Lee Montessori infant and toddler program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if Lee has the best of intentions, isn't the idea of charging money for tuition for some kids at a free public charter school anlittle problematic? Couldn't a school like... Say, Basis, take this and run with it by adding pay classes to their public charter schools? Doesn't all of this take away more slots for public classrooms? Is it "only being for a few babies" a safe excuse?

On the one hand I do agree that it's problematic, on the other it's not accurate to suggest that Basis or any other charter school could add fee paying students. the only reason that it (might) be ok to do this for Lee is because by law 1 and 2 year olds are not part of the school environment. If Basis wanted to open a classroom for adult students and charge them a fee, that might be a better comparison.

Huh? Anyone can open a fee based school. It's called private school. It just has to be a separate entity from the charter school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And you can totally add 7 and 8 year olds with no Montessori experience. Believe it or not, Montessori education is not rocket science.

a
Says someone who knows absolutely nothing about Montessori and has no understanding what is involved in doing this.

(You know why LAMB doesn't take kids past PK4? It's not because of the language, it's because of the Montessori. Likewise, Logan Montessori and ANY private Montessori will not take kids past K without prior-Montessori experience).

I don't think Oneness Family School has any prior Montessori requirement and you can now apply there for all grades up to 10th. Waterfront Academy has no prior Montessori requirement. And Montessori School of Northern Virginia doesn't have a hard and fast rule but says "Parents considering the elementary program for their children beyond the first grade level who have not had previous Montessori experience should contact the Admissions Director before applying."

So it's not as simple as you're describing. If charters want equality of funding and access to all DCPS buildings they shouldn't be able to exclude the most challenging or challenged students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And you can totally add 7 and 8 year olds with no Montessori experience. Believe it or not, Montessori education is not rocket science.

a
Says someone who knows absolutely nothing about Montessori and has no understanding what is involved in doing this.

(You know why LAMB doesn't take kids past PK4? It's not because of the language, it's because of the Montessori. Likewise, Logan Montessori and ANY private Montessori will not take kids past K without prior-Montessori experience).

I don't think Oneness Family School has any prior Montessori requirement and you can now apply there for all grades up to 10th. Waterfront Academy has no prior Montessori requirement. And Montessori School of Northern Virginia doesn't have a hard and fast rule but says "Parents considering the elementary program for their children beyond the first grade level who have not had previous Montessori experience should contact the Admissions Director before applying."

So it's not as simple as you're describing. If charters want equality of funding and access to all DCPS buildings they shouldn't be able to exclude the most challenging or challenged students.

Waterfront academy has been open what, one year? Not quite? I thought they were closing? The policy of the Montessori School of Northern Virginia proves my point, not yours. Of course some kids can be accommodated, but it's going to be difficult and it won't work for someone who isn't committed to it. And Oneness family school? Tell me, who exactly accredits them? AMI or AMS?

[Anonymous]

I've seen it done very successfully, and I don't want to go into details because the program isn't large. But trust me, person who probably does not even have a child in an elementary grade yet at all, it can work very well. Our experiences have been very positive.

And happened at an accredited school.

Can I ask--i think I have before--if people can refrain from being Montessori purist snobs? Especially if their children are still young to read?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen it done very successfully, and I don't want to go into details because the program isn't large. But trust me, person who probably does not even have a child in an elementary grade yet at all, it can work very well. Our experiences have been very positive.

And happened at an accredited school.

Can I ask--i think I have before--if people can refrain from being Montessori purist snobs? Especially if their children are still young to read?

You're the anti-Montessori poster with the axe to grind. At every opportunity you bash lamb or Lee or any other school that you feel owes your special snowflake admission. I get it, you're angry that you moved to DC too late to be admitted to some of these schools. But at the end of the day there aren't enough spots at some of these schools for everyone. It sucks and that's why we need to fix neighborhood schools.

But all of your arguments don't make any sense. And all of them boil down to, but I want MY kid to do these things!

[Anonymous]

No. I love Montessori. I love our Montessori school. We didn't apply to any others and I am so not sad about that. I just can't believe the amount of sniping and infighting that goes on here. Really. So not jealous of you!

Do you know that everyone who has a different opinion than yours, or a critical observation is not jealous? I don't think you do.

How depressing for your school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen it done very successfully, and I don't want to go into details because the program isn't large. But trust me, person who probably does not even have a child in an elementary grade yet at all, it can work very well. Our experiences have been very positive.

And happened at an accredited school.

Can I ask--i think I have before--if people can refrain from being Montessori purist snobs? Especially if their children are still young to read?

The program not being large might be the key here. And yes, I do have children in elementary so, "person who has an axe to grind" stop making assumptions based on your own prejudices. If I didn't have children in elementary I wouldn't know how hard it is to integrate children who don't have a Montessori background after first grade. And the term Montessori purist would never be applied to me, but perhaps that's because my kids can read?

[Anonymous]

What, exactly, is so impossible to integrate? What special skills are preschoolers learning that makes it impossible to integrate an 8 year old?

My children are at a school that accepts kids at all grade levels. And yes, sometimes kids who come in later grades have trouble adjusting, because they come from very different school environments.

But we are talking about PUBLIC schools. They should not be able to deny admission to a kid because they might be a little behind the curve.

Our DCPS serve many children who are learning English for the first time. Do they deny a 3rd grader admission because the kid just arrived from El Salvador? No. They remediate the kid in English. Why shouldn't charter schools do the same for Montessori or Spanish or French or Mandarin?

[Anonymous]

Montessori fanatics would tell you it is totally different, and then accuse you of being me--and stupid.

Plus, jealous, because you didn't get into Lea or Lamb.

But I agree with you--it is not that different. Kids are pretty flexible and given the right impetus, they all learn fantastically.

However, DC is full of insecure people--and perhaps some schools cultivate this mindset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What, exactly, is so impossible to integrate? What special skills are preschoolers learning that makes it impossible to integrate an 8 year old?

My children are at a school that accepts kids at all grade levels. And yes, sometimes kids who come in later grades have trouble adjusting, because they come from very different school environments.

But we are talking about PUBLIC schools. They should not be able to deny admission to a kid because they might be a little behind the curve.

Our DCPS serve many children who are learning English for the first time. Do they deny a 3rd grader admission because the kid just arrived from El Salvador? No. They remediate the kid in English. Why shouldn't charter schools do the same for Montessori or Spanish or French or Mandarin?

Why should public CHARTER schools spend money and time remediating students in Montessori or language when it goes against their charter to do so? Charter schools in DC are here for specialized purposes- such as language, Montessori, etc. If accepting more students doesn't go against the principles of their charter, they accept more students. If it would go against their charter, they don't. It's as simple as that.

[Anonymous]

You seem confused by the term public I think. Public schools must take anyone, at all times. Charter schools can limit admission. This is why you see Janney, for example, grow in size despite large classrooms because they have to take everyone. Creative Minds charter school has small class sizes because they can say "it's part of our charter to have small classrooms". Otherwise charter schools would balloon in size and they would become essentially public schools, not public charter schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What, exactly, is so impossible to integrate? What special skills are preschoolers learning that makes it impossible to integrate an 8 year old?

My children are at a school that accepts kids at all grade levels. And yes, sometimes kids who come in later grades have trouble adjusting, because they come from very different school environments.

But we are talking about PUBLIC schools. They should not be able to deny admission to a kid because they might be a little behind the curve.

Our DCPS serve many children who are learning English for the first time. Do they deny a 3rd grader admission because the kid just arrived from El Salvador? No. They remediate the kid in English. Why shouldn't charter schools do the same for Montessori or Spanish or French or Mandarin?

It's not impossible. No-one said it was impossible. And no one is denying your 8 year old admission to Lee. Only LAMB prevents access at K and beyond. But it is difficult, and particularly difficult if multiple kids join a class during elementary - the elementary community will have already been established and the kids are very bonded. The primary classroom lays the foundation for everything in elementary. For example, the math materials all build on one another. To join in 3rd grade the child would not have the grounding in math that Montessori kids have. They likely would not have the number sense that the Montessori kids have at that point. But they won't want to go back and start with the materials that the pre-schoolers would be using because they have already been working on math (on paper) in their previous school. So, how does that kid learn in the same way as his or her peers in the Montessori classroom? Remember, Montessori kids learn from each other at this stage. They do not have a teacher standing at the front of the class explaining tasks constantly, nor do they have extended one on one time with the teacher. That 8 year old is used to sitting in a class and being told what to do -- having everyone working on the same thing. They have not had several years of working independently and choosing their own work. Montessori teachers integrating older children in to the classroom have to find ways to incorporate incentives because children who don't have the Montessori background don't have the same level of self motivation. Also, the class works on a three year cycle. A child joining part way through that cycle has to catch up on the previous one or two years. This is even true of kindergartners. And a new kid a child entering in year three doesn't have the same level of leadership responsibility than if they have been there for the previous two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You seem confused by the term public I think. Public schools must take anyone, at all times. Charter schools can limit admission. This is why you see Janney, for example, grow in size despite large classrooms because they have to take everyone. Creative Minds charter school has small class sizes because they can say "it's part of our charter to have small classrooms". Otherwise charter schools would balloon in size and they would become essentially public schools, not public charter schools.

Charter schools ARE public schools. Where does Logan fit into this world you describe? It's a DCPS and they limit admission to those with previous Montessori experience. That blows your "must take anyone at all times" theory out of the water.

Lee DOES NOT RESTRICT ACCESS. If there are open spots beyond K they fill them. I don't even know why you are so hell bent on having this argument. Yes, it is advantageous to keep your classes filled with kids who started in PK3, but no-one is denying access to a 1st or 2nd grader. And next year, if there are open spots in 3rd grade, no doubt they will be filled too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem confused by the term public I think. Public schools must take anyone, at all times. Charter schools can limit admission. This is why you see Janney, for example, grow in size despite large classrooms because they have to take everyone. Creative Minds charter school has small class sizes because they can say "it's part of our charter to have small classrooms". Otherwise charter schools would balloon in size and they would become essentially public schools, not public charter schools.

Charter schools ARE public schools. Where does Logan fit into this world you describe? It's a DCPS and they limit admission to those with previous Montessori experience. That blows your "must take anyone at all times" theory out of the water.

Lee DOES NOT RESTRICT ACCESS. If there are open spots beyond K they fill them. I don't even know why you are so hell bent on having this argument. Yes, it is advantageous to keep your classes filled with kids who started in PK3, but no-one is denying access to a 1st or 2nd grader. And next year, if there are open spots in 3rd grade, no doubt they will be filled too.

Lee does limit admission as the waitlist far out numbers the number of kids admitted.

And i was discussing dcps versus charter schools. Logan is not a by-right dcps school. As in, there is no guaranteed admission for inbounds kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem confused by the term public I think. Public schools must take anyone, at all times. Charter schools can limit admission. This is why you see Janney, for example, grow in size despite large classrooms because they have to take everyone. Creative Minds charter school has small class sizes because they can say "it's part of our charter to have small classrooms". Otherwise charter schools would balloon in size and they would become essentially public schools, not public charter schools.

Charter schools ARE public schools. Where does Logan fit into this world you describe? It's a DCPS and they limit admission to those with previous Montessori experience. That blows your "must take anyone at all times" theory out of the water.

Lee DOES NOT RESTRICT ACCESS. If there are open spots beyond K they fill them. I don't even know why you are so hell bent on having this argument. Yes, it is advantageous to keep your classes filled with kids who started in PK3, but no-one is denying access to a 1st or 2nd grader. And next year, if there are open spots in 3rd grade, no doubt they will be filled too.

Lee does limit admission as the waitlist far out numbers the number of kids admitted.

And i was discussing dcps versus charter schools. Logan is not a by-right dcps school. As in, there is no guaranteed admission for inbounds kids.

Additionally, as I said earlier, charter schools can elect to fill their classes with older kids as long as they feel it won't violate their charter. In recent years, charter schools haven't been approved if they limit access to the upper grades. So their charter does not say, as LAMB and Yu Ying do, that they must limit admission to certain grade levels.