Temple Montessori School

Denied enrollment without fair assessment. Older child attended this school for 3 years and we had one disagreement with the previous director when she kicked him out of class during a field trip. This happened becasue she was mad at me for bringing his younger sibling along which is against the rules. When I learned there was a new director, I wanted to get my younger son enrolled. The new director denied enrollment for my younger son without a fair assessment. She sent the following e -mail: "Thank you for your interest in our school. After careful consideration and a discussion with the School Board, it has been determined not to offer enrollment. In the one year I was employed while your eldest son attended, I can recall four unnecessarily stressful situations that occurred and were not handled appropriately. It is a risk the school cannot afford to take in the future. I do however wish you and your family the very best." The old director is her sister and she must be the "school board". Im not sure if this is discrimination but thats how it feels.
—Submitted by a parent

We were Montessori parents for 5 years and were very happy . Not all children are Montessori material. All children learn at different paces and in different environments. What is great for one child is not great for another. Temple Montessori has done a fine job of informing the parent when their child is not thriving. I feel the staff at Temple Montessori really care about the children. As with any educational decision involving your child, do your homework and make your own decision.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a judge in Bell county and a community leader. I have had my grandson in the Montessori School and am very pleased. Having an ear to the community I have heard nothhing but glowing reports concerning the Montessori School. Children mature and learn at different rates and under different conditions; Montessori helps with this transition so that children enjoy learning and teachers are their friends. I highly recommend that parents consider any negative comments for what they are and use their own judgment.
—Submitted by a parent

NEVER again would I put my child through an experience like this. This school is terrible! The post that says a child can be who they want to be and that this is an inspiring place is WRONG. The teachers in this school try and crush the spirt of the children. The only reason the teacher referred to below has been there for 20 years is that there is no one else in this area trained in Montessori. She is awful! The fact that she has been there so long is a testimate to how poorly run this school is. This is not Montessori! I would not even call this place a good daycare. It is sub-par and deserves a careful look by State Agencies.
—Submitted by a parent

Temple Montessori School is very inspiring. Their classrooms set the foundation for children to lead independent and social lives. The Montessori Method makes such a positive impact on children and allows children to work at their personal pace and freely. The teaching staff is AMAZING. They are always willing to go above and beyond for the children. The school direct is one of the most respectful and caring people I have ever met. She is always willing to do what she can for parents, the children, and staff. All classrooms are in the care of dedicated teachers to fulfill the individual needs of every child. I would recommend this school to all.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school! When my wife and I moved here from Houston several years ago, we both agreed that we would send our son to Montessori rather than Day Care. We heard many great things about TMS and were very excited for our boy who started when he was 3. He's now 7 and we are so blessed to have made this decision. He's so proud and confident because of this positive learning enviroment. The faculty and staff are outstanding, in fact, his favorite teacher has been there for over 20 years! Her willingness to recommend what lessons require additional attention at home has been tremendous! My wife and I could not be more pleased with the progress of our son's academic and social development. We have referred many of our friends to this wonderful school and will continue to do so!
—Submitted by a parent

The Temple Montessori School is a wonderful school where your children can grow and truly be themselves. The school encourages respect of students for one another and the administration and teachers. The Director is very informative and caring towards all of the students and staff. The Montessori classroom materials and lessons include work in language, mathematics, history, the sciences, the arts, and much more. Montessori materials are designed to follow the child from Pre-Primary all the way to Elementary and this school follows the Montessori method beautifully. The Elementary students attend "Going-out" explorations that are connected to the unit of study.

Do NOT send your child here! We were hoping for a quality Montessori school - this is not a certified school and it is obvious.There are WAY too many children in the Primary classroom and only one certified teacher, who spends all her time with the older children. They are rude and demeaning to the children and see their students only as a paycheck. Their facilities are unsafe and the Director is unaware of state minimum standards. Parents are treated rudely and discriminated againsted if they try to bring anything to the Director's attention. The "school board" is the Director's parents! Their family controls everything about this fake Montessori school and NO input from the parents is welcomed or accepted. They are constantly sending notes home asking for more money, the latest note asked for $10,000.00 to put in new floors. What is our tutition going to? The turnover rate among the teachers is high and the school barely has enough teachers in the Primary classroom to meet state standards. Children are spoken to like dirt and recess is with-held, which is against state law. No one in this school understands real Montessori at all. I regret putting my child through this experience
—Submitted by a parent

My child went to this school for 3 years. The tuition and fees changed every year along with the schedule. For a family with two working parents, the changes were very difficult to manage. Everything outside of regular classroom activity costs extra. Not having a lot of money to donate or pay for extra activities, we volunteered to participate in every field trip, taking time off from work to be there and we always felt unwanted. The rules for parents are so strict, we felt uncomfortable trying to communicate with our own child. My child goes to a real montessori school now, the tuition is higher but well worth it for the positive environment. We regret spending 3 years at Temple Montessori school.
—Submitted by a parent

A Montessori school is a wonderful asset to any community! All my kids benefited...
—Submitted by a parent

We switched to this school after a very bad experience in a daycare. This is not a daycare. It is a school. There are some strict policies, but they acceptable for me considering how much my child has grown academically in the past 6 months. He loves the school and it is nice to have him in an educational enviornment and not just being babysat. The teachers and director have been very supportive. Even when we have had disagreements with certain policies they discussed them openly and professionally and respected all my concerns. I am so glad that we found this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Our preprimary grandson has really flurished and matured in the one semester and summer that he has been enrolled. We have been especially pleased with the staff's professionalism and rapid reaction when he was in the middle of a asthma attack recently, which enabled us to get him to the hospital without adverse reaction. The tuition is comparble to daycares in the area, but the Montessori education they provide is vastly superior.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is 5 1/2 and has been at Temple Montessori for 3 years now. We have been more than pleased with his growth and education and we credit his teachers a great deal for the time and attention they spend on his learning. The administration dealt very professionally with some disgruntled parents and has done a good job re-evaluating the programs and bouncing back from those issues. Its the teachers that make the school and grow the children and the combination of discipline and encouragement at Temple Montessori is far superior to any other type child care in the area.
—Submitted by a parent

it's true that they use montessori materials and the director is montessori certified but the teachers are not. many teachers have not stayed because of the difficulty they have with the director. i found out as we were leaving the school that my children's teacher was not certified. we paid an awful lot of money for a montessori education, and i feel that we did not really get it. they put on a great show, but if you look past them, you see kids who are not that happy. my kids had to be made to go to school, they hated it. since we have moved, they love their new school, i am glad that this school did not ruin it for them.
—Submitted by a parent

They have Montessori materials, but do not completely follow the Montessori program. They do like parent involvement in the form of fund raising & maintenance to the building/playground. There are better schools out there that actually teach true Montessori curriculum
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers are inexperienced and for the younger kids are very young. Elementary teachers have very little experience. The school environment is very punitive. Kids are not able to work at their own pace. The program is not student-directed since the teachers dictate what each student is required to do. The students only choose what order to do the work in...not very Montessori. My child comes home with frequent complaints about the teachers and school administration. Lots of parents are grumbling. However, you must sign a contract committing to pay for the entire year, so everyone has no choice but to put up with it. I predict a mass exodus.
—Submitted by a parent

My 6 yo attends and we are leaving at the end of the month. It's not really a Montessori school, they just have all of the materials. This is not what the school will tell you, of course! They have some peculiar lunch policies. They only divulge these policies after you sign the contract and are stuck. Call the state licensing agency to hear the facts about any violations a school has. The school director is extremely difficult to communicate with and generally disliked. Extracurriculars are great(piano, violin, art, gymnastics-all extra $ though). '
—Submitted by a parent

My child was at Temple Montessori for almost 4 years. He loved the school and thrived in the atmosphere. The staff is very professional and dedicated. I never for one moment doubted leaving him in their care. I knew he was loved and well taken care of in addtion to the excellent education he was receiving. Montessori has a very structured environment and that structure has carrried over into other areas of my child's life as well. Every time we drive by, he still says 'there's my school', even though its been several years since he attended.
—Submitted by a parent