Washington Parent Reader Shares Exciting New Information
Our editors at Washington Parent magazine were pleasantly surprised to hear
from one of our readers, a parent living in Prince Georges County.
Responding to an e-mail blast we sent out on the availability of Montessori
options in the D.C., MD, VA area, reader Alice Ewen wrote to us, both
informing and surprising us with her information about the existence of
public Montessori schools.
Ms. Ewen praised her son’s school, Robert Goddard Montessori, in Seabrook,
MD, and encouraged us to let parents know that public Montessori schools
are a great option for parents who may want to try something different than
their local boundary public schools. She wrote: “One reason it is worth
educating parents about these [public Montessori] schools is that it is
possible to transfer into them if your child has previously been enrolled
in a Montessori school … so it’s a viable option for some families who
may do private pre-school in Montessori and then try to transfer into an
empty spot in a public Montessori.”
Here at Washington Parent, we were giddy with this information! It was
almost as if we had turned over some topsoil and discovered a brand new
species of worm, except, upon further research, we learned that the worm is
more common than we thought!
According to the USA Montessori Census, a service provided by the National
Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS), there are public
Montessori schools in our area as follows: Virginia – 13, Maryland – 6,
District of Columbia – 8. There are also three times as many private
Montessori schools in each area! (montessoricensus.org)
Private versus Public Montessori Schools
Our metropolitan area has seen the growth of private Montessori schools for
many years. We know that all private Montessori schools are affiliated with
official Montessori organizations, and some require their students to wear
uniforms. Thanks to Ms. Ewen’s e-mail, we now know that public Montessori
schools exist and might be an alternative for families to consider.
The biggest difference between private and public Montessori schools is the
way they are funded. While private schools are in charge of their own
funding from private sources, public schools are funded by the federal,
state and local governments. Because public Montessori schools receive
government funds to operate, in essence, they are similar to the
traditional state public schools with one key difference: the availability
of the Montessori program.
Characteristics of a Montessori Program
A typical Montessori program, whether in a private or public school, shares
the following characteristics:
- Strongly encourages lifelong learning and independent thinking;
- Gives children self-paced and self-directed learning opportunities in
mixed age groups; - Helps children become self-assured problem solvers and respectful members
of the community; - Instills in children the values of empathy and caring by motivating them
to become engaged global citizens who care about the environment and each
other; - Features Montessori-trained and certified teachers who provide “focused
observation” of students and act as guides rather than instructors, leaving
the actual learning up to the individual desires and interests of each
child. (
ectutoring.com/montessori-schools-right-for-my-child)
The Montessori style of educating children is vastly different than what
parents are used to seeing in traditional state-operated public schools.
Public schools separate children strictly by age and grade level, whereas
the Montessori style features mixed-age classrooms in which children of
different ages teach each other.
In addition, public schools in each state determine their own standards of
learning and require its schools to test students and grade them on the
information they’ve learned, often with a time component that incurs
consequences if not followed exactly. By sharp contrast, the Montessori
style offers a more relaxed environment that gives students “the freedom
and support to question, probe deeply and make connections, [helping them
to] think critically, work collaboratively and act boldly,” according to
the American Montessori Society. (
amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori/Benefits-of-Montessori
)
The North American Montessori Teachers Association adds: “the Montessori
environment contains specially designed, manipulative ‘materials for
development’ that invite children to engage in learning activities of their
own individual choice … [and help them] learn by making discoveries
with the materials, cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline
and a love of learning.” (
montessori-namta.org/About-Montessori)
Keith Whitescarver, executive director of NCMPS, acknowledges that the
Montessori style “works for every child, but doesn’t work for every
family.” He hopes parents give public Montessori education a chance in
order to help children “develop the executive functions of independence and
quality gains to short and long-term memory,” which will ultimately
cultivate 21st century skills.
Montessori Resources and Information
The administration of Montessori schools, while definitely a solid option
for parents to consider, is not uniform across the states. The Association
Montessori Internationale (AMI) is the leading authority on Montessori
education throughout the entire world . The AMI hopes,
but does not require its affiliates, to follow Montessori pedagogy as
precisely as its founder, Dr. Maria Montessori, envisioned.
But a lack of uniformity should not discourage parents from pursuing the
scientifically-proven benefits of the Montessori method. A practical
approach is to read, research, ask questions and learn more information
about the Montessori style of education to determine whether this option is
right for your children. Parents should certainly avail themselves of the
plentiful Internet resources available on Montessori education. They can
also attend the American Montessori Society’s upcoming professional
conference for Montessori educators in Washington, D.C. from March 21-24,
which is open to the public!
(conference.amshq.org)
Or better yet, follow Alice Ewen’s example and simply talk to your
neighbors. Something as simple as a conversation with people in the
community will open up great worlds for you and your children.
