NCLB in the Classroom

Making it work

By Nirvair Kaur Khalsa

Montessorians are really struggling with today’s education climate, but when we look for creative solutions they usually begin to reveal themselves.

We’ve had to face the reality that those of us who have chosen to work in public district Montessori schools or public charter Montessori schools have made a choice to accept government funds with all the strings attached, and the strings keep changing. There may be many others who approached that choice naively, as I did. The choice was made and there is now a responsibility to be the creative problem-solvers and out-of-the-box thinkers that we ask our Montessori students to be. We Montessorians were excited about the possibility of providing a free public Montessori education to all kinds of American families and we are doing it. We could have chosen the private sector with less interference (and another set of challenges), and we made a different choice.

NCLB demands research-based teaching methods and the research is being done. Ironically, the research is providing evidence that “whole-child” education is necessary and effective. The research is supporting the kind of education that the tests can’t measure. While there is not much research specifically targeting Montessori, there are elements of Montessori education that have been supported through research such as the importance of phonics, the way the brain learns and the importance of considering the “whole child.”

At Khalsa Montessori School we believe that if we teach “Montessori “ well, the children will do well on the tests. We spend a little time practicing test taking strategies, but most of what the students need for the test is learned in the rich environment throughout the year. In addition to the academic preparation, this includes bringing to the test a sense of adventure, the fun of trying something new and different, the joy of participation in a community project. Based on test scores, Khalsa Montessori School and the other Montessori schools in our area have been designated “excelling schools” by the state, the highest rank possible in Arizona.

We have not adapted our Montessori curriculum to the standards, but instead have worked to articulate what we teach and how we teach in order to demonstrate where the standards fit into our Montessori practices.

Our curriculum-mapping projects, as well as the students’ test scores, clearly show that the standards are being taught, though our teachers may not think of their teaching as standards-based.

Administrative support is critical. Trust in the method and trust in the teachers is required.

We certainly have our challenges and struggles, and we are always interested in hearing what other people are figuring out. In Arizona we have been fortunate to have charter school legislation that has allowed us enough autonomy to succeed. Most Montessori charter schools in Arizona are doing well.

Our biggest challenge in Arizona is funding. Arizona continues to rank 49th or 50th every year in per-child funding, so we are always challenged to find the way to continue delivering a quality Montessori education at a reduced price.

The Montessori community can make an impact with a method that has been proven effective throughout the world and throughout the generations. It would be great to hear about solutions other schools have discovered, the mistakes made and lessons learned.

Although we may share dissatisfaction with the features of the current landscape that we find distasteful, is there a way we can help each other navigate the rough terrain by sharing our discoveries, our vision for where we want to go and how we can help each other get there?

Nirvair Kaur Khalsa is director of Khalsa Montessori School in Tucson, AZ.