Anyone have experience with Montessori Schools

Long story short I am putting my son in a Montessori program. I was unable to get him into the public school I wanted, the one he is zoned for is the worst school in my county and i will NOT put my child there. I moved where I am because I was told it was zoned for the school I wanted him to go to but come to find out that was not true and I followed all the paperwork to get him in and they still denied it so now with less than a month til school starts I had to find another option as there is no other school they will let him go to.

I have read many good things about this kind of school but want to talk to people who deal with it.

a reply to: mblahnikluver

Yep - I've had my almost 2 yr old son in Montessori for almost a year now. At the previous school/daycare, the staff seemed overwhelmed, fatigued or ill-equipped to deal with either the age-group or # of children within our son's class; and he kept getting sick so we decided to try Montessori - which has been great so far.

The school's program is very involved (w/ both children and parents), although we don't feel any sort of pressure to be involved in every single show-n-tell, event or whatever the flavor of the day is. You can't really argue with the concept behind Montessori and the development of the individual at their own pace.

The children seem very well-behaved, and are paying attention, following instruction, etc. when we go to pick up our son, and we're always greeted when arriving.

I really have no complaints, I guess.

a reply to: six67seven

Thank you!

I see it as a sign. I drive by the school daily and always wonder what it's about. I have heard good things about the teaching methods. I did everything I was told to get him into the school right by my house and yet it was denied. I do not understand at all. It is crazy.

I am beyond done with the public school system. It is so ridiculous now.

I meet with the school tomorrow to check it out but after talking to the woman on the phone I felt much better about him going there. I was very upset and she was so kind compared to the 3 people I spoke with in the public system this morning.

I went to public school. Graduated last few months via a homeschool program.

I turned out okay.

My baby cousins have always attended a Montessori. I think they are in 2nd and 5th grade and they are about more intelligent and more capable and more innovative than any adult I've ever met.

-Alee

a reply to: mblahnikluver

I think it depends on the child. Some children require structure. Montessori can be too open ended for some.

As with all schools, it's really the luck of the draw with who the teacher is.

Good luck. In any event, it will be a better option than a really bad public school.

a reply to: mblahnikluver


My friends send their 11yo and 9yo....the 9yo is excelling, the 11yo not so much...she needs structure and motivation.

a reply to: mblahnikluver


I wish I could give you advice but I'm not allowed within 1,000' of schools these days so I wouldn't know.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: mblahnikluver


I wish I could give you advice but I'm not allowed within 1,000' of schools these days so I wouldn't know.

Dietary restrictions are tough to stick to. Good luck!

a reply to: mblahnikluver

The Montessori Program can do good things when applied properly.

Like anything, you need to do your research before jumping in. Make sure the school is a good one, that it's a good fit for your child and you. Make sure they run the program well and that they will work with your kid to develop him to his fullest potential, etc.

I recommend you visit and all that good stuff to feel it out.

a reply to: mblahnikluver

Are you aware of the school choice law?

According to this, you aren't bound by the zoning. If the school you wanted has space and you can provide transportation, then you can get him into that school you wanted.

It apparently just took effect on July 1. Disregard this if you aren't in Florida. For some reason, I am thinking you are.

a reply to: NerdGoddess

You know, what I find awesome puzzling is the fact that so very many people report horror stories about Public schools and at the same time we see horror stories about the public school systems in the newspapers, (local), but at the same time, voters keep approving new/more money education bonds, then they complain when their taxes go up to pay for the bonds!

Where I live, the public schools are so bad that the "public" i.e., the voting public has finally capitulated and said no more money to these failing schools and are demanding property taxes be lowered because..........as my doctors nurse pointed out, (she had to take her two kids out of the public schools and put them in a private school) she can't afford both higher taxes and private school tuition.

Public education in the US is a really complicated mess, much of which I honestly don't understand.

a reply to: mblahnikluver

My niece has had her almost 6 year old daughter in Montessori for nearly 2 years now. Greatniece is on the austism spectrum, and her speech and socialization development were very delayed for her age prior to attending a Montessori school. I was told that the program is based on the individual needs of the child and they proceed at their own pace with an activity based program.

In Greatniece's case, she absolutely blossomed in the Montessori environment. She speaks quite well now, chatters away is more accurate, makes eye contact, and seeks out attention and interaction with people. I can't speak for other people, but our experience has been completely positive.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: mblahnikluver

The Montessori Program can do good things when applied properly.

Like anything, you need to do your research before jumping in. Make sure the school is a good one, that it's a good fit for your child and you. Make sure they run the program well and that they will work with your kid to develop him to his fullest potential, etc.

I recommend you visit and all that good stuff to feel it out.

I am going there tomorrow. It has excellent reviews and small class sizes. I will check it out tomorrow. School starts 8/13/2018 so Im a bit stressed!

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: mblahnikluver

Are you aware of the school choice law?

According to this, you aren't bound by the zoning. If the school you wanted has space and you can provide transportation, then you can get him into that school you wanted.

It apparently just took effect on July 1. Disregard this if you aren't in Florida. For some reason, I am thinking you are.

I am in Florida. They said there is no room in the entire area, he has to go to the school he is zoned for. Ok so what do they do with kids who MOVE here?! Tell them they are SOL? I mean I registered him in MAY! Nobody said anything until June. I followed everything I was suppose to. I never would have moved where I did if that wasn't where he was zoned for. If I had known sooner as well I would have done something. I am just so angry that once again people dont' communicate and tell you anything!

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: NerdGoddess

You know, what I find awesome puzzling is the fact that so very many people report horror stories about Public schools and at the same time we see horror stories about the public school systems in the newspapers, (local), but at the same time, voters keep approving new/more money education bonds, then they complain when their taxes go up to pay for the bonds!

Where I live, the public schools are so bad that the "public" i.e., the voting public has finally capitulated and said no more money to these failing schools and are demanding property taxes be lowered because..........as my doctors nurse pointed out, (she had to take her two kids out of the public schools and put them in a private school) she can't afford both higher taxes and private school tuition.

Public education in the US is a really complicated mess, much of which I honestly don't understand.

I agree, I will say though we live in one of the best school districts in the nation. If we lived in our city district however, I'd slave away all day to send him to a private school. I'm nervous about moving because one day we will, and he will still be of school age. It's crazy!

-Alee

a reply to: mblahnikluver

Is there no room or are they just PO'd because they're fighting school choice? I wonder what some reporting to your local congresscritter would do ... depending on his flavor, of course.

a reply to: TonyS

Some public districts are still good, but they are usually the ones with really high property values. That's where your tuition is spent. You are paying to get your kid educated in that way.

So, either way you look at it - tuition or high property values and taxes - you are paying for the privilege of getting your child a good education. Then you have parent involvement which is the other half of the coin. Good parent involvement can compensate to some degree, but we have way too many parents who aren't involved.

We're just starting our trip and hoping a lot that ESA (Education Saving Account) legislation will work its way through our statehouse. Our son was formally diagnosed with Disorder of Written Expression this summer, and he would really benefit from either some intensive private tutoring or a school specifically geared to his type of issue.

Where do you think many of the best and more cost effective private schools for his kind of issue are located? Many are located in the Carolinas. One of those states has Education Savings Accounts (a type of voucher) approved specifically for kids like him to go outside the public system in order to find better help.

People worry that this type of system would leave kids like him behind, but in the Carolinas at least, it seems to be having the desired effect - removing a difficult sort of student from the public system where they can't often be adequately addressed and leaving behind the students who can benefit from it most while creating a better support system that differentiates and better educates both types of students through more efficient allocation of available funds.

I would love to be able to send my kid to an Orton-Gillingham based school for at least a few years to help with his writing, but the only one in this area costs as much as some universities for a school year.

originally posted by: loam
a reply to: mblahnikluver

I think it depends on the child. Some children require structure. Montessori can be too open ended for some.

As with all schools, it's really the luck of the draw with who the teacher is.

Good luck. In any event, it will be a better option than a really bad public school.

I went to one of those schools as a kid, i was moved to public schools in middle school and it was very hard, i just could not work it out. I was constantly day dreaming, thinking of things that had nothing to do with what the teachers were talking about and then at some point they were calling to me and i wasn't ever aware because i was somewhere else in my mind. It turned so miserable that i had to drop and go to be home schooled

I felt miserable and completely misunderstood back then that year i was in public school and even the teachers thought i was retarded or dumb because i could not care less of what they had to say or how they explained it, they felt offended and labeled me. They were just so repetitive and never really knew much beyond what they had to teach except maybe for a couple teachers that actually loved to explain more or even say the did not know. It was ridiculous to me at the time, and boring, i did not care at all for anything they had to say

I later learned they don't have ways to go beyond what they are told to teach even if they know more but i did not know that at the time and it was impossibly miserable in general

I guess you may want to think about that if you would later change back to public school, because it may turn life into hell but i don't know maybe is was just me. Maybe you can ask to see a few lessons and see how things work out first and compare with what you know other school are?

On the nice or plus side i did finish high school one year ahead because i already knew most things and on middle school i was advanced one year so things were easy for me after that, high school was very easy for me and i was able to take one year off because i wanted to travel and here i am

I know some people that went to Montessori schools, very nice and good people.

And there is a Montessori High School on my way to the next supermarket. So i often walk by that school when the folks have school break. It´s like the kids are from another world, they are nice, they greet people. Never saw or heard of any violence or crimes there, nobody is talking bad about that school and it´s pupils. Because there is no reason, as it seems.

Many people don´t even walk by "normal" schools when it´s schooltime, because of the behaviour of the pupils.

So i guess everything is more than alright with especially that Montessori schools the people went to that i know and that one, called "Monte", around my corner.

a reply to: DerBeobachter

It all depends on the school.

Some montessoris are very good, but others not as much.

The program itself has some definite advantages, but it has to be competently applied.