Newton Montessori School

Both of my children have been to NMS (not the old Educare) during the past 5 years and this is definitely our LAST year. The situation has gotten worse each year, high teacher turn over, much younger and inexperienced teachers replacing the ones left (or driven out), poor quality of enrichment programs. The head of school and director of admission have no respect for the parents and did very little when there are a different opinions than their own. The teachers are less and less motivated in caring for the children's learning and the development of social skills. As once loyal NMS parents, we have been thoroughly disappointed and saddened.
--Submitted by a parent

I disagree with the last reviewer. There are several negative reviews in this site to confirm that parents (and TEACHERS) are not venting but stating facts about what works and doesn't work in the school. Everybody should be free to state the facts whether others like it or not. The administration doesn't work (and you seem excited to see a new principal coming on board, that says something) and the teachers are young and lack experience in general. Unfortunately, many specialists around the area know the shortcomings of the school and are vocal about it. My kids know how to read, write well, and do carry-in additions in part due to the school but a lot due to our interests. Newton Montessori is a decent school but has a long way to be an amazing school.
--Submitted by a parent

As a parent at the school for the past three years, I am sad to see disappointed parents venting in this forum (instead of through more productive avenues). In my experience, the school is AMAZING, the community is caring and supportive and the teachers are A++. The school is using an emotional literacy program from Yale University that is well above and beyond what I have seen at other schools. My 5.5 year old reads chapter books, does multiplication and LOVES to go to school every day. As for "punishment," the school is VERY Montessori in its approach and I have never seen a traditional "punishment," but rather appropriate redirection and behavior management in the Montessori style. Visit the school and the classrooms and you will see what an amazing place it is. And we have an exciting 2012-2013 ahead of us with a dynamic new head of school!
--Submitted by a parent

Very disappointing experience that had to do mostly with the head of school Ms. Ellen Kelly who is not willing to accept parents feedback or any kind of constructive criticism. She is dictatorial and arrogant and assumes that she is the only one right. She does not allow the parents to provide suggestions and shuts you down the moment that you mention that something can be improved. She is leaving the school. There is an absolute lack of transparency coming from administration down to the teachers. Lack of processes and a teachers turn around every year is very significant. Most of the teachers are very young and inexperienced. The school is specially bad in getting the kids building up in their social skills. The philosophy is to punish the kids without looking at the contest or having the teachers giving them directions to resolve conflict. With their old fashion punishment techniques the school damages the self-esteem of kids. Kids don't get enough run around time. If you are a big donor to the school chances are that your kid will get away with bad behavior while others won't. Extremely unjust school with inconsistent practices applied as the head of school feels like.
--Submitted by a parent

One son is in his 4th year at NMS and my other son is in his 2nd year. We love the school and our boys have done so well here. My 4.5 year old is reading and doing addition and subtraction and loves going to school every day. My 6.5 year old is in Lower Elementary and is doing advanced math that he wouldn't have access to in some other schools. He loves school and has asked to stay late. The school has grown and new teachers have been added. We did have one teacher leave and was replaced with an amazing teacher with 20 years of Montessori experience. I have found the administration and teaching staff to be very very open to discussing any issues or concerns I have.
--Submitted by a parent

We would welcome the opportunity to listen directly to your concerns either via email, or better yet, in person. Please feel free to contact me or drop by my office anytime! We strongly urge everyone considering NMS for their children to speak with a variety of parents about their experiences both educational and social in our learning community. In an open forum such as greatschools.org, we expect and encourage a range of opinions and the opportunity for response and discourse. This exchange is not only an essential part of building and maintaining a connected community, but an integral part of the Montessori philosophy. Sincerely, Ellen Kelley, Head of School
--Submitted by a teacher

It is indeed suspicious why the overwhelmingly positive reviews all came out within a few days. As parents of a current student, we are actively seeking alternatives for our child for next year. We have been very disappointed with the school officials, who are distant, secretive, and not interested in learning about students needs. The school seems to be extremely focused on fund raising events and not so much on other social and educational activities. If you are interested in NMS, please make sure to talk to current (and past) parents, not just the admissions office. You will learn so much more about the school.
--Submitted by a parent

Prospective parents, read past the first page. It's a little suspicious that overwhelmingly positive reviews were written within a few days of one another. If you go back a little, you'll see that parents' feelings have been mixed.
--Submitted by a parent

We have loved the NMS experience. Our daughter (now age 4) started there at age 2.5 and her teachers made the transition to school extremely smooth. Her current primary teachers are an excellent team and communicate with the parents regularly about what is happening in the classroom. They answer emails promptly and are always very responsive to questions. We explored many different school options before choosing NMS and we have absolutely no regrets. Finally, we believe that our daughter's experience at this school has accelerated her overall learning, and, more importantly, it has fostered her independent thinking, critical reasoning, and other life skills, all in ways that make us feel very fortunate that we found this environment for her.
--Submitted by a parent

We feel fortunate to have found Newton Montessori for our young children (5 and 2.5 yrs). Our daughter is in her 2nd year at the Primary level, and our son just started Pre-Primary. Both of our children are very happy and love their teachers! I especially love the continuity in our teachers. My daughter's Primary class has had the same teaching team for the past 4 years and they compliment one another SO well. My son's class's teachers have been at the school for approximately 15 years and really bring an amazing teaching spirit that nurtures curiosity and self-independence in these little guys (ranging from 2.9 -3 yrs. old.) The classroom set-up is truly reflective of the Montessori philosophy, with all materials carefully chosen to promote each child's self-development. I am amazed at how far our daughter has come with her math, specifically with addition. I wish every child would be fortunate enough to learn the basis for math through the Montessori philosophy; it just makes sense for this age range. This school has extremely strong parent involvement; the community feels very like-minded in that we all want a safe & nurturing place of educational discovery for our children.
--Submitted by a parent