news – Isthmus Montessori Academy

February 14, 2017

Madison School Board Approves Montessori Charter School For 2018-19 School Year

Lots of work and a long time coming! We cannot wait to open our doors in 2018/2019 for all the children and families who might not otherwise have the opportunity. This is what it’s about. This is what it’s always been about. Way to go Melissa Droessler and Carrie Marlette and ALL the children and community members who believed enough to stick with the hard work!

MADISON, Wis. (WSJ)–The Madison School Board voted Monday to establish a public Montessori charter school — the first of its kind in the district.

However, the board delayed the school’s opening until the 2018-19 school year, and the school’s creation remains contingent on the school’s founders supplementing their proposal during contract negotiations to address key areas that still concern district administrators and some board members.

The vote to establish the public charter school was 6-1, with TJ Mertz the sole opponent.

If all goes as planned, the vote means Isthmus Montessori Academy (IMA), 1402 Pankratz St., would change from a private, tuition-based school to a public, tuition-free one in the fall of 2018. That’s a year later than founders Melissa Droessler and Carrie Marlette and many of the school’s large group of passionate supporters had desired.

Consequently, some supporters left Monday’s meeting grumbling and even angry over the delay. Droessler stayed optimistic in her comments.

“We are thrilled at the board’s support and truly hope to operate in good faith with the district for a successful partnership,” she said.

The North Side school was founded in 2012, and Droessler and Marlette have been working with the district ever since to turn it into a public option. They have said they want to make the Montessori method available to as many families as possible, not just to those with financial means.

They believe the Montessori method, which includes multi-age classroom groupings, customized learning plans and self-directed learning, will help the district close achievement gaps while expanding options for students, especially those with special needs…

click link for more —>Wisconsin State Journal

January 10, 2017January 13, 2017

School Board Public Hearing on IMA’s Charter Proposal: NBC15 Story And Video

Last night’s school board public hearing on IMA’s charter proposal is in the news today: Madison’s WMTV Channel NBC15 has a story and video:

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV)–The Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education will decide this month whether to make Isthmus Montessori School the district’s first public Montessori school.

A public hearing was held this afternoon and people had the opportunity to express their opinions about this issue.

Montessori schools have a different approach to teaching than public schools. Chief of Staff for the Madison Metropolitan School District Kelly Ruppel said the board needs to make sure the systems are compatible before approving the application.

“That’s the intent and the reason why we need a plan ahead of the proposal,” Ruppel said. “So we know what it is you’re proposing and ensuring it’s in line with our values as a school district.”

Isthmus Montessori co-founder Melissa Droessler said they are optimistic about the final vote.

“I see this working everyday, when I worked for Milwaukee public schools, I saw it working everyday. so we see it work and I know..I know, it’s going to happen.”

The final vote is scheduled for January 30th.NBC 15

January 10, 2017January 10, 2017

Cap Times: Isthmus Montessori Academy supporters urge Madison School Board to approve charter proposal

Today’s Cap Times in Madison has a story on Monday’s School Board Meeting:

Isthmus Montessori Academy supporters urge Madison School Board to approve charter proposal

About 40 students, parents, teachers and community members turned out for Monday’s school board meeting to share their thoughts about Isthmus Montessori Academy, the northeast side school seeking board approval to become the fourth charter school under district authority.

Madison Metropolitan School District charters are approved, monitored and accountable to the board. Other district charters include Nuestro Mundo Elementary School, Wright Middle School and Badger Rock Middle School.

IMA opened in 2012 and wants to become an MMSD charter to bring Montessori education to all interested families, regardless of income. The private school serves about 80 students from 3K to 15 years old. Currently, the average cost of tuition is $1,180 per month. If the school were to become a public charter school, there would be no cost to attend.

Maria Montessori developed the education model in the early 20th century. Montessori schools emphasize a free-flowing environment where students have a choice in their learning. Teachers structure their classrooms to allow students to explore concepts in three-hour time blocks. Children learn in “planes,” mixed age groups spanning three-year intervals. This model encourages younger students to learn from their older peers and gives older students a chance to reinforce and teach concepts they already covered to their younger classmates.

For over an hour on Monday evening, supporters praised IMA and the Montessori model as a space where children with varying cognitive abilities can learn and thrive.

Madison native Casey Schmitt urged the board to remember that the goal of district-sponsored charters is to produce innovative educational models that, ideally, benefit all MMSD students.

“When you have a Montessori school as part of the system, you’ve got a laboratory in shop,” Schmitt said. “Having an in-house Montessori will be extremely beneficial, not only to IMA but to the entire district at large in terms of development and collaboration.”

Suah Lim is from Korea and has two biracial children who attend IMA. She said IMA was the most diverse Montessori school she toured in the Madison area, but wants the board to approve the charter to make it more accessible to more students of color and lower-income families.

“I am in support of public Montessori so more minority children can access the wonderful Montessori method,” she said. “I also have other family and friends who would like to send their kids to Montessori, but they are not able to afford it.”

About a half-dozen IMA students spoke to the board about how much they love being a part of classrooms that allow them the autonomy to explore learning.

“I love my school because I can choose exactly what I want,” said Charlotte, 10.

In an interview with the Cap Times before Monday’s board meeting, IMA co-heads Melissa Droessler and Carrie Marlette expressed hope the board will approve the charter.

“There are many cities and rural areas where Montessori is a public option. We wanted to bring it to the children and families of Madison. Accessibility is our main goal,” Droessler said.

Marlette believes the Montessori model is one way to bolster academic achievement for all students.

“It meets so many different children at their own developmental needs that it would really naturally approach and probably ease, if not completely solve, so many of the gap issues that are existing right now in education,” she said.

The board will make the final decision whether or not to approve the charter proposal on Jan. 30.The Cap Times

October 20, 2016January 29, 2017

Montessori Students Raise Chickens To Learn Business And Civics Lessons

IMA was featured on Wisconsin’s WMTV, NBC15 television station this week, in a story titled Montessori Students Raise Chickens To Learn Business And Civics Lessons.

The video features IMA adolescent student Sophie Griffith-Oh, and the story features Allison Bloom, IMA’s Adolescent Program teacher.

Allison Bloom, the teacher overseeing the project, says students are encouraged to explore and pursue their own interests.
“They’re learning all the basics of business,” she said. “A little bit about farming and biology and all of these things too.”
One of the biggest lessons of the project ended up being in civic engagement. While developing the project, students learned their school is in a zone that doesn’t allow chicken raising. The students had to work with city officials to get the city ordinance amended, so they could properly take care of the chickens on school property.
“The civics lesson was an amazing bonus to that because these students really feel if something needs to happen or they want something to happen, they feel empowered to do it themselves,” Bloom said.