When “Montessori-style” teaching is viewed as derogatory
When working with children from high-poverty backgrounds, the argument for their style of education largely goes as follows, and I paraphrase:
By the early grades, they’re already behind, so we need to play catch-up. There’s really no time for childhood shenanigans. We need to build that strong academic foundation, double down and double does those phonics and word attack skills early. Pour that knowledge in because they’re not getting it at home.
Yes, it all sounds very sensible. The school tries to provide what the family does not. However, “culturally responsive” teaching has somehow evolved to this myopic, data-obsessed, all-academic approach. That is, these students are poor students of color, and are therefore from a “different” culture. We must be “responsive” to their culture, which does not seem to value words or reading, talks less, and all of that highly dubious poverty claptrap. This all means that we largely ignore any semblance of childhood and developmentally appropriate practice in favor of a drill and kill, highly scripted, and academically accelerated education, all to make up for lost time.
This doesn’t sound culturally responsive to me. It sounds lazy.
I’ve done my best, as a Kindergarten teacher, to implement free play, additional outside time, and to empower my students to take risks and feel like they have some control over their learning environment. I When “Montessori-style” teaching is viewed as derogatory | @ THE CHALKFACE:
Excellent analysis of the “money doesn’t matter”myth
From School Finance 101, which I need to read up on. And here’s my take.
Wonks, policymakers, and well-meaning white liberals alike will tell you that you can’t throw money at the problem of struggling schools. Well, why would you simply throw money? You have to properly invest and allocate it.
Allow me to cite a local case example. My school gets its budget in the form of PPE from a District formula. Then, we get allocated Title I funds to the tune of about $90K last year. This is for a school of about 250 students and who all qualify for FARMs. This is barely enough to hire a new teacher for a school whose class sizes in the upper grades are at 30 or greater. That counts for an additional $360 per student.
Schools are allocated PPE money largely based on their size: big schools get less, small schools get more. Poverty is mitigated by Title I and possibly some smaller grants that seem to be dwindling in size.
Public schools in more affluent parts of DC, say in NW, will raise additional funds through very well-organized and aggressive PTAs or PTOs. Let’s take a look at the budget for an affluent school in upper NW DC:Excellent analysis of the “money doesn’t matter”myth
