Promoting Diversity in a Public Montessori Community Lindsey Pollock, Ed.D. - Principal Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet – Houston ISD

Montessori for Social Justice Social justice is defined as "... promoting a just society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity." It exists when "all people share a common humanity and therefore have a right to equitable treatment, support for their human rights, and a fair allocation of community resources." In conditions of social justice, people are "not be discriminated against, nor their welfare and well-being constrained or prejudiced on the basis of gender, sexuality, religion, political affiliations, age, race, belief, disability, location, social class, socioeconomic circumstances, or other characteristic of background or group membership” - - - Matthew Robinson, PhD

“This is education, understood as a help to life; an education from birth, which feeds a peaceful revolution and unites all in a common aim, attracting them as to a single centre. Mothers, fathers, politicians: all must combine in their respect and help for this delicate work of formation, which the little child carries on in the depth of a profound psychological mystery, under the tutelage of an inner guide. This is the bright new hope for mankind.” (Dr. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, p. 15)

Overview of Garden Oaks Houston, TX in 2010 Montessori Magnet with Environmental Sciences On the list of school for closure consideration PTO and separate FOM Bilingual, Vanguard, Special Education, Title I PK3-6th grade Montessori and PK – 5th Traditional 500 students (42% ELL, 78% FRL) 6 Montessori (3 CH, 2 LE, 1 UE) and 13 traditional classrooms

2010 MSAP Grant Magnet School Assistance Program http://www2. ed These grants assist in the desegregation of public schools by supporting the elimination, reduction, and prevention of minority group isolation in elementary and secondary schools with substantial numbers of minority group students.

2010 MSAP 73% Hispanic 18% White 5% African American 4% Other

2010 MSAP Response of the community. You want to get rid of all the Hispanics?

Strategies Message the importance and value of diversity for all members of the community. Recruitment in neighborhoods – civic club meetings, health clinics, community events Share the message of Montessori

Strategies Take technology with you! Have parents of color at recruitment events and lead tours of the school Language assistance for families who need translation

Strategies Cultural sensitivity – Hispanic families prefer to work with a person not a computer Emphasize the importance of non-negotiable deadlines

Strategies District policies to support diversity Breakfast meetings for parents Community service projects in areas where we are recruiting

Challenges District policies Admission beyond 3rd grade Sibling admissions Lottery accuracy and numbers in the pool

We continue to message…. To families To staff To school board members To the community

WalletHub 2015 found that Houston ranked in the country’s Top 10 for Most Diverse City in the nation at #7 (the only one NOT in CA or WA) No. 16 for ethno-racial and linguistic diversity, No. 20 for economic diversity, No. 67 for economic class diversity No. 81 for household diversity. Other categories measured other qualifiers for Houston, such as educational diversity (Houston ranked No. 6 in the nation), industry diversity (No. 27), racial and ethnic diversity (No. 37) and language diversity

https://wallethub.com/edu/most-diverse-cities/12690/ Results for 2016 put Houston at 23 and only TWO cities in the top 10 were in CA with 0 in Washington state

Definitions Diversity is the “mix” but inclusive environments maximize the “mix” for all participants.

What types of diversity exist in your school setting? Turn to your neighbor and generate a list!

Age/generation Dietary Gender Medical Gender expression Physical Sexual orientation Religion/spirituality Cultural Race Language International Socio-economic Regional – north, south, east and west

How did that exercise make you feel? What do we teach our children about diversity? What have you been taught about diversity? Resource www.world-trust.org

Why do we care about diversity? The wave of the future Biodiversity in the natural world necessary for survival We depend on one another for our existence on earth

Factors to consider Montessorians of color School enrollment diversity Cultural Race Socio-economic

Representation is inspiration for the next generation.

Leveling the playing field.

Mindsets Each person has a piece of fabric that represents everything you need to survive for the next year. I will say “go” at which time you are free to move around the room. I will check the group in 3 minutes to see how many survive. ----- Meeting Notes (11/3/11 09:03) ----- Care of Self, Care of Environment

People from "diverse" populations bring valuable perspectives.

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” ‒Ludwig Wittgenstein My personal language journal –high school Spanish, Norway, teaching in HISD and my husband from Venezuela The children at Garden Oaks speak many first languages including: French, Turkish, Madarin, Spanish, Italian and Arabic

Ask not why you should push for diversity in your field and in your life; ask whether you can afford not to!

United Nations observance WORLD CULTURE DAY! United Nations observance May 21 every year! In 2017 this fall on a Sunday. What other days can you add to your school calendar? What are traditions you already include? ttp://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-day-cultural-diversity-dialogue

Overview of Garden Oaks Houston, TX in 2016 Montessori Magnet with Environmental Sciences Recently transitioned to all-Montessori (2nd yr) PTO and FOM working together Bilingual, Vanguard, Special Education, Title I PK3-8th grade 771 students (28% ELL, 52% FRL) in36 classrooms 1,000+ applications for 60 spots!

2016 after MSAP 50% Hispanic 27% White 12% African American 10% Multi-racial 3% Other

Garden Oaks’ Next Steps Cultural awareness committee as part of the PTO Cultural programs and ubiquitous Diversity focus in discussions and in planning calendars Continue to support and engage parents with classes and home visits in parents’ first language (translations of flyers and call outs as well as via Living Tree online)

Garden Oaks’ Next Steps Lead teacher structure Small PLCs with once-a-month “early dismissal for whole group extended planning” teaching assistants will cover or extra-duty pay Language Clubs Arabic-speaking teacher on campus Continue to use strategies from this year!

Action steps? Take aways? Questions for the good of the group?

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” ‒Charlemagne “I think... if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.” ― Leo Tolstoy “Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged” ― Rumi “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” ― Maya Angelou

THANK YOU! Lindsey Pollock, Ed. D. lpollock@houstonisd.org 713-822-2274 cell Garden Oaks Montessori 901 Sue Barnett Houston, TX 77018