Race to the Top testing, which started in the spring of 2012, ties teacher evaluations to the test results. Gaudet said it has proven particularly controversial. Some districts, such as Rhinebeck, are considering opting out, even at the price of foregoing federal and state funding, she said.
Teacher Stephanie McGill sat at a table displaying the flash cards used to teach vocabulary. Such tools “make the child understand why you are doing what you are doing, rather than rely on memorization,” she said.
“We’re all scrambling to find out what is going on, but it just so happens with Montessori we’re actually prepared,” Rebecca Martin, president of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and the parent of a second grader at the school, said in a subsequent phone conversation.
“With the Montessori program, we have an incredible opportunity for the district overall to look at an alternative” that meets the new standards, she added, noting that a few parents with kids in other schools had attended the meeting. “I don’t want people to think we’re different and separate. The idea is to pull together and show there are new ways for everyone.”
Martin, who like many parents at George Washington, is a passionate supporter of the school’s Montessori program, noted that the school board had passed a resolution on October 16 in support of the school’s proposed Natural Playscape, an outdoor play area that would be formed of landscaped earth and other natural materials. She said the adoption had demonstrated the district’s support for the school.
The city awarded a $15,000 federal Community Block Development Grant for the project, but the money has been held up by mayor Shayne Gallo on the basis that the school doesn’t qualify. As of press time, a letter from Dr. Paul Padalino, superintendent of the Kingston School District, had been mailed to the mayor in support of the project. The PTO has raised an additional $5000 for the project, which includes covering a large concrete wall with tiles each child would design.
Martin said the playground would serve the entire community, since it would be accessible to the public as well as children at the school. The Natural Playscape would absorb rainwater instead of exacerbating the excess stormwater runoff that’s causing big problems on Washington Avenue. As such, “this grant could be a match for something else” related to stormwater runoff in the city, she said.
Well done Lynn.
Anyone who has visited the GW Elementary school would see that this school is an incredible asset for our community. Who wouldn’t want to send their child there?
In terms of the Core Curriculum, I’m not well informed enough at this point whether to judge if it will interfere with the Montessori method. I’ve been told that instruction in cursive handwriting is not in the Core Curriculum. In my view, this would be a loss. We should neither rush to judgement about the Core Curriculum, nor should we be looking to install this menthod so quickly.
Thanks for this report, which is more encouraging than the articles I have seen in the media. One follow up question: can the approach being used at the George Washington Elementary School be incorporated in other schools with larger classes and traditional approaches?
John – please come and visit our school where it is open to the public and the children are tour guides – every Tuesday at 9:30am.
http://gwlovesmontessori.org/visit-us/weekly-school-tours/
Valerie Hannum our principal is generally on hand, and can answer any questions that you have.
As a parent at the GW School, I can tell you that my wish for the children in the KSCD is to have more choices like this one. To briefly answer your question, the GW school not only has larger classroom sizes but is still a public school – so must adhere to ‘traditional’ measures. It’s nice, however – with Montessori – to not rely on traditional ‘means’ in getting there. The children have a great deal more room with Montessori to find their own unique pathway into learning.
Come and witness the results with a tour. The GW School environment is an inspiring place to see.