Lewis and Clark Montessori Charter School  

By Melissa Harbert    

Several years ago a group of parents who were dedicated to Montessori education for their own children wondered about next steps in education as their children were graduating from Children's House programs in the East Multnomah County area.  What also bound the group together was the lack of the means to afford private tuition, or the ability to transport to distant private elementary Montessori classrooms. The foundations of LCMCS were born, and, with much research, lots of hard work, and assistance from local Montessorians and public school educators, their vision of providing students with a viable and authentic Montessori charter school were brought to fruition. Gresham-Barlow School District accepted the charter school proposal and agreed to act as the school's sponsoring district.  A board was formed, non-profit status procured from the State of Oregon, and the school had its operational beginnings.

A hard scramble ensued for facilities, staffing, and procuring materials. Much assistance in these efforts was provided by David Cannon, and the school owes a tip of its hat to the many hours of consultation he put in, as well as to many other of our colleagues. LCMCS opened its doors in September, 2008, with a Kindergarten and two lower elementary classrooms, with 82 students ages 5-7 years. 

Much was learned in that first year, especially about the particular needs of a Montessori program. The board aimed to hire a Montessori-trained administrator to take the school onward, and I joined the school in July of 2009, moving back to Oregon after nearly 10 years in New Mexico.

Since then, we have grown quite a bit: the school has added classrooms and age levels, so that now LCMCS serves ages 5 through 12 in the charter school, with a fee-based Children's House for 3-6 year olds and plans for adding an adolescent program in the fall of 2013. The school numbers just under 200 students this year, and made a move to beautiful Damascus, just 4 miles south of Gresham, partnering with the Gresham-Barlow School District for facilities. Come out and observe our lovely school!

Here's a few more bits of information to help answer some frequently asked questions about what "charter school" means, the fit of "public +Montessori" in a program, and more:

• Just what is a charter school? Oregon law provides for publicly-funded schools with educational delivery methods that are significantly different from the conventional methods to operate as alternative educational settings. The charter school may be sponsored by an established school district, or by the Oregon Department of Education. The charter school then has responsibility to report on student progress, financial management, and operations to the sponsor to ensure effective use of public funds.

• How are charter schools funded? When I tell colleagues that I am the head of a charter school, they often sigh and say something like "it must be nice to not have to worry about where operation funds are coming from - with it just coming from the state." I chuckle and say "Wrong!" Charter schools operate on 80% of the funds from the state that their district cousins do, and then districts also receive federal dollars for transportation, Title programs, and much else that charter schools are not eligible for. This all translates to... our charter school receives for each student just about half of what the average private school tuition in our area is. And, when funds get slim, we can't raise tuition to make up the gap. Our school does not receive administrative or other operational assistance from the school district, either. We just learn to do a lot with a lot less, I reckon!

• Does a charter school have to take marching orders from the school district? Not really, though there are stipulated requirements in our charter contract with the district. We undergo thorough audits both in finances and in operations and program by independent professionals, and report the results to our district. We must provide for Child-Find and follow special education regulations, but then, so do private schools in many ways, by federal law. The students in grades 3 and up must take the Oregon standardized tests each year, but many private Montessori schools also elect to do so. Our enrollment is by lottery, which makes for a fair process and diverse population. There are fewer spots at the upper grades to fill as time goes on, as our attrition rate is very low, so most of our entering students come in as young children. We are an independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit with our own board of directors. The school has its own strategic planning process, and conducts its own business. We have formed a positive relationship with our sponsoring district, and there is mutual benefit in that.

• So how does the school practice authentic Montessori in a public setting?  We feel very fortunate that our district supports the school in conducting true Montessori practices, as the district board and administration want their charter schools to be quality alternatives. Board and administration members have also expressed that they want to see what this model looks like, observe its possibilities and strengths, and they know that if that becomes too dilute or if too many extraneous requirements are placed on the program, the true nature of Montessori education may be compromised. Our staff is all fully Montessori-trained, with over 50 years of experience between them! Most are also Oregon licensed teachers. Classrooms have full sets of materials, are well-furnished, and the school is led by an experienced Montessori-trained administrator. So I guess the short answer is: the same way all quality programs do it - by solid theoretical foundations expressed through best Montessori practices!   You are welcome to visit and observe.