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Support for Montessori schools lacking

Tuesday, April 24 at 12:01 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By Lara Wallace, Denison Montessori

I am a teacher at Denison Montessori, which is a public Montessori school that is a part of Denver Public Schools (DPS). I teach lower elementary, which is grades one through three. I went into the teaching profession because of my love for the Montessori philosophy and curriculum. Over the last three years as a DPS Montessori teacher, my love for teaching has become seriously compromised due to DPS policies that get in the way of being an effective teacher. Because of this fact, I am giving my notice to vacate my position as a DPS teacher. I will finish out the 2006-2007 school year, but will not return for the 2007-2008 school year.

I feel I am no longer a teacher, but a test administrator. I spend most of my time preparing for tests, giving test or grading tests. Testing has increased each year at DPS, but I have not been given more time to prepare, administer and grade these tests. Because of this lack of time, I now have less time to teach. The constant demand of these tests show a lack of trust in teachers. All teachers, whether Montessori or not, have been trained in assessments. We are "highly qualified" due to No Child Left Behind, but yet we are still not trusted to know how our own students are performing. Maria Montessori talked about "sowing the seeds of learning." Instead, we are continually ripping up the plant to make sure it is growing.

We are also not supported financially. The Montessori program has different needs than other programs. However, everything at DPS seems to be a one size fits all program. They do not support our need to have paraprofessionals in each classroom. Montessori cannot be properly carried out without the support of another adult in the room. We need to be able to do small group instruction in order to meet the needs of each child. Though they will spend millions on assessments that do not fit our program. Some of these millions go to changing to new programs which will not be around the following year.

Money and time are wasted each year to buy the new materials and train the teachers. Millions of dollars are wasted on "improvements" for the schools.

They rewired all the buildings for more Internet access. However, they forgot to add any power outlets to run the computers that we can't even afford to buy. So, that was a waste of money. They spent money on fixing our heating system, which then ran worse than it did before. We still either had freezing classrooms or burning classrooms, depending on where they positioned the thermometer. However, they did not do a thing about our windows that have holes and cracks in them. When it is windy, raining or snowy, our windows rattle and let the elements in. Fixing the windows would have seemed the logical first step in controlling our temperatures in the classroom. DPS never looked at that, because what one school gets, they all get whether they need it or not. I won't even go into how hot our rooms get in late May and early August, though I would love to see a DPS official try to work in that heat. The district keeps cutting the financial support of our facilities managers. Our classrooms are dirty and cleaned only when enough staff is available to do so. We have rodents, ants and cockroaches in our classrooms due to the lack of cleaning. I would think a clean and safe classroom would be more important than trying out the newest assessment tools.

I think parents need to know that what DPS officials say to the media is not what they are supporting in our overcrowded classrooms. I know that DPS does not care about what the teachers think, but they should care about what the parents think because they can send their children anywhere. DPS keeps opening up Montessori schools, but without any knowledge of how Montessori works. They cannot open up new Montessori schools until they figure out how to make their already existing Montessori schools work. I cannot allow DPS officials to pretend to stand for the children and for the choice of parents, when their actions don't reflect any kind of thoughtful consideration.

DPS either needs to fully support alternative choices or they need to be true to their actions and close down these alternative schools.

You cannot publicly say you support alternative options and then not actually support the school, the curriculum, the administration, the teachers, the budget, and most importantly, the children. Public Montessori can be and has been accomplished by several districts around the country, but DPS does not support their Montessori schools so that we can succeed.

READER COMMENTS

Sure am glad I had the foresight to leave Denver when they started busing in the mid 80's. It was the 'burbs and new schools. Kids are grown and would never send their kids to public schools. Private schooling or parochial for them. Perhaps they learned more than I expected.

Posted by Rich H on April 29, 2007 06:54 AM

Jacobs, I think what she was trying to say is that the $$ and resources DPS has are mismanaged and schools are not consulted as to what they need and want.

In its zeal to provide parents with choices (a good thing!), they seem to implement programs without any support systems in place. And parents often choose schools with special programs b/c they are different and not the same traditional option already available.

The testing load in DPS has skyrocketed and really hampers teachers' ability to actually teach. Schools with a different educational philosophy should be allowed the ability to cater the testing to their program...otherwise how does it differ at all?

Posted by Stella on April 27, 2007 06:11 PM

Why do students who attend a Montessori school deserve more funding and resources for their classroom than children who attend a "regular" school?

Posted by Jacobs on April 25, 2007 10:30 AM

Well after all that complaining all I can say is good luck. Glad I dont send my kid to a school where teh teachers quit

Posted by Rich M on April 24, 2007 01:16 PM