Montessori for Social Justice

Joshua Vogt teaches government at Gamble Montessori High School, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here is the graduation speech he was invited to give in June 2016 by the senior class. You can listen to his speech here. First I’d like to thank our class of 2016 for inviting me to speak at your graduation today. Honestly, what were you thinking? Actually, I am truly honored to be here today in this… Read More »Dismantling the Artificial Obstacles, by Joshua Vogt

The Montessori for Social Justice steering committee is delighted to welcome Darcell Butler as our 2016 keynote speaker! Mrs. Darcell Williams-Butler teaches lower-elementary at City Garden Montessori School in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her undergraduate degree from Washington University, and a Masters in Teaching from Webster University. She earned the Pre-Primary Montessori Certificate (3-6) from the Missouri Montessori Teacher Education Program (MOMTEP) in St. Louis, Missouri and the Primary Montessori… Read More »MSJ 2016 Conference Keynote Speaker

Last week I spoke with Halley Potter, a fellow at the Century Foundation. Halley is the author of recent briefs including A Better Start, on the importance of racially and economically diverse preschools and A New Wave of School Integration, highlighting the 90 school districts and charter schools that are taking steps to be racially and socioeconomically diverse. Halley is also part of a group of educators who have created a new… Read More »An opportunity to join the National Coalition of Diverse Charter Schools

Katie Brown reports from the Montessori Public Policy Initiative Retreat in Washington DC. Katie is a Doctoral student in Urban Education at University of North Carolina Charlotte and a former Education Associate coordinating Montessori Education at the South Carolina Department of Education. Last month, I attended the Montessori Public Policy Initiative Retreat in Washington, DC. This gathering brought together leaders of national, regional, and state Montessori organizations to discuss how to… Read More »Advancing Montessori public policy, expanding access and equity

by Rashidah Lovick, North Carolina Montessorian On June 26 and 27, 2015, 75 Montessori teachers, administrators, researchers, and advocates from across the country convened on the tranquil campus of Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. This diverse group of dedicated individuals gathered for Montessori for Social Justice’s second annual Public Montessori Unconference, which was hosted by Westminster’s Institute of Montessori Innovation. Based on participant input and expertise, 16 workshops… Read More »Starting a school isn’t a pipe dream

Jen Heeter, a teacher at Urban Montessori Charter School in Oakland, CA reports from the 2015 Public Montessori Unconference Red sandstone and scrub-covered mountains grew larger and more clear as we approached Salt Lake City. We circled, revealing downtown and the larger cityscape. We were flying in for the second Montessori (un)Conference, to be hosted by Westminster College’s Institute for Montessori Innovation and Montessori for Social Justice. As is usually the… Read More »Refocusing the mission

Christie Huck, the Executive Director of City Garden Montessori School, a racially and economically diverse neighborhood charter school in St. Louis, is graciously sharing an email she sent today to her staff.  In the message, Huck encourages her staff to talk with students and shares resources about the grand jury verdict of no charges against Office Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. — As we return to school tomorrow, I want… Read More »Teaching Ferguson