Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Sara Suchman is the founder and executive director of the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector. As attention shifts to how to meet each and every learner with what they need and how to help students build the social-emotional skills they need to thrive, Montessori schools have been doing just this for decades. Often seen as a private school offering catering to the elite, Montessori education has in fact thrived in limited public settings and in serving low-income students. Sara will speak to what is the reach of Montessori schools in the public sphere, what are the broader barriers to spreading the impact, and what her vision is for a more widespread and accessible Montessori education and how her organization is helping this vision solidify.

Language: English

Published: May 20, 2022

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: A survey conducted by the author in 1981 collected data from 25 of the approximately 50 school districts known to have Montessori programs at the time (Chattin-McNichols, 1981). The only other study of public Montessori programs is much more recent. During school year 1990-91, this study received responses from 63 of the 120 school districts or schools to whom surveys were sent (Michlesen and Cummings, 1991). Results from this study indicate that the number of students in the schools or school districts averaged 233, with an average of 10 teachers per program. A total of 32, or 58%, of the schools surveyed reported that they were magnet schools. A total of 69% of the Montessori programs shared a building with other programs. District funding for the training of Montessori teachers was provided in 66% of the districts. Only 42% of the programs provided the three-year age span of three-, four-, and five-year-olds. This is indicative of the fact that the degree to which particular districts implement the Montessori model varies. A total of 16 of the 57 schools charged tuition for some part of the program. About two thirds of the programs provided free transportation. In addition, two thirds of the districts reported that additional staff were used in the Montessori magnet schools. These factors can add to the overall costs of the program.

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C.: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (U.S. Department of Education), 1992

Language: English

ISSN: 0009-4137

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Montessori teachers in public schools navigate a system daily that often does not align with their pedagogy, and district policies push them to stray from high-fidelity implementation. Using Weick’s sensemaking theory and literature on Montessori teacher identity, I contend that Montessori teachers’ identity plays a crucial role in how, or if, they respond to educational policies that may not seemingly align with the Montessori Method. The overarching purpose of this study was to understand Montessori public school teachers’ experiences with policies that influence their pedagogy. Through qualitative interviews and a culminating group-level assessment session, three themes emerged as teachers shared their experiences with educational policies: (a) Montessori pedagogy is more than the materials, (b) districts often force district-wide requirements that are at odds with the Montessori pedagogy, and (c) Montessori teachers in public schools do not feel supported. This article concludes with a discussion of how to better support Montessori teachers in public school settings based on the study’s findings.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v9i1.18861

ISSN: 2378-3923