Reply to Franklin Montessori Darnestown Rd, MD closed for 3 months, no proactive tuition adjustments.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We are also at Franklin...

We are at Franklin Montessori in Gaithersburg.  Even though all families had paid tuition through May, our school decided to furlough teachers in late March (after the school rightly closed in mid-March). Franklin later, after significant pressure from parents who were upset that the school had decided to not pay teachers AND maintain its stance of providing no tuition breaks, offered only to families who asked for a refund a "credit" for two months tuition to be applied against future tuition.  Franklin is still charging full tuition despite not being open: some monthly payers were able to use the credit to offset the last two tuition payments of this school year, while annual and semester payers must return to Franklin for the 2020-21 school year if they want to use the credit.  The only families who will receive a refund in lieu of the credit are the families whose children will be in first grade for the 2020-21 school year and thus will be ineligible to attend Franklin.

After receiving PPP funding in early May, Franklin has returned to paying teachers. Franklin is offering distance learning in the form of 30-minute Zoom sessions on MWF; 15-minute Zoom sessions on TR; and one 15-minute, one-on-one session per child per week.  As I mentioned above, Franklin is charging [u]full!?![/u] tuition for this distance learning program, regardless of whether a child participates.

Recently Franklin received permission from the State of Maryland to open for in-person care for children of families of essential workers. Families in the infant/toddler program can send their children from 8:30am-3:30pm. Families in the primary learning program have two options: Half Day (A): 8:30am - 11:30am or Half Day (B): 1:00pm - 4:00pm.  Franklin is charging full tuition to families who are eligible for and decide for their children to attend this program.  Franklin is continuing to charge full tuition to the families of workers who are not deemed essential whose children can only participate in the distance learning program mentioned above.

Numerous families have written to Franklin's leadership to request more information and many families, some of whom have written and called Franklin multiple times since March, have not received any communication.  There has been at least two group communications to Franklin from a large number of parents that Franklin has answered only with form emails that have not addressed the parents' concerns.

Are your schools taking such a minimal approach to distance learning and/or a strong approach to tuition?

Any recommendations the parents can take for next steps?  (media attention/legal action?)[/quote]

I understand why all of this is incredibly frustrating...I just don't know that other private schools are doing any better/different.  My understanding based on the enrollment agreement is that there's no real legal relief for this school year.  Honestly, the best way to express your unhappiness is not re-enrolling.  (I know how dissatisfying that is).[/quote]

We are at Georgetown Hill and have been very satisfied with their communication and how they are handling things.[/quote]

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