State Level
Coalition Work

A Joint AMI/USA and AMS Project

We are increasingly focusing on advocacy to improve the regulatory environment for Montessori education, to acquaint and obtain the endorsement of the mainstream academic world with Montessori education, and educate the public about the fruits of Montessori education according to Dr. Montessori’s standards. This year those efforts followed several paths.

In March 2012 AMI/USA hired Jaye Espy as the Public Policy Project Manager. Jaye’s initial task was to conduct a pilot project in six states—Connecticut, Minnesota, Georgia, Texas, Maryland, and Colorado—to map out state Montessori coalitions that will raise Montessori awareness in key sectors of society. Having established those coalitions, Illinois and North Carolina were added in January. She has helped the coalitions communicate with elected and regulator officials in order to present the case for widespread recognition and establishment of Montessori education in both the public and private sections, with an eye towards both removal of legal obstacles to Montessori education and affirmative support of it.

We have recently built out our advocacy work to include new states as a part of Tier II– Michigan, Ohio, New York, Tennessee, Arizona, and Oregon. We have shared some of the best practices from the pilot state coalitions who have been open and willing to share their strategies to success.

The work that state coalitions are doing is considerable and demonstrates a high bar in advocacy excellence. The work that each state is currently engaged in is outlined below.

PILOT STATES

Colorado (Katy Myers and RB Fast)

• Collaborated with lawmaker on a bill for alternative teacher licensure
• Helped to draft bill for alternative teacher licensure that will be introduced in 2014
• Identify various levels of quality in early childhood education to be used in the development of the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) in CO
• Reached out to directors of the department of education to provide Montessori perspective regarding QRIS (i.e., consider AMI and MACTE accredited Montessori programs as a level of quality on par with NAEYC)

Connecticut (Una Barry and Ann-Marie Fenn)

• Attended Child Advocacy Day at the State Capital last month and met with lawmakers
• Joined the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance
• Planned meeting with the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)—the state’s recognized authority on independent school accreditation; board to discuss the possibilities of a pilot accreditation program for these “pre-schools”
• Continue advocacy efforts to provide stand-alone AMI/AMS programs for 3- 6-year-olds as well as preschools with a dedicated methodology with independent school status (i.e., recognition as a “school”)

Georgia (Jan Deason)

• Changing local perception – “Georgia Bright From the Start,” a state licensing agency, to look at Montessori programs differently from daycare
• Commissioner of the Department of Early Child Care Learning visits – during the month of October two visits have been scheduled with legislators—one at Village Montessori School and the other at Arbor Montessori School
• First Montessori (Springmont) agreed to have a Quality Rating visit using the existing criteria and regulations. The QR visit yielded the following:
  • Meetings with state officials to examine the QR criteria line by line and determine where Montessori would look different in its approach and why.
  • Creation of a “new” rating scale for AMI Montessori programs that explains to examiners what looks different in the Montessori environment.

Illinois (Patty Eggerding and Debbie Senoff-Langford)

• In the process of organizing their coalition.

Maryland (Josh Oboler and Nancy Anselm)

Exciting updates in Maryland:

Final Proposed Changes to the Childcare Regulations in Maryland Received

In addition to these regulations, Maryland has received written confirmation that:

• Floor Beds for use in the Montessori programs will be allowed by submitting a Variance Request to the regional Office of Child Care. The approved variance will provide for compliance to COMAR 13A.16.03.08.
• Potentially dangerous activity (use of scissors, beads, glass, etc.) – COMAR 13A.16.08.01.D – Office of Child Care Licensing staff will receive information and training on appropriate supervision as it relates to the Montessori philosophy, however, regardless of program philosophy all children are to be supervised appropriately according to their age, activity and ability.

As you will note, Montessori programs that have been validated are exempted from multiple regulations and are authorized to exceed group size and teacher child ratios by 1/3. The validation process is a voluntary process by which State authorized organizations inspect Montessori programs to ensure that they meet minimum standards of teacher training, implement a Montessori curriculum and have adequate Montessori materials.

Minnesota (Shawna Maryanovich and Syneva Barrett)

Working closely with the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota which does the advocacy work. The state coalition will support their efforts through the following:

• Developing directory of all Minnesota Montessori schools
• Organization of statewide event to raise awareness of Montessori – glass classroom in the rotunda of the Mall of America, Minnesota Montessori Open House Night, speaker series
• Marketing – relentless activity on social media outlets

• Examiners were then invited to come back to Village Montessori and look at their program using the new annotated scale. Upon receipt of the results, Jan is hopeful to compare them to the original assessment at Springmont and share the results with the rest of the group

South Carolina (Edward Jackson and Ginny Riga)

• In the process of organizing their coalition.

Texas (Maria Quiroga and Betsy Coe)

• Surveyed regions regarding their needs and interest for an initiative
• Set up Facebook page
• Set up state list serve
• Organized TX group as a collaborative, broad outreach team to address modifying regulations for toddlers and infants, as well as and the furniture requirements, ratio requirements

TIER II STATES added in March 2013

Arizona (Ann Velasco)

Steps toward progress include:

• Looking at key areas where Montessori activities can be supported and have a larger presence in the community
• Narrow advocacy focus from previous meeting with 40 administrators
• Create agenda for subsequent meeting to finalize area of focus

Florida (Martyna Baginska-Varol and Kim Bednarek)

• Connected with Maryland state advocate, Josh Oboler
• Compiled a list of AMI and AMS schools in Florida as part of their first action step and have solicited heads of schools to join the coalition

Michigan (Kay Neff and Susie Hyatt)

Initiatives focused on the following:

• Encouraging a Montessori-friendly quality rating system (QRIS) for our programs
• Identify timeline for initiative

New York (Claudine Campanelli and Christine Casalini)

Initiatives focused on the following:

• Lifting restrictions in DOH 2- 6-year-olds (NYC only)
• Addressing the NYS Common Core Standards and jargon
• Reviewing the NYS Early Learning Guidelines
• Reviewing the Board of Education restrictions

North Carolina (Anna Moraglia and Judith Faggart)

• The Montessori Advocacy Council has been focused on gaining support and momentum before launching a statewide initiative. The council has met several times throughout the school year with diverse representation from the community, however, other schools have been slow to join

Ohio (Paula Leigh-Doyle and Laureen Golden)

Initiatives focused on the following:

• Addressing birth through six restrictions
• Determining how to influence specific officials at the OH Department of Job and Family Services and OH Department of Education

Oregon (Cathryn Kasper and Mercedes Castle)

Initiatives being considered:

• Encouraging diplomas from MACTE accredited Montessori training centers plus a masters in education to be recognized as equal to public school teaching credentials issued by state universities
• Working with the state Department of Education to get Montessori schools recognized as a school to allow for a full Montessori experience (taking them out of the regulation for daycare facilities under the Department of Public Health)
• Allowing Montessori continuing education workshops at the Montessori Institute Northwest to count toward public school teacher’s continuing education requirements (they are already a part of the Oregon Registry)

Tennessee (Jaime Yeager and Brooks Gerber)

Steps toward progress include:

• Generating support for existing Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages
• Developing agenda for initial meeting that will include considering initiatives such as accreditation process and a training site in the state
• Developing website