3/10/2021 • Maryland • Carroll Creek Montessori Charter School Turns Scores Around
3/10/2021 • Maryland • Carroll Creek Montessori Public Charter School (CCMPS) has turned its English and Math proficiency scores around over the last three years.
“After being placed into a one-year probationary period due to low academic performance in early 2020, Carroll Creek Montessori Public Charter School (CCMPS) has improved its scores and, in some cases, even outperformed other Frederick County non-charter public schools,” according to a story in the Frederick News-Post. Principal Marilyn Horan attributed the low scores to having to hire novice Montessori teachers only partway through their training in 2018—a common occurrence in public Montessori schools, where Montessori trained, state-certified teachers are hard to come by. She chalks up the improvement to teacher growth—”they dug in and they learned so much.”
Finding well-trained, qualified Montessori public school teachers continues to be the primary challenge for public Montessori schools. According to Horan, “many in the Montessori community are hoping the Maryland state government will pass a bill that will allow Montessori certifications to double as teaching licenses, therefore making the pathway for Montessori teachers shorter.” You can read more about CCMPS’ charter approval here. MontessoriPublic featured CCMPS’ COVID-19 adaptations in a piece by their Montessori Teacher Specialist Katie Mosquera here: Virtual Montessori: A lesson in adaptability