Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: "Pre-Katrina" and "Post-Katrina" are common terms for time frames these days in New Orleans, often reminding me of the BCE/CE timeline distinctions. You hear "Pre-Katrina" and "Post-Katrina" on the news, in the paper, and in everyday conversations. Although more and more people have moved back to New Orleans, businesses and restaurants are open, the St. Charles streetcar is running again, and normal life is continuing, Hurricane Katrina is still an everyday topic of conversation. In the midst of the constant reminders of the storm, Montessori education proved to be a stabilizing force in our school community. This is the story of how one public Montessori survived and redefined itself after Hurricane Katrina. (Contains 1 footnote.)

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Addressing the many complex issues associated with culture, race, and diversity is tough under any circumstances. But such issues become even more complex in school settings where large numbers of students speak different languages and reflect diverse ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. In this article, the author describes how the faculty members and the administrators at Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) in Indiana found a balance between quality education and student diversity. FWCS offers a district-wide school choice program that features a number of different educational offerings. Interestingly, as the district's student population (nearly 32,000) has become increasingly diverse--it now has about 80 languages/dialects represented by students--its Montessori magnet program has grown more successful. The author also relates that FWCS' Montessori magnet program is superbly suited to prepare students to flourish in culturally and racially diverse environments. As such, it is highly in demand among parents.

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: When school systems embrace public school choice, it often results in the creation of a variety of public schools with specialized learning models, thereby helping to narrow this aspect of the opportunity gap.... Present were representatives from Baltimore City Public Schools, MD; California Montessori Project, CA; Cambridge Montessori School, MA; Duval County Public Schools, FL; Fort Wayne Community Schools, IN; Instituto Nueva Escuela, PR; Kankakee School District 111, IL; Metro Nashville Public Schools, TN; Richland County School District One, SC; Taylorville Rockford Public Schools, IL; Community School District, IL; San Mateo-Foster City School District, CA; and Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, GA. [...]this movement, Montessori was only available to a select group with enough economic resources to pay expensive private schooling.

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: In this article, the author states that, for over 45 years, she has explored the issues of leadership and change, and, along the way, she has examined how diversity fits in with these ideas. She states that she found all three of these concepts embodied in the person of John McDermott, a leader in the American Montessori movement in the United States. McDermott helped establish the framework for putting Montessori education into an American cultural context. His message was always the need for public education, the necessity of embracing African-Americans and the poor in Montessori schools, and the damage to cities caused by white flight. McDermott held to his view that the quality of public education was key to the future of the republic. He decried the economic and social disparity between poor urban and inner-city schools and those of the affluent middle class, along with the ever-widening gap between the poor and the affluent and between blacks, Latinos, and whites. McDermott continued to stress the need to make Montessori education relevant to present problems, although he did not view Montessori education as a single solution to the problems in American education. He challenged the American Montessori Society to examine the ways in which growth and change occur in America.

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Public Montessori elementary schools have two challenges: They strive to achieve a child-centered Montessori environment and must also address the demands of state and federal requirements developed for more traditional educational settings. This study analyzes how schools were operating on both fronts. On the one hand, the study measured the degree to which schools reported they were living up to the ideals of establishing truly Montessori environments within public schools (based on characteristics identified by the American Montessori Society as essential for the success of Montessori schools in the public sector). On the other hand, the study also gauged public Montessori elementary school leaders' perceptions of the greatest challenges facing their schools. This study incorporates public Montessori elementary school leaders' descriptions of their schools on several dimensions. First, participants provided basic school characteristics, such as admission criteria, enrollment information, and enrollment trends. They followed with Montessori practices and attitudes, outlining teacher background and classroom structure. Next, testing practices and attitudes toward standardized testing were described. Finally, they enumerated the greatest challenges facing their schools. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Describes Maria Montessori's visit to a "Retarded Children's School" in Torres, Argentina.

Language: English

ISSN: 2332-9424

Abstract/Notes: "Montessori School.— The Gaceta Oficial of May 8, 1924 publishes a resolution providing for the establishment of a Montessori School in San José, with a principal and two teachers."

Language: English

ISSN: 2332-9424