Suder Montessori Elementary Magnet School

Only 7 teachers and the Montessori director have completed montessori education training. And two teachers in the whole school are certified by national montessori associations. Yes there are colorful blocks and little tables. But not the dedication to a pure educational philosophy recognized as a montessori program beyond the 1st grade. (yes unlike a traditional montessori school Suder segregates learning by age) The upper elementary is anything but a montessori curriculum. Until the 2nd week of March passes the upper EC is an ISAT factory. Students sit at cheap Dell computers cranking out hours or repetitive assessments gauging progress towards ISAT goals. The administration is deaf to the concerns of parents except to solicit donations to pay for anything interesting. What's up with the kids dancing wiith toilet plungers, that's HipHop? Suder's administration is actually calling that nonsense music education. No foreign language,no performing arts, remedial technology, art class once a week, no athletics. Is this the education of your childhood, is this the education your child deserves? My children deserve better opportunities and continuity of leadership.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter began the PreK program this school year at Suder. She thoroughly enjoys going to school each morning, and I am ASTOUNDED by the amount of material that she has mastered in only half a year! I think that the Early CHildhood Program is very sound (I can only speak to my experience with the Early Childhood Program). All of the teacehrs in the school are trained in the Montessori method, well beyond a course or two as mentioned in a previous post. Anyone with knowledge of the Montessori method would know that it is not highly developed beyond the early elementary level. Further, all CPS schools are accountable to ISAT testing, so the school is charged marrying two contradictory methods while attempting to maintain some sense of fidelity of the Montessori method. My only concern is with the Administration. Beyond the fact that the school has not had a principal for the majority of the year, the Administration can be quite dismissive to concerns expressed. It is also concerning that there is only one specials area teacher. While I have heard great things about her from my little one, I think that she may be stretched a tad bit thin. Def. great EC Program though.
--Submitted by a parent

Suder is an excellent school!!! Yes there have been changes and the upper grades are not really doing Montessori work but the teachers continue to teach. They teach and care for the children. Suder is a CPS school so they do have to take the ISAT test and show the gains that every other public school has to show. Knowing this they do have to prepare the children for the test or they fail both school and students. I see the children here learning to think and become life long learners not just test takers. As far as the Principal the administration is doing pretty good holding the school down until we get a new Principal. I will not lie and say I love everything because I ran into bullying myself buit it was deal with and has changed. I even considered transferring my child to another school because of it. But they took charge and delt with the bullying situation .My child has been going there since the beginning and four Principals I only remember two. But CPS should be ashamed taking the Principal like that the should have waited until the next year. I of course can not force the school on any one but I do recommend Suder.
--Submitted by a parent

My child is currently is in the pre-k program. I heard a lot of positive things about the school but don't agree. This school is not Montessori. There are some good teachers and a few great parents who are very dedicated. However this school is very underfunded compared with other schools. There are 2 things that determine a schools' success 1. Funding 2. Dedicated Administration with high expectations for students. Suder has neither. I don't feel the previous principal, although well liked,was able to foster an environment of promoting higher expectations for the academic success of students and was not able to create enthusiasm for teaching among the staff. This culture has remained. Because they are so short of funds there is one person doing 3 jobs. Too many kids in one class:30. Full day preschool classes don't learn much beyond ABC's, Real instruction doesn't start until kindergarten or maybe even 1st grade. The Staff are not trained Montessori teachers but might have taken a few classes if that. My child is not being challenged. This school is a disappointment. I am going to find another school. I feel many parents here are ok with Mediocrity.
--Submitted by a parent

Yes, the early childhood classrooms at Suder are very good and mostly true to Montessori...and Multi racial. It is in the upper elementary classrooms where the Montessori curriculum ends. How can you have 4th graders in a compartmentalized curriculum and call that Montessori. Older student transfer to Suder without any Montessori training and to add they come with a lot of catching up to do academically. Unfortunately this Montessori experiment is not succeeding . All the test scores are from a barrage of ISAT test prep that starts in early Fall and goes through till March with Saturdays included. Watch out if your child in 3rd grade because it is Test Prep like you have never seen. The last principal did not have any faith in Montessori and stripped it down to the bare minimum. The only redeeming program is the balanced literacy. I suggest that Suder get an IB program for the upper grades and then families might stay. My family does not have time for this and we are looking for another school. The lottery cannot come soon enough.
--Submitted by a parent

My son has been attending his first year in an Early Childhood classroom at Suder. We have been very happy with the school. After much research and a great deal of luck we landed at this school. While we are concerned that the principal has left and that this has put the school in flux, all of my son's teachers and teaching assistants are incredibly professional and loving. What more can I ask for--- a diverse school, with a great, welcoming community of parents and my child is an an educational environment where he feels happy and safe.
--Submitted by a parent

School expects kids to enter knowing all the basic skills. When the school first open, they were teaching the kids the Montessori program but once it got combine with CPS it began to fail. They expected the kids to know how to read and wright a.s.a.p due to kids needing to take the tests that CPS schools have kids take(ISAT, etc..). They don't take bullying serious. My child was being bullied for years and I informed everyone (Teacher,Principal, Security) and nothing was done. School let kids wonder around and do independent work(Montessori skills) but expect them to have the learning that CPS reguires the student to have. (CPS is not in any way improving) Don't recommend anyones child to attend. They will fall behind. I feel like I am home schooling my child instead.
--Submitted by a parent

Once again Suder Montessori has lost much needed talent. When Principal Bloom left for a career promotion, she took with her the only remaining veteran elementary 2 teacher. Stacy Bagan has only 2 years teaching at Suder's emerging elementary 2 level. Now there are no teacher's with any previous Montessori experience in the upper grade levels. Just another indication how Suder is drifting from a Montessori curriculum to some yet to be determined philosophy. This ambiguity is troubling for a parent evaluating the potential for upper elementary education.
--Submitted by a parent

Suder will have its 4th principal in 7 years. The void creates uncertainty at a time when securing the schools financial future is unstable. Fundraising and grant writing have suffered with out an administration focused on securing resources outside of CPS declining budgets. The upper grades (4,5 & 6th) have had a high turn over of teachers. With only one teacher remaining during the three years Suder has offered upper elementary classes. The curriculum of the upper elementary grades drifts further from Montessori each year as the demands of standardized testing conflict with Montessori principles. In order to maintain classroom size quotas neighborhood children with no previous Montessori experience have been admitted. The adjustment to a self directed learning classroom has strained the resources and time available for creating Montessori curriculum for upper elementary classes. The luster of a grand experiment in public montessori education has worn away to reveal a school struggling to maintain the status quo found in neighborhood schools. Will Suder be able to deliver students to selective enrollment high schools? Only time will tell. the clock is running...
--Submitted by a parent

Suder is a prime example of a school that caters to each and every need of it's students. Principle Bloom is amazing and cares so much about each child and wants to ensure their success in the classroom. My child wakes up every morning and looks forward to her day at Suder. Calling the school "VILE" and bashing it like some people did before is very uncalled for, especially when there is no factual information to back that up. I can assure you that this school is A++ and I am a proud Suder parent. Please keep up the great work Suder staff!!!
--Submitted by a parent