child’s Montessori education all the way through high school. The Asian population in this partic- ular school is around 90%. The director, Lois Evans, guess that it may have to do with the high concentration of Asians in the immediate area; Also Montessori is a very popular learning system in the Asian countries. Abeela Kaukab, one of the teachers at the center, says the Asians have a very easy time learning English because “Learning is fun here.” Out of 36 children, 4 were Indian. Dr. Robert Schirrmacher, who teaches Montessori education, has noticed an
The Challenger chool system has a rep- utation for being rigorously academic. Anyone who might think the school is dry and stuffy, however, should check out the center in Newark. Director Sherry Adams has been at the center for thirteen years and she obviously lovers her job. She is warm and personable to parents and students alike. The cur- riculum is designed to be stimulating and fun. Music and catchy rhymes are used extensively to teac, and they have drama and art as well as the traditional sciences of phonics, math, language, and logic.
multitude of alternatives, only a few which are listed below.
MONTESSORI
Milpitas Montessori School is part of a system that is available all over the world. Its founder, Dr. Maria Montes- sori, was born in Italy in 1870, educated as a pediatrician, and developed a sys- tem of education based on cultivating the child’s natural curiosity about the world around him. She developed the educational system out of a concern about the rigid teaching techniques that were common at the time. Though there are many “flavors” of Montessori philosophy available, cer- tain tenets are common to the school system. The most unusual one is that there is no age segregation. One big room holds the entire preschool range of children 2 ½ to 6 years old. There is very little structure to the curriculum; indeed, when one first steps inside the classroom the first im- pression can be one of barely restrained chaos. There are little knots of activity all over the area. Some bend over worksheets at a table. Some play on lit- tle mats on the floor. Others are helping themselves to juice and pretzels. The basic philosophy behind the Montessori method is to let the child feel free to choose what they want to do; the structure is imposed on the en- vironment more than on the child. Theteachers are trained to be guides and facilitators rather than instructors, to demonstrate the correct usage of ma- terials that a child has expressed inter- est in. the ratio of teachers to students is 1:9. Milpitas Montessori emphasizes that their school is not a preparation for kindergarten; however, the level of ac- ademic learning is very high. It is com- mon for three and four year olds to spell out and read three letter words. In addition, the school teaches grammar, geography, and logic, all with the use of concrete, visual methods. And if par- ents wish, they can continue their
increase in the number of East Indian women who want to specialize in teach- ing in the Montessori man- ner. “Montessori appeals to people who want their children to behave in a courteous, well-mannered way,” he says, as a way of expalining an appeal to In- dian women. “There is emphasis on discipline, ac- ademics, subtle structure, and decorumwhich is part of the Indian value sys- tem.” There is a long- standing interest in India for the Montessori system; Dr. Montessori did exten- sive work in India, and it is still an active Montessori site.
Asians and Indians make up well over 50% of the student population. When asked what the draw was for im- migrant parents, Sherry said “We make them feel good about themselves.” Everyone’s cultural heritage is re- spected. They celebrate the Chinese New Year, Diwali, and Kwanza, as well as the traditional Christmas and Thanksgiving. As far as academics go, she said she has had several immigrant parents tell her that the Challenger sys- tem resembles their own education in their native country.
CHALLENGER
The Challenger school was founded in San Jose in 1966 by Barbara Baker, a first grade teacher who was frustrated by the large number of aca- demically unprepared children in her class. The Challenger sstem expanded into elementary and middle schools due to popular demand and now has 14 centers and over 5000 students. Still primarily a Bay Area school, it recently opened campuses in Utah as well.
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School Special 2017
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