Montessori Teacher Vulnerability, Circa 1964 Opinion

Lakshmi A. Kripalani

This continues Lakshmi Kripalani's recounting of her life and work during the revival of the Montessori movement in the United States in the early 1960s. After completing a year of teaching in Iowa, and attending the teacher education session that led to the split between Association Montessori International and the American Montessori Society, she returned to Iowa.

The school had purchased a building and furnished a room in it for me, with an old bed and a very old sofa. I was disappointed, but said nothing.

The president of the local Montessori society complained that I did not seem to appreciate what they did for me. I replied that they were treating me like a servant. She became angry and said, "You come from a poor country. What do you expect?"

I offered her a ticket to India to see how I lived-and also to verify that I had given my servant a similar sofa, but in better condition. If she saw it, perhaps she would provide me with conditions comparable to what I had in India. She did not accept the challenge.

The board also appointed an assistant without my approval. I had told them that Marjorie Farmer would do her internship with me and the board had agreed. On my return, the board informed her that she could not do her internship because they had appointed an assistant.

This assistant was a friend of the president, who also acted as an administrator.

She would leave the class every half hour to report to the president what was going on in the classroom, regardless of whether any child needed her help. The class was spread over four small rooms, and each room had different activities. Although I could trust the children to work independently, there were times when we needed a supervisor to take note of what was going on in some corners. Children could also take their table and chair and work outside in an open area if they chose to do so.

The assistant's behavior was unethical, irresponsible and unpleasant-but I had no alternative. Fortunately the children were a great help and the parents were very happy so I kept mum. On New Year's Eve, one of the parents invited me for dinner. We had a lovely discussion. He told me that he had been invited to join the board. He wanted to know what was needed to improve the school. It would not be ethical to meet me alone after he became a board member.

I discussed some needs of the school, but not the problems that I was having with the administrator.

He told me how pleased he and his wife were with their daughter's progress and that other parents were happy, too. When he drove me home, we noticed that the lights of the boardroom were on. It was pretty late. He decided not to walk me to the door, but he stayed to make sure that I entered the house safely. When I went upstairs, I did not see anyone, but lights were left on and there were ashtrays full of ashes. I turned off the lights and went to sleep, wondering what went on in that room.

Early in the morning I got a call from the gentleman who was serving as president of the school, asking where I was the previous night. He told me the board had an emergency meeting and that he and the administrator would like to come and see me immediately.

They arrived with severe faces. They told me that the parents were unhappy and that they have received a lot of complaints. They advised me that to save my international reputation I must resign immediately. In return, they offered me one month's pay and a ticket back to India.

I could not comprehend all this after what I had heard at dinner the night before. I did not understand where they were coming from. I refused to make an instant decision and asked for at least 24 hours to decide. I was fired instantly and told to leave within a month. I was ordered not to come down while the school was in session because it would disturb the children. I was not allowed to use the phone during the day. I was to leave the building before the school day and return after school hours.

I fumed. I had no other contacts. I did not know where to turn; I could not tell friends from foes. I did not even dare to call the family I had dinner with. I paced the floor, then tossed and turned in my bed. I could not sleep.

Early in the morning the phone rang. I hesitated. The phone rang and rang, and finally I picked up the receiver. I did not even dare to say hello.

On the line was the president of the Parent Teacher's Association. He was brief and to the point. He said that he knew that the board had fired me. He was not in a position to defend me, but he invited me to his office where he would direct me to a lawyer. This was a godsend. At least I had a chance to speak to someone.

I walked to his office instantly and was directed to a lawyer on the block. This lawyer greeted me. Before sitting down I asked about his fees. There was fear in my voice.

He laughed and said, "Nothing."

He asked me to sit down and relax. Then he explained that he would charge one third of whatever I got. This relaxed me. He told me that the board had made a great mistake and he would sue them for a million dollars.

He told me to accompany him to the PTA meeting that He would answer the questions and I would listen.

In the evening members of the PTA and I were told that my visa to stay in the country was denied. Technically, it had been wrong for them to apply for a two-year extension of the visa. They should have applied only for one year.

To avoid problems, the board was presented with a plan to terminate me. The vote was 3-3. The president cast the deciding vote.

The lawyer told him that he was solely liable for damages. He started to shake in his shoes.

The parents were concerned about the future of the school, their children and all the money they had put in for the rest of the year. They wanted the school to continue and find a way that I could stay. The president of the PTA was influential in politics and promised that he would work with immigration to extend my visa at least through the end of the year. He advised my lawyer to find out if, and under what terms, I would stay till the end of the year. I was relieved to know that there were no complaints-that the decision grew from the immigration dilemma.

I realized that it would not be easy to function under this board, but, for the sake of the children and my own sanity, I had to find a solution to function for the rest of the year. My lawyer and I worked out the following:

1. I would work only through June to complete the year
2. They would pay my full year's pay, but I would not work for September and October.
3. The administrator would not enter the school building for any reason whatsoever.
4. The assistant would be fired and replaced with Marjorie Farmer to do her internship.
5. They would pay for my passage back home as was the part of the original contract.
6. The board would also pay all the legal fees.
7. The parents would directly communicate with me for whatever need or problem that they might have. They would not get any board member involved.

The board had to agree to all the terms to avoid the lawsuit. The only condition they added was that they would not pay my return passage if I chose to get another job and stay in the country.

I returned to work, making sure that everything ran smoothly.

Parents were delighted to work with me directly. Marjorie was pleased to regain the opportunity to work with me. The year ended with no other incidents and I was happy to leave.

Marjorie acquired practical experience in running a classroom on Montessori principles. She helped me to overcome my inability to sing. This made a perfect combination. She later pioneered Montessori work in South America.

A professor of education at the University of Iowa allowed a graduate student to work in my class. I was happy to have her. After working for a couple of weeks she told me that the professor said I was living a "big lie." I was taken back and asked, "What lie?" She explained that I was too young to have worked with Dr. Montessori and that I might have been in a Montessori school as a child. That did not allow me to claim that I worked with Dr. Montessori.

I took out my diploma signed by Dr. Montessori and my passport to prove how old I was.

I had to plan my life. I needed to stay in the country to continue my studies. I went to Washington, DC, to get advice. I was advised to apply for the student visa, which would help me to do my studies, and that it would not be difficult. My visa was immediately extended for the summer to study.

News spread that I was available. I got invitations from various schools. From around the middle of April, I took trips for interviews every weekend.

Having gone through the experiences in Iowa, I was cautious. Every time I returned Marjorie was disappointed that I did not accept the offer. After a while she suspected that I was not interested in work but in seeing the country. She could not understand my fears. I went to Connecticut for another interview and took a detour to New York to see the Statue of Liberty.

I had been a Girl Scout commissioner in India, so the director of the local association of Girl Scouts offered to entertain me. One stop was the top of the Empire State Building. The sun was setting and I looked out over New Jersey. "That would be a lovely place to work," I thought.

When I returned home an invitation to interview in New Jersey was in my mail.

I promised Marjorie that it would be the last visit, even if I did not accept the job.

When I arrived in New Jersey, they took me directly to a potluck dinner. The bishop of the Episcopal Church wanted to provide Montessori education to an integrated group in Newark. He invited community leaders and interested parents to the dinner and to help him decide whether to hire me. After the dinner I presented slides of the children at work. Several individuals came to my table and asked questions about my interests and my work. They wanted to hire me.

At the end of the dinner, the bishop said, "You are hired. Dr. Sinowey will work out the details of your pay on your way to the airport."

It had not been an easy journey, but it was worth it. My adventure would continue in New Jersey.

Copyright 2005 L. A. Kripalani
Lakshmi A. Kripalani was trained by and has worked with Dr. Maria Montessori and Mario Montessori. She is an AMI Montessori teacher trainer and consultant.
Dr. Montessori's 1946 Lectures-Karachi, India, transcribed and edited by Lakshmi Kripalani, is now available through the Houston Montessori Center, 713 464-5791.
Miss Kripalani is available for lectures, workshops or consultations.
lkripal...@comcast.net.