Mount Clemens Montessori Academy

If there is an available space for your child to attend this wonderful school, race over there right now and register. This is a very unique school which continues to celebrate the curiosity and exuberance which naturally occurs in young children. Although a charter school cannot be totally Montessori, the Montessori spirit and philosophy thrive in this building. The kindergarten and preschool rooms are more traditional Montessori. All classrooms have an assistant for at least part of the day. This is a huge benefit which lowers the student to teacher ratio in favor of the students. The teachers are dedicated to helping children reach academic and social goals. The administration is responsive to parent and student needs and will often think outside the box to problem solve. I truly love this school.

I have been in the field of education for 22 years, the last 12 as a member of the MCMA family. The staff works tirelessly and selflessly together for the success of every student. Staff and administration work with parents and students as a team in a caring and respectful manner. I often read about schools opening with new teaching methods and have to laugh to myself because these new methods are often ideas that have their very roots in the Montessori Philosophy. These methods have been implemented and proven successful at MCMA since the school s inception 40 years ago. I whole heartily recommend this school.
--Submitted by a teacher

An incredible school. The entire staff from administration, secretarial, assistants and teachers makes you feel welcome and truly care about the children at the school. I would recommend this school to family and friends without a hesitation. My children have attended the school from preschool (21/2 yrs. old). I have twins who are now in the fourth grade and they look forward daily to go to school. They cannot wait till the fall. Obviously, every comment written by anyone needs to be taken with a "grain of salt:."
--Submitted by a parent

To Wayne State mom, fortunately your child attended the school BEFORE it became a charter school 8 years ago. It has been in a state of transition ever since. If you pay for pre-school then you won't have a problem but if you are looking for a "free" education K-5 then you really have to make a good impression. Our children are thankfully well-adjusted and I agree THE TEACHERS MAKE THE SCHOOL. No need to give the principal any credit because she will make sure she tells you that she's the one who's hired them because of HER 40 years of ownership! The administration needs to update their discipline policies to handle over-looked bully situations throughout our last 9 years through this school. Unfortunately it seems that the Parent Guild has had quite an influence on the administration because for the last 4 years a few select parents have been running the show. I would love to recommend this school because of the great teachers but there are so many more charter schools with better resources. Shady fundraising talks, good parents have walked.
--Submitted by a parent

I think the person best to answer this question is yourself. There is no such thing as a perfect school. What works for one child, may not work best for the next one. Each child is different. The person who best knows what is best for a child is the parent themselves. This school excels in teaching to the children to learn independently, which is a skill that is greatly needed in today's world. The teachers are a huge strength in this school. They truly care about a child, and will go the extra mile to help them succeed (they did for mine). This school excels at the MEAP, but the amazing thing is, unlike a lot of schools, they do not shut down and teach to the test the first month of school. I think if you have concerns, go back to the school with concerns. Ask to talk to some teachers who are from that grade level your child will take part in. There are schools that have top notch building, but have cut a lot of the teachers to fill those facilities. This school is great from my perspective, but only you know if it is great for your child.
--Submitted by a parent

I loved this school the first few years as an active parent & the lower grades were wonderful. The teachers make this school! It doesn't have a lot of the special things that you equate w/ elem. ed. & the administration lacks the problem solving skills that are essential for effective & respectful parent communication & children that are growing/learning. Although the principles have been at the school for yrs, that's the selling pt of their expertise. Now that my children have transferred to another top notch elementary school in SH I see it's not so hard to go the extra mile to get alot of the amenities that our children deserve! This school has wonderful MEAP scores, however it's up to the teachers/parents to go the extra mile for the children in terms of making the building/educational offerings better because the administration won't although they seem really nice. As far as Montessori ed., it's really just a name here. Pre-school & kindergarten uses Montessori Materials, however beyond that there are no Montossori materials used. This is really a school that everyone has to experience for themselves & see if it holds up to your standards & what matters most to you...
--Submitted by a parent

I am thinking about enrolling my student in MCMA. I was a a bit worried when I took the tour of the school. It seemed a bit old and disorganized and most importantly I didnt see much of the montessori methods being used. I did see a teacher correcting with red pen, and instead of groups of children working together on one goal the teacher was teaching. Now obviously these are not nessisarily bad things just not what I was expecting. Also, I can not get a true opinion of the school from one look around. I would love any parents to really tell what they think about the school. (Children attend this year, please.)
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Mt. Clemens Montessori pre-school through 5th grade. She is now attending Wayne State University on 4 year scholarship and is getting ready to enter Medical School there. The school is to get the credit for her ability toLISTEN. And if you think about it, we teach our kids to talk, walk but do we teach our children to listen, with both ears? Because of this, my daughter is and has been a 4.0 student, very level headed and I thank you Ms. Genie and Mr. Costa for the gift you gave my daughter, Alicia.
--Submitted by a parent

This school has been continually disappointing me throughout the year. It's standards are far below the Detroit Public Schools. They concentrate more on drawing (they call it project 64) than anything else in the class. There are several "free times" besides several recesses. There is NO progress in child's education, they bring the same kind of work home they have started at the beginning of the year. My son was told it was okay to make mistakes in spelling and not correct it. He brings home a sheet with misspelled words and it's marked as "all correct". My child ended his kindergarden education at another school with far more knowledge than the end of his first semester in his first grade here. If you care about your child's education, don't send him/her to this school.
--Submitted by a parent

I love this school! I have had nothing but positive experiences here. My daughter has excelled because of the excellent teaching staff. I plan on sending my next two here as well.
--Submitted by a parent