so lacking that THIS is what they do? Yikes! Makes the rest of us seem downright normal.

[Anonymous]

I'm baffled that so many of you rely on school to teach your children how to fold towels and prep fruit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm baffled that so many of you rely on school to teach your children how to fold towels and prep fruit.

+1 these are not things I'm looking for in a school and definitely not things I'd sacrifice academics for.

Though to be fair, I do not think Lee or other Montessori schools actually focus on this. When we toured Lee the focus was on academics with a Montessori structure. I still think that structure just doesn't work for all kids, but I don't actually think they are sacrificing math in order to teach your children how to wipe down tables. I just think some kids prefer wiping down tables to doing math and therefore may not get as much math in a Montessori environment as they would in a traditional classroom.

[Anonymous]

Here is more food for thought from a current family. They have open spots for 1/2 grades but they also don’t have a permanent teacher for the 3rd lower elementary where these kids would potentially sit. The assistant principal is teaching that class while the hired teacher is still working out visa issues. Quite a few long term, favorite teachers left at the end of last year, including two lower elementary leads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is more food for thought from a current family. They have open spots for 1/2 grades but they also don’t have a permanent teacher for the 3rd lower elementary where these kids would potentially sit. The assistant principal is teaching that class while the hired teacher is still working out visa issues. Quite a few long term, favorite teachers left at the end of last year, including two lower elementary leads.

Why did so many teachers leave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is more food for thought from a current family. They have open spots for 1/2 grades but they also don’t have a permanent teacher for the 3rd lower elementary where these kids would potentially sit. The assistant principal is teaching that class while the hired teacher is still working out visa issues. Quite a few long term, favorite teachers left at the end of last year, including two lower elementary leads.

Why did so many teachers leave?

Do you read the news?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is more food for thought from a current family. They have open spots for 1/2 grades but they also don’t have a permanent teacher for the 3rd lower elementary where these kids would potentially sit. The assistant principal is teaching that class while the hired teacher is still working out visa issues. Quite a few long term, favorite teachers left at the end of last year, including two lower elementary leads.

Now that is relevant information. One thing coming into a new school after the start of the year, another thing to come in to a temporary sub (though I’m sure the AP is quite capable) and have to do another transition when the permanent teacher arrives. Food for thought.

Agreed that teacher shortages are everywhere and not reflective of Lee specifically