Why Public Montessori?

The time is right for Montessori education — for ALL families. Goodwater is part of the growing public Montessori movement. The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector describes its expansion across the United States:

A Better Way to Educate

After more than a decade of efforts to improve schools by focusing exclusively on a narrow definition of student achievement, Montessori education is capturing the attention of a growing segment of parents, leaders, and educational reformers seeking a better way to educate our nation’s children.

Serving Our Most Vulnerable Families

Since 1907, when the first school opened as part of an urban renewal project in the tenements of Rome, Montessori has played a role in serving our most vulnerable families. Today, there are more than 22,000 Montessori schools worldwide on six continents and more than 5,000 Montessori programs in the United States. Approximately 500 of these schools operate in the public sector, serving families from every class and culture in tuition-free programs in all 50 states.

A Growing Movement

New insights on brain development and student engagement have converged with evidence documenting successful public Montessori programs, sparking an exponential expansion of Montessori in the public sector. The time is right to move the national conversation toward a vision of education unrelentingly committed to the developing mind, body, and spirit of all our nation’s children. The time is right to operationalize a vision of a school that brings to all children the kind of education we want for our own. The time is right for Montessori.

Goodwater Montessori Public Charter School is the first public school in Williamson County that puts a Montessori education within the financial reach of its diverse population.

Challenges in Public Montessori Education

Delivering a high-quality Montessori education in a public setting is not without its challenges. Charter Schools receive significantly less funding than public schools. And attracting skilled Montessori guides can be challenging in today’s climate, particularly when their special skills are in such high demand and many educators are leaving the profession altogether. This is why it is more important than ever for members of the community to step up and support these schools, wherever they may exist.