The Sojourner Truth School - possible new public middle and high school option

[Anonymous]

So what is the plan to meet the academic and services needs of everyone while also keeping your affluent parents happy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this sounds like a set up to fail. Unless you give preference to Montessori feeders. Otherwise you may be getting a lot kids who are two or three grades behind by the time they start middle school and will need extensive support from teachers and that’s not what they will get from Montessori at that level.

Montessori done right is personalized learning that gives each kid what he or she needs. Children poorly served by a one size fits all approach can do great things in an individualized program.

Absolutely agree! People who are totally ignorant about Montessori support, I guess, traditional educational approaches that have been failing kids for decades. SMH.

Lee, which is spearheading this initiative isn't succeeding any better than any other school in this regard. Both Lee and SSMA are solidly 3-star.

In fact, Lee's ELA proficiency rate (4+) on PARCC is only 5% better than the DC average, and it is below the DC average in math proficiency. SSMA's achievement data is equally meh.

Yes, there are relatively few students in the testing grades, but let's not get carried about with the benefits of personalized learning, or complaints about traditional education failing students.

The only Montessori public in the city that is beating the city-wide proficiency averages in both ELA and math is LAMB (which many call Montessori-lite).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you cannot be even borderline respectful and polite, I don’t see why anyone should answer your questions, particularly since you likely won’t go to a planning meeting and be snippy and self-righteous in person.

This board, I tell you.

His idea to come here, and even if some PPs are rude, the questions are legit.

If the questions are legit and the PPs are justified in asking them, what, other than rudeness, is stopping them from asking questions in a non-condescending manner?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this sounds like a set up to fail. Unless you give preference to Montessori feeders. Otherwise you may be getting a lot kids who are two or three grades behind by the time they start middle school and will need extensive support from teachers and that’s not what they will get from Montessori at that level.

Montessori done right is personalized learning that gives each kid what he or she needs. Children poorly served by a one size fits all approach can do great things in an individualized program.

Absolutely agree! People who are totally ignorant about Montessori support, I guess, traditional educational approaches that have been failing kids for decades. SMH.

Lee, which is spearheading this initiative isn't succeeding any better than any other school in this regard. Both Lee and SSMA are solidly 3-star.

In fact, Lee's ELA proficiency rate (4+) on PARCC is only 5% better than the DC average, and it is below the DC average in math proficiency. SSMA's achievement data is equally meh.

Yes, there are relatively few students in the testing grades, but let's not get carried about with the benefits of personalized learning, or complaints about traditional education failing students.

The only Montessori public in the city that is beating the city-wide proficiency averages in both ELA and math is LAMB (which many call Montessori-lite).

Dude, Lee's testing group was tiny. Their 3rd grade was a third of a classroom last year, wasn't it?

[Anonymous]

I understand the need and desire for more support for at-risk / low income / special needs students across the District. I am admittedly not well versed in what is currently out there vs what could be (as my kid is in Kindergarten so we haven't really been immersed in the education system for very long). And I admit I could be more educated about it all.

But serious question - as a white, upper middle class, parent to a Kindergartner at a Montessori public charter in DC - should I not be supporting this school? Wouldn't more options be a good thing? I understand there are questions that need to be addressed and people want to make sure the founders are considering things across the spectrum. But yes, I would like another option for when my kid gets to MS and HS. If it's a continuation of how she's already been learning, then that's even better. We can't afford to send her to private school, so what am I supposed to do about living in the city and wanting to stay through the upper grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this sounds like a set up to fail. Unless you give preference to Montessori feeders. Otherwise you may be getting a lot kids who are two or three grades behind by the time they start middle school and will need extensive support from teachers and that’s not what they will get from Montessori at that level.

Montessori done right is personalized learning that gives each kid what he or she needs. Children poorly served by a one size fits all approach can do great things in an individualized program.

Absolutely agree! People who are totally ignorant about Montessori support, I guess, traditional educational approaches that have been failing kids for decades. SMH.

Lee, which is spearheading this initiative isn't succeeding any better than any other school in this regard. Both Lee and SSMA are solidly 3-star.

In fact, Lee's ELA proficiency rate (4+) on PARCC is only 5% better than the DC average, and it is below the DC average in math proficiency. SSMA's achievement data is equally meh.

Yes, there are relatively few students in the testing grades, but let's not get carried about with the benefits of personalized learning, or complaints about traditional education failing students.

The only Montessori public in the city that is beating the city-wide proficiency averages in both ELA and math is LAMB (which many call Montessori-lite).

Dude, Lee's testing group was tiny. Their 3rd grade was a third of a classroom last year, wasn't it?

And yet they are plowing ahead with expansion and growth into a new to DC model. I know technically they aren't because it's a 'new school,' but its one that is holding 60% of seats for students from feeders, so it's effectively an extension of Lee and SSMA.

My point is they need to wait, and see if their students are actually on track. No one has any reliable data -- and certainl y nto enough to assert that Montessori, as done in DC's public Montessori schools, is any better at serving children than traditional schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the need and desire for more support for at-risk / low income / special needs students across the District. I am admittedly not well versed in what is currently out there vs what could be (as my kid is in Kindergarten so we haven't really been immersed in the education system for very long). And I admit I could be more educated about it all.

But serious question - as a white, upper middle class, parent to a Kindergartner at a Montessori public charter in DC - should I not be supporting this school? Wouldn't more options be a good thing? I understand there are questions that need to be addressed and people want to make sure the founders are considering things across the spectrum. But yes, I would like another option for when my kid gets to MS and HS. If it's a continuation of how she's already been learning, then that's even better. We can't afford to send her to private school, so what am I supposed to do about living in the city and wanting to stay through the upper grades?

Attend one of the myriad schools that already exist in either sector. There is not a dearth of seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the need and desire for more support for at-risk / low income / special needs students across the District. I am admittedly not well versed in what is currently out there vs what could be (as my kid is in Kindergarten so we haven't really been immersed in the education system for very long). And I admit I could be more educated about it all.

But serious question - as a white, upper middle class, parent to a Kindergartner at a Montessori public charter in DC - should I not be supporting this school? Wouldn't more options be a good thing? I understand there are questions that need to be addressed and people want to make sure the founders are considering things across the spectrum. But yes, I would like another option for when my kid gets to MS and HS. If it's a continuation of how she's already been learning, then that's even better. We can't afford to send her to private school, so what am I supposed to do about living in the city and wanting to stay through the upper grades?

Asking real questions doesn't mean you don't support it. The DCPCSB will ask all these same things, so they might as well get their answers ready.

A school cannot succeed financially without enough kids, and there won't be good enough enrollment from the feeders to balance the books. So backfilling in the lottery is necessary. They need to think about how they will handle it.

[Anonymous]

There’s a link in OPs post for the school’s charter application. It goes into detail about the number of seats set aside for students of non-Montessori schools, as well as a plan for recruitment of low-income students. The plan looks like the vast majority of 6th graders will be students with no Montessori experience, and there are details about how this will be implemented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this sounds like a set up to fail. Unless you give preference to Montessori feeders. Otherwise you may be getting a lot kids who are two or three grades behind by the time they start middle school and will need extensive support from teachers and that’s not what they will get from Montessori at that level.

Montessori done right is personalized learning that gives each kid what he or she needs. Children poorly served by a one size fits all approach can do great things in an individualized program.

Absolutely agree! People who are totally ignorant about Montessori support, I guess, traditional educational approaches that have been failing kids for decades. SMH.

Lee, which is spearheading this initiative isn't succeeding any better than any other school in this regard. Both Lee and SSMA are solidly 3-star.

In fact, Lee's ELA proficiency rate (4+) on PARCC is only 5% better than the DC average, and it is below the DC average in math proficiency. SSMA's achievement data is equally meh.

Yes, there are relatively few students in the testing grades, but let's not get carried about with the benefits of personalized learning, or complaints about traditional education failing students.

The only Montessori public in the city that is beating the city-wide proficiency averages in both ELA and math is LAMB (which many call Montessori-lite).

Dude, Lee's testing group was tiny. Their 3rd grade was a third of a classroom last year, wasn't it?

There was also a small set of 4th graders. But agree it was a small enough cohort that the data just isn't in yet either way. I was surprised they even had to report since I thought you needed 25 test takers to report. But it is too early to congratulate themselves either.

There are kids that it is really hard to educate either because they have learning disabilities or other brain differences like adhd or because they are carrying social and/or emotional burdens. The thing I like about Montessori is that it can give these kids a safe place without competition and with personalized care. However, it's not clear yet whether it can move the needle academically for these kids.

One thing I wonder about, and I haven't read the report, is staffing. Will there be enough aides and assistants to provide redirection and personalized attention to the at risk kids and the non-montessori kids. Everyone in this thread assumes that it will be a high SES school, but the upper grades at Lee and SSMA look a lot like the upper grades at all the hrcs except YY and Lamb that cut off enrollment. In other words, more economically diverse than the lower grades. And as previously mentioned, these upper grades are small. They are not going to get 60% kids from Montessori feeders at first.

[Anonymous]

PP and I would say they are not going to hit 60% from feeders for years. It is great that Lee and SSMA and Breakthough have a way for their kids to continue in montessori, but the vast majority of kids will be new to the educational model. This is a truely progressive model of education that offers an alternative to teh vast majoirty of schools out there. And I can't imagine it will start off high SES. I would bet even many parents at the feeder schools will move to Latin as a known commodity if they can. There is no reason not to cheer it on.

[Anonymous]

I guess what would concern me is that, as a previous poster pointed out, Montessori high schools are rare, and it isn't clear that this is an effective model for teaching secondary level material. I am tired of " reforms " that are not backed up by data from solid , peer reviewed research, with pilot testing.

I am also concerned that a board member works for an education consulting firm. Hopefully, the Charter Board is keeping a close eye on potential conflicts of interest like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess what would concern me is that, as a previous poster pointed out, Montessori high schools are rare, and it isn't clear that this is an effective model for teaching secondary level material. I am tired of " reforms " that are not backed up by data from solid , peer reviewed research, with pilot testing.

I am also concerned that a board member works for an education consulting firm. Hopefully, the Charter Board is keeping a close eye on potential conflicts of interest like this.

Lol! They all have conflicts of interest like that.

[Anonymous]

They named a school after a rapper?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They named a school after a rapper?

OMG please tell me this is a joke. In case it isn't ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth