I toured one of their locations, and what a beautiful campus! So much of what I saw over there was truly amazing--state of the art hand washing machine, 4 LCD televisions displaying every classroom by video surveillance, tight security procedures at the entrance, a garden with a professional gardener, a professional cheif and dietician, a large playground, an on-site Montessori accreditation center for teachers, which they petitioned for, and access to Thanksgiving Point play centers, etc., etc.
Unfortunately, after I turned in the application and paid the app fee, I received an extremely uncomfortable phone call where I felt shammed for even applying and for even considering their school for my child, they told me that it would not be the best place for my son.
I had read the parent handbook beforehand, which mentioned they accepted children on the spectrum and that my child would require a shadow or an RBT.
We were willing to pay for a shadow/RBT for my son, but they decided based off of my application that their school would not be able to meet the needs of my son. I felt prejudged and truly shammed over the phone by their "Behavior Specialist" and admin staff.
"Why would you even consider applying here?"
"We just can't figure out why you would want to bring your son here??"
This school goes up to 2nd grade. My children's needs may be very different in a year or so. I was honestly shocked and surprised by the rudeness, unprofessionalism and entitled attitude.
I was in love with their school and felt like their biggest fan in the morning and was completely divorced by the afternoon. What a shame. We would have loved to enroll both of our boys here, if not this year, possibly the next. Now, I feel like my children might be better off not attending a school like this.
In addition, I feel like I need to say to the school, please stop taking money from parents with children with special needs. It's gross.
Also please amend your application to say, "If you check more than two of these boxes, please contact our administrative staff to discuss your child's needs before applying," and make it impossible for any applicant to hit enter if more than two boxes are checked.
Also, please consider amending the parent handbook to say that children on the spectrum, even with an RBT, will not be admitted if their needs are pre-determined to be out of the school's scope of practice. Children must be mostly if not fully independent, even with an RBT, and there will be no trial period for your child.
All that being said, I hope all Montessori schools will make a greater effort to make inclusion a real part of their vision for the future. They are capable of doing it, and it is possible.
Teaching children about differences, by providing real world, everyday encounters with classmates who have needs greater than the majority teaches humanity, charity, patience, uniqueness and love . . . all things this world desperately needs more of.
Inclusion is also one of the sweetest love languages I know. It is a worthy and necessary investment for any educational program that claims to be of any quality.
If you have the means to make the world a better place, which it is very apparent that you do, please do it. Choose a school where everyone is represented, valued, and seen.
May you all be so blessed to have a child with special needs in your classrooms. read more