Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 18:25     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
I heard Breakthrough staff just unionized! Can anyone comment on that?
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 16:55     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:Hi All! I hear there were some changes during this school year. Are there any current Breakthrough parents who can share insight for the prospective family? We’re going to be in PK3 this fall.


Would be interested as well. Not a current family but toured in past years and had some concerns. I'm not sure how a new administration can change the lack of outdoor space which was a huge concern, but interested to see if they're doing anything to address the achievement gaps and more.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 16:23     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Hi All! I hear there were some changes during this school year. Are there any current Breakthrough parents who can share insight for the prospective family? We’re going to be in PK3 this fall.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2024 17:43     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:I went to a public Montessori through high school and it was great. Super high-performing and rigorous. It absolutely can work, whether or not it works in DCPS is a different story. But Montessori itself is just an academic pedagogy, if done well, it can be excellent. Like all approach to teaching, it can be done well or poorly. Its success, like all school success, is dependent on the quality of the teachers, the resources of the school, the curriculum, etc


Not a public Montessori grad but I've studied these schools professionally and I agree. It is not a model for every kid though or one every teacher or leader can be successful at implementing.

That's not a commentary one way or the other at the DCPS/charter Montessori schools our kids have access to. I haven't looked at them in depth. I just think this model or a version of it can work at all grade levels, for some students, with the right supports.
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2024 12:17     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
I went to a public Montessori through high school and it was great. Super high-performing and rigorous. It absolutely can work, whether or not it works in DCPS is a different story. But Montessori itself is just an academic pedagogy, if done well, it can be excellent. Like all approach to teaching, it can be done well or poorly. Its success, like all school success, is dependent on the quality of the teachers, the resources of the school, the curriculum, etc
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2024 11:51     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a public Montessori in DC that has acceptable academic performance, especially relative to its demographics. Look at Lee just the Brookland campus, which is older than Breakthrough and has pretty solid leadership. Their math growth is bad. Their ELA and Math proficiency is bad. Even though they have only 17.5% at-risk kids and only 20.3% SWD! Those are pretty terrible scores relative to demographics and the location of the school. Same goes for CHML, which is actually doing a little better than Lee.

So those are the best-case scenarios for Breakthrough in the near future. OP, you need to decide for yourself if you want to sign up for that, or if you're imagining Breakthrough just for Primary and then exiting.



CHML is just students doing I-ready for math and reading. Not sure about lower el or middle school…. But for first through 5th??? It ain’t good.


Yeah… I subbed there once. Complete shitshow. The kids don’t know how function in a classroom setting bc they just get to do whatever they want. They can’t listen for less than 10 minutes bc it’s not what they are used to.
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2024 11:30     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a public Montessori in DC that has acceptable academic performance, especially relative to its demographics. Look at Lee just the Brookland campus, which is older than Breakthrough and has pretty solid leadership. Their math growth is bad. Their ELA and Math proficiency is bad. Even though they have only 17.5% at-risk kids and only 20.3% SWD! Those are pretty terrible scores relative to demographics and the location of the school. Same goes for CHML, which is actually doing a little better than Lee.

So those are the best-case scenarios for Breakthrough in the near future. OP, you need to decide for yourself if you want to sign up for that, or if you're imagining Breakthrough just for Primary and then exiting.



CHML is just students doing I-ready for math and reading. Not sure about lower el or middle school…. But for first through 5th??? It ain’t good.
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2024 09:26     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
OP, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a public Montessori in DC that has acceptable academic performance, especially relative to its demographics. Look at Lee just the Brookland campus, which is older than Breakthrough and has pretty solid leadership. Their math growth is bad. Their ELA and Math proficiency is bad. Even though they have only 17.5% at-risk kids and only 20.3% SWD! Those are pretty terrible scores relative to demographics and the location of the school. Same goes for CHML, which is actually doing a little better than Lee.

So those are the best-case scenarios for Breakthrough in the near future. OP, you need to decide for yourself if you want to sign up for that, or if you're imagining Breakthrough just for Primary and then exiting.

Anonymous
Post 12/06/2024 06:57     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Montessori is a huge problem. It works for the littles but otherwise. No. Having kids in 1-3rd together is already problematic. Some kids can’t read… their “work” isn’t learning. They aren’t being taught anything during “lessons.”kids have actually complained they aren’t learning. It gets worse in upper elementary… they think they can do whatever they want. They don’t even have to wear shoes if they don’t feel like it. These kids will not be prepared for ms or hs.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2024 23:47     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:https://www.gu.se/en/news/research-sheds-light-on-montessoris-collaboration-with-mussolini


Doesn’t show she was super into Mussolini - shoes she wanted her schools to remain open even when she was arrested and forced into exile by Mussolini. Fascism in Italy lasted 30 years.


”The Montessori movement has tried to sweep the problematic alliance with Mussolini under the carpet, but this collaboration has to be dealt with at some point.”
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2024 23:27     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Breakthrough has one of the largest elementary achievement gaps in this part of DC…very similar to Cap City. After touring it twice last year and watching classes, I still can’t figure out why parents want to send their kids to Breakthrough. Whittier is a *far* better local option and even Takoma seems to be doing better. The 17%ile accountability score seems right to me, based on the data and my personal observations.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2024 18:44     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:https://www.gu.se/en/news/research-sheds-light-on-montessoris-collaboration-with-mussolini


Doesn’t show she was super into Mussolini - shoes she wanted her schools to remain open even when she was arrested and forced into exile by Mussolini. Fascism in Italy lasted 30 years.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2024 15:06     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
https://www.gu.se/en/news/research-sheds-light-on-montessoris-collaboration-with-mussolini
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2024 14:51     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: 27 kids in one class just seems too big to appropriately run a Montessori classroom. Not a classroom parent, just a prospective parent.


Maria Montessori actually recommended classes be between 28-35. My kid is at a different Montessori with 27 kids in pre-k and it’s very well run


Uhhh...she also believed in the adaptability and evolution of her educational philosophy. Her teaching method was grounded in principles that allow for flexibility and responsiveness to societal needs. 28-35 students is NOT optimal anymore (it really never was) She was a human being. She is allowed to be flawed.


She was also super into Mussolini.


WTAF? Absolutely FALSE. Mussolini was into Montessori. Montessori was an anti-fascist and was forced into exile because of it.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2024 07:12     Subject: Breakthrough Montessori
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: 27 kids in one class just seems too big to appropriately run a Montessori classroom. Not a classroom parent, just a prospective parent.


Maria Montessori actually recommended classes be between 28-35. My kid is at a different Montessori with 27 kids in pre-k and it’s very well run


Uhhh...she also believed in the adaptability and evolution of her educational philosophy. Her teaching method was grounded in principles that allow for flexibility and responsiveness to societal needs. 28-35 students is NOT optimal anymore (it really never was) She was a human being. She is allowed to be flawed.


She was also super into Mussolini.