Amid a national discussion of voucher programs and change in education secretary, the Madison School Board voted Monday to allow the Isthmus Montessori Academy to transition from a private to public charter institution starting in the fall of 2018, following a few required changes.
“Montessori is a model that really encourages curiosity,” said Michael Flores, Madison Metropolitan School Board told The Daily Cardinal. Flores believes the model, which is known for its fluid grade levels and freedom in curriculum, could be multiplied throughout the school district, and has important precedent with current Madison Montessori schools like Nuestro Mundo.
Often Montessori schools consist of a predominantly white middle-class student body, according to TJ Mertz, treasurer of the School Board. However, IMA will be located in a district with a high percentage of ESL and low-income students.
Families living in the districts surrounding the school will have priority in the lottery system for enrollment, which administrators and the school board hope will keep the student population representative of the school district as a whole.
Mertz was the only member who voted against the proposal.
“It doesn’t seem like a solid plan from a lot of angles,” Mertz told The Daily Cardinal.
Mertz explained that there were deficiencies in four of the 15 categories of review, especially staffing and budget. Montessori schools generally have a 30-to-1 ratio of student-to-staff and Isthmus Montessori is no exception—however, most Montessori schools have a large staff of paraprofessionals and other aids. IMA is not projected to have the budget for this, leading to large class sizes.
“If we approve it, we’re telling parents it’s a good place to send their children and our taxpayers it’s a good investment—and [IMA] are not providing the staff resources to support children” Mertz said.
While IMA is a small school, planning to enroll 223 students, it will nonetheless have an affect on the Madison Metropolitan School District, Mertz said. The base funding per student between a charter and public school in Madison is roughly the same—$7,000—but this can fluctuate depending on the needs of the students, such as disabilities and language barriers, Mertz said.
He explained while the charter school receives the same amount of funding per student, it has occupancy costs and different transportation needs.
This decision comes amid a growing trend toward charter schools nation and statewide. Throughout Wisconsin, 241 schools signed up by Jan. 11 to participate in at least one of three of Wisconsin’s voucher programs, including 31 new applicants in the Milwaukee and Racine districts alone.
Moreover, today Betsy DeVos’ nomination for education secretary passed through the Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee to the full Senate. She is an avid supporter of charter schools and is creating a national discourse on their value.
