Reply to Lee Montessori open slots for 1st and 2nd

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3). [/quote]

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?[/quote]

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.[/quote]

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.[/quote]

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.[/quote]

What if you see 4-5 children doing advanced math and other children doing almost no math at all? Without a way to measure what kids are learning (if you have to just disregard PARCC because you don’t think it’s a good measure), how do you know how the school does on this point on average. Most schools have outlier kids who are working above grade level. But as a prospective parent, you might want to know how the school does with kids who are average or below average. Even if your child is advanced in some areas, most kids have areas where they struggle.

You are asking parents to take it on faith that their child will get the education they need, based purely on belief in Montessori methods. If that’s the expectation, it’s unsurprising that the school loses many families after ECE because even among people who like Montessori, it is hard to just assume it will all work out for your child specifically. My guess is that these fears were compounded this year by several well-liked teachers leaving the school. It leaves a lot of unknowns.

I’m not a fan of PARCC but I’m at a loss for what to do with a school that doesn’t believe in any form of standardized assessment. High SES families might do okay there but this is sketchy for MC and poor kids who are not guaranteed the same level of resources and support in the future. And I’m not sure that public funds should be going to a school that doesn’t serve low-Income kids well and doesn’t believe they need to be assessed on the same metrics as other public schools.[/quote]

The beauty of Montessori is that every kid has an individualized education plan. They meet the kids where they are at. Some kids will excel in some areas and with limits (they can’t do math 100 percent of the time if they want for example) they can go wherever they are ready. Other kids will need extra help and they get that too.[b] [b]If you leave before the three year cycle iis up you don’t see the full rewards.[/b][/quote]

This sounds like something Bernie Madoff said to his investors.[/quote]

+1, all of this is the sales pitch you get at private Montessori schools. With a wealthy, highly educated parent base it’s even persuasive because the private schools get full buy in by families and major at home support. I have done good friends whose kids are at a private montessori that seems amazing. The mom is a SAHM and the dad is a math professor. The kids do awesome but let’s get real— they’d do awesome anywhere.

To do public Montessori you need to be able to adjust the program so it works EVEN IF a family doesn’t “follow montessori philosophy at home.” Even if some kids aren’t getting lots of academic encouragement or support at home. Even if the child’s parents don’t have the time or point of reference to go in the classroom and check learning levels. You need ways to make this work for a broader audience.

I like Montessori but it’s unreasonable to expect a public school system to conform to the Montessori system. You need to be able to adapt the system to public schools and most importantly, the public school population.[/quote]

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