Montessori programs awarded $31M in equity-focused federal grants
David Ayer Posted On November 25, 2024 
10/11/24 • Washington, DC
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $31 million in Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grants to Montessori programs in Durham, NC, Fairfax County, VA, and Tangipahoa Parish, LA.
The awards, announced October 1, 2024, make up three of the 12 grants totaling $150 million approved in this cycle.
The Magnet Schools Assistance Program is specifically focused on “magnet schools, with special curricula, to attract a diverse group of students and desegregate public schools,” according to the Department of Education.
Durham Public Schools (DPS) will use the grant to expand its existing Montessori magnet program, opening a third Montessori elementary and a second Montessori middle school. DPS is in the middle of a historic boundary reassignment process, and this expansion is expected to address inequitable access to magnet programming and minority group isolation for Black and Hispanic students.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will introduce a Montessori program at an existing elementary school, giving priority to current students.
Their application highlights “Strong evidence to suggest that students who attend well-implemented Montessori programs have better academic achievement, like school more, have stronger executive functioning skills, and report positive relationships with peers and teachers.”
Tangipahoa Parish School System (TPSS) will use funding to establish a three-parish, MACTE-accredited regional Montessori training center to support seven Montessori magnet schools serving three districts.
They plan to “implement a culturally responsive Montessori educational approach … promoting inclusivity and equitable opportunities, thereby reducing the achievement gap for African American students,” according to their proposal.
More information, including grant abstracts and full proposals, is available from the Department of Education.
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David worked in private Montessori for more than twenty years as a parent, three-to-six year-old and adolescent teacher, administrator, writer, speaker, and advocate. In 2016 he began working with the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector. David lives in Portland, Oregon.
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