Lee Montessori for Black Children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question.

What exactly would a director of equity do? Are they supposed to interact with students and families? Advise administrators or teachers?

Guessing that they would mainly work on recruitment - clearly Lee needs a better plan to diversify their teachers, which may mean pathways for training new teachers of color as well. They also should advise teachers and admins and somehow aim to improve the outcomes for minorities. Less clear how they do that part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They need to put their money where their mouth is an hire African American Latinx etc lead teachers and administrators and a Cultural Competency person.
They need to learn how to reach kids of all colors and SES levels. No matter the color kids that have possible come from a very structured school or lack of free choice and self motivated learning situation will need extra help to adjust.

They have at least two African American leads on the Brookland campus, as well as a newly hired Director of Equity who I think came from LAMB?

They have ZERO African american leads. ZERO

How can you say that? My child's lead guide is African American. This is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of fact which can easily be proven. I agree that the school needs more leads who are African American, but lying about the facts doesn't further that position.

They have at least two, one primary and one elementary. And there is a fully Montessori-trained assistant this year who I imagine will take on a class next year. These positions are all relatively new, so maybe the pp is someone previously at the school. But it is all public on the website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They need to put their money where their mouth is an hire African American Latinx etc lead teachers and administrators and a Cultural Competency person.
They need to learn how to reach kids of all colors and SES levels. No matter the color kids that have possible come from a very structured school or lack of free choice and self motivated learning situation will need extra help to adjust.

They have at least two African American leads on the Brookland campus, as well as a newly hired Director of Equity who I think came from LAMB?

They have ZERO African american leads. ZERO

Not true!

[Anonymous]

Any African American parents have any insight on what is happening at Lee?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They need to put their money where their mouth is an hire African American Latinx etc lead teachers and administrators and a Cultural Competency person.
They need to learn how to reach kids of all colors and SES levels. No matter the color kids that have possible come from a very structured school or lack of free choice and self motivated learning situation will need extra help to adjust.

They have at least two African American leads on the Brookland campus, as well as a newly hired Director of Equity who I think came from LAMB?

Two out of how many leads in the classroom? 7 or 8?

I wonder if part of the challenge is finding a diverse pool of Montessori-trained educators. This could be a situation where a teaching fellows program like what IT and Appletree have would be useful.

Bingo!
You want diverse, trained and amazing educators no? A lot of POCs who would theoretically have the chops go straight into other fields. A school based program that lured them in and trained them (hopefully for free)is smart. You all know how low paid teaching starting salaries are ... you have to up the offer to find these amazing diverse teachers. Btw, everyone else is competing for them as well .
.

Why are they so rare?

Also, I think white people who have the potential to become amazing educators are more likely to have family money to offset the low salaries. Their AA counterparts are less likely to have family money, and so may look to more lucrative fields to enter.

Traditionally, Montessori teachers worked in preschools and private schools, where salaries are low. You take those jobs if you are young and single or if you marry a banker. I grew up middle class, and I would never have thought I could take a job like that and eat regularly.

[Anonymous]

Any Hispanic parents have any insights on what is going on at Lee?

[Anonymous]

Has the administration made any statement in regard to what is happening and how they plan to address it?

[Anonymous]

So does Lee have anything to say about its PARCC scores?

[Anonymous]

Bump - still waiting to hear what Lee’s response has been and what they Have planned to address this mess.

[Anonymous]

Only 33 students were tested. Please keep that in mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump - still waiting to hear what Lee’s response has been and what they Have planned to address this mess.

+1. Dudes your test scores are not that much better than Langley's, and they have 49% at-risk and an autism classroom and a behavior support special classroom too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump - still waiting to hear what Lee’s response has been and what they Have planned to address this mess.

What's the "mess"? Lee is judged according to its PMF score. Even IF it completely under serves black children or special ed children or any particular group, it will do fine on the PMF because those children are not a large part of its student body. Lee was approved to expand even though its PARCC scores are below average for all kids. Parents value Montessori programs and it may be that test scores for Lee aren't truly reflective of what students know and can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bump - still waiting to hear what Lee’s response has been and what they Have planned to address this mess.

What's the "mess"? Lee is judged according to its PMF score. Even IF it completely under serves black children or special ed children or any particular group, it will do fine on the PMF because those children are not a large part of its student body. Lee was approved to expand even though its PARCC scores are below average for all kids. Parents value Montessori programs and it may be that test scores for Lee aren't truly reflective of what students know and can do.

Do you think the way they calculate the PMF score will change after the embarrassment of several Tier 1 charters getting low 3 stars?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bump - still waiting to hear what Lee’s response has been and what they Have planned to address this mess.

What's the "mess"? Lee is judged according to its PMF score. Even IF it completely under serves black children or special ed children or any particular group, it will do fine on the PMF because those children are not a large part of its student body. Lee was approved to expand even though its PARCC scores are below average for all kids. Parents value Montessori programs and it may be that test scores for Lee aren't truly reflective of what students know and can do.

Do you think the way they calculate the PMF score will change after the embarrassment of several Tier 1 charters getting low 3 stars?

The PMF is revised periodically anyway. I expect it will change to place more empahsis on performance of at-risk kids. It's embarrassing to the whole sector that at-risk kids at supposedly Tier 1 schools are not performing better. See the data presented by TenSquare at a recent meeting.

Tier 3 schools tend to lose their high-income parents, especially if they get wind of a possible shutdown, so they are unlikely to still be a high-income school by the time their review year rolls around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bump - still waiting to hear what Lee’s response has been and what they Have planned to address this mess.

What's the "mess"? Lee is judged according to its PMF score. Even IF it completely under serves black children or special ed children or any particular group, it will do fine on the PMF because those children are not a large part of its student body. Lee was approved to expand even though its PARCC scores are below average for all kids. Parents value Montessori programs and it may be that test scores for Lee aren't truly reflective of what students know and can do.

Do you think the way they calculate the PMF score will change after the embarrassment of several Tier 1 charters getting low 3 stars?

The PMF is revised periodically anyway. I expect it will change to place more empahsis on performance of at-risk kids. It's embarrassing to the whole sector that at-risk kids at supposedly Tier 1 schools are not performing better. See the data presented by TenSquare at a recent meeting.

Tier 3 schools tend to lose their high-income parents, especially if they get wind of a possible shutdown, so they are unlikely to still be a high-income school by the time their review year rolls around.

Which tier 3 schools are/were high income?