There was a meeting of the Alternative Education parent group Thursday evening. The discussion continues to be how the expansion will happen and who will the expansion be geared towards. Much good talk was thrown out for consideration and at the 6 pm hour it felt like no one knew where to go next- STILL! and frustrations continue. Below is my outline of ideas on where perhaps all interested parties could put their energies towards across the next several months.
Please let us not forget that there is already in existence, a functioning alternative educational corporation, which still has professionals under contract and debt which needs to be paid and people working feverishly behind the scenes to maintain its current status. This fact cannot be ignored. The Northeast Iowa Montessori school (NEIM) holds its monthly board meetings on the 2nd Monday of every month and ALL interested parties can attend. Meetings begin at 6:30 pm on the second floor of the Education wing at First Lutheran Church.
Perhaps here is where we all go to next:
-A capital campaign is set forth for the purpose of raising money to create a learning center. The money would be used mostly to rent/lease/buy a location where the expansion of 2 preschool classes -ages 3 - 6 yr olds- and one 6 -9 yr olds class share a building. Perhaps there would be 4-5 rooms, with the classrooms at least having natural lighting windows, the other 1 - 2 rooms could be internal to the classrooms simply used for lunch/resting/large group movement.
How does this help?
1. This would bring all monetary resources together for one common cause, thereby eliminating the nickel and dime effect of various groups holding fundraisers for various learning environments.
2. This money needs to act as the seed money to exist for the first year with someone in financial planning advising us on how to use it for return investment and use the dividends to help offset operating expenses that are unforeseen in any given year.
3. It would also help ensure tuition rates can be kept affordable for all families.
4. This large sum of money- $400,000 - $500,000 needs to be available for start - up, but to continue year after year and be a stable entity, each year at least $100,000 + would have to be raised yearly in fundraising efforts to sustain a firm foundation. If the learning center were fully accredited by the state, then possible state money could be available in various amounts, but otherwise relying on local grant opportunities and larger grant opportunities may not sustain the organization.
-A policy making group for the smooth governance of such a corporation, this body of people historically would be called a Board of Directors or some such title would need to be developed. The current existing Northeast Iowa Montessori (NEIM) board of directors would disband. The existing debt for NEIM would need to be paid off before the disbanding occurred to insure the credit rating protection of those who signed for that loan in its origin to begin an alternative preschool 5 years ago.
Questions raised tonight and not clearly answered- but now thought about in the quiet of midnight hours:
1. How do parents continue to help voice their wants as to the curriculum? They would bring their concerns and large change ideas to the policy group for discussion.
2. Who gets to dictate what the teacher does in the classroom? (Not exact wording from the question but my interpretation) A group of parents tried to help form the curriculum during the first year of NEIM's existence. They went to the teacher directly- almost daily- asking if this and that could be implemented, kindly questioning why such and such was being done. The teacher would come to the Board/Director, which functioned as one and the same in the beginning, and ask for guidance. Suggestions were made and the teacher tried her hardest to please all groups and maintain what her professional contract stated. The result was that the poor teacher at the end of the year felt very confused and simply not able to transform it all and so she resigned. My hope is that an open voice would always be welcomed by a teacher, but decisions which are large and curriculum changing would need to be discussed by the director which in turn would take it to the policy making body and those changes may not be able to happen immediately, but slowly over time. I would hope we could learn from our mistakes.
3. Micro-managing issues?
A policy making group is set form with the charge of doing just that, setting good policy with clear vision and upholding the mission of that organization. Helping the general public understand protocol and who to bring concerns to in various situations is part of that policy making group in order to not confuse the professional staff, who are under contract to carry out their job in specifically stated terms. All voices are welcome, but change can be slow.
-A Director/Principal/CEO would be hired who understands the vision of this learning center and can help encourage it's positive existence and act as a liaison between the Board of Directors and the staff. Keep track of Dept. of Human Services requirements, public health/medical requirements, fire marshall code requirements, and inform staff of professional development/enhancement opportunities.
-Staffing needs would include 5 or 6 "teachers", custodian, and an office manager to assist the director. Substitute teachers are also needed for times when current staff are ill and unable to come to work.
It is very comforting and empowering to sit around a table and brainstorm ideas of a quality learning environment for our children. It is clearly something that many people in this community want to embrace. However, it becomes a large endeavor with lots of Governmental details involved. I am not trying to negate the hours which all 3 groups have invested, however, the reality of what all 3 groups are trying to do is build a quality learning environment and in reality that takes a lot of detailed organizing to truly make it successful. NEIM is the embryo from which this next wave can grow. Perhaps we can learn from it and move forward by knowing a bit of its history. (The 3 groups being: NEIM, the parents who want a 6-9 program and the parents of the 3+ children who are wondering what to do next fall if the long list of places they have their children on waiting lists doesn't happen)
The perfect pre-existing building does not live in Decorah's city limits at this time, in my opinion. As we look at property to rent/lease we need to keep the safety of our children first and foremost. (ie: Traffic external to the building: cars, strangers, fast moving water. Safe and appropriate green space within safe walking distance.)
Perhaps I am blowing this whole thing way bigger than anyone wants to see or has visions of doing. If it is simply a social gathering of like minded kids/parents that is wanted, then that can be done by individuals who will organize their children to do so and all of this can be tossed aside.
If it truly is an environment where guided learning takes place, then I think the items above have to be in place. If I could draw on this silly machine, I would give you the image of a circle which, in the beginning, was a nice spherical shape. But now it is feeling stretchy and is looking for new skin to expand into and so it needs to burst out of that circle and find a larger circle in which to exist. Isn't that called a metamorphosis in the natural world? I wonder if this uncomfortable feeling of where to go next is what a larvae feels like?
Jane Busch
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3 comments:
Hi Jane,
Wow, thanks for all of the sensational thoughts. Scary stuff though when you start seeing all of those 0000's. While I really want to see the ideal set-up, I would also encourage us to remember that NEIM and Pleasant Valley have been able to provide whole child educational options through creative, shoe-string budget strategies as well.
So, maybe aim for the stars but have a plan B to implement in the meantime. At one meeting, when things were starting to feel a little overwhelming, Steve said, "Why don't we just have Jane teach a class in another room in the church." Suddenly everything did feel possible again.
Ideal? No. Everyone seems to be primarily in agreement at this time with three thoughts. Jane would be great, but wouldn't it also be great if we had our ideal location and it came cheap. Which is not to discount the incredible opportunity First Lutheran continues to provide with its hospitality. But wouldn't it be great if they were located next to a stream in the middle of a clearing, in the middle of a forest, in the middle of the city of Decorah and somebody decided to pay the rent and the salary costs? That's where the ideal part comes into play? All of us want to dream big. It's for our kids. But I fear then that we will get overwhelmed and quit.
I really like the idea of being one unified school. However, the possibility that a primary school would endanger the existence of the preschool program is not comforting. A lot of people spent a great deal of energy, hope, and money creating it. I like the idea of having an umbrella organization, I'll call it Seven Springs Learning Center, that functions to advance alternative educational options. I like the idea of Seven Springs having its own board of directors. I like the idea of fund raising for Seven Springs rather than for individual organizations. I would like to see the Seven Springs Board of Directors having four main functions ( I know three always sounds better, but oh, well)
1)Determining which programs to oversee/support/affiliate (whatever term you'd like)
2)Determine the conditions of affiliation with Seven Springs
3)Distribution of fundraising efforts in the following ways
a)Montessori preschool
b)Blended primary program
c)Buying/renting/building a site to house affiliated programs in the future
4)Hire/Oversee shared office personnel
I'd also like the Montessori preschool to have its own Board of Directors doing exactly what it is doing now (hiring decisions, policy, etc) as it apparently is doing it quite well. I'd love to see them expand to two preschool classrooms of 3-4 year olds for a year. Then returning to 3-5 year olds the following year. I think they should pay for the percentage of space they use in a shared space and their share of office personnel.
I'd also like the Blended primary program to have its own Board of Directors. It's purpose would be to create the policy, staff, curriculum, etc. of the primary program. I would love to see the 5-8 year old students from previous Montessori preschool rooms attending alongside other children from the community for one year and then transition into a 6-9 classroom. I think they should pay for the percentage of space they use in a shared space and their share of office personnel.
I forsee the programs working cooperatively, yet independently with the support of the Seven Springs Learning Center as a fundraising/distribution entity with the eventual goal of buying/building/renting an ideal space to house all of the programs together. I'm assuming that the NEIM Board bylaws are applicable to a preschool and not a primary school and I personally feel that the blended primary program Board shouldn't upset a perfectly well-functioning cart (the preschool).
All of this being said, I think there are individuals who have vested interests in both programs and see no reason to prevent someone from being involved in one, two, or all three boards. Sounds like a lot of meetings though doesn't it? Maybe a lot of duplicated efforts? I would argue that rather than duplicating efforts, it is a model of delegation and cooperation. However one goes about creating three classrooms, it is going to take a great deal of work and time. I argue that this way keeps it in smaller (less expensive per group), more manageable parts, a way to ease through the growing pains.
What would be in it for both programs?
1)Montessori could feel comfortable about expanding up (blended primary program) and out (second Montessori preschool) without feeling that they had to fundraise an exorbitant amount of money, alter or eliminate their existing governance, pay off outstanding debt, and govern three classrooms in two programs at once (which, I argue, would require the additional expense of a paid director).
2)Blended primary program has the support and sharing of students from the Montessori program for its first year in existence which financially would be extremely helpful.
3)Both parties benefit from unified fundraising efforts.
What would be in it for children in our community?
1)An expansion of alternative educational options.
So, this might be the most convoluted, confusing model out there, or it might be a creative way to protect an already successful program while easing into expansion. Either way, thanks for reading!
Alicia
Hi all,
I'm back to comment on my comment, which might be sadder than when Emily called me on chatting with myself on the Name Chatterbox:)
I was laying in bed feeling like, maybe I'm a just a total chicken about this ideal, big dream bit in comparison to Jane's amazing ideas. What hit me was that perhaps I feel more comfortable with easing into it because that is where I am at. NEIM already went through that and has that experience under their belt. So perhaps, with the knowledge and comfort that they have, they are ready for a much larger move.
I don't necessarily think either is right or wrong, but I just wanted all parties to perhaps consider that when working together. I definitely agree that we shouldn't forget that a committed group of individuals have already accomplished a great deal, but we also have a group of committed individuals who are starting at the beginning. So hopefully if we don't all see eye to eye we can understand each other through conscious perspective taking. That's all I have for now.
Thanks again for reading!
Alicia
Jane, Thanks for helping to clarify all the details and aspects of this vision! I think it is possible to begin 1 or 2 steps back from this, but I also think it is good to look at all that is needed to build a solid program.
One thing this reminded me of, is parent education and the school's clear communication of the goals and how important this is to do on a regular basis. When Montessori started I remember several discussions of how can we help parents to really understand what montessori is, how it works, and what the processes/goals are? We had several books in the office which they were free to borrow, but no one did. And I remember trying to figure out ways that we as a board could share this information with them in pieces over time, like in the newsletter I think we sent out once. We were very focused on survival and so that kind of effort got lost, But I think it is very important to do because one of the things you mentioned here is how parents came to the teacher so many times wanting to know why things were done a certain way or wanting other things to be done. So I think that parent education and constant and clear reminders to parents and to teachers and ourselves about the process and the goals, can go a long way in preventing some of what you talked about that became a problem. And emphasizing that 1) parents need to educate themselves and 2) the school needs to educate the parents i.e. have open discussion about the methods, philosophy and goals 3) school must realize parents will be curious and want to be involved and will naturally go to the teacher because they see that person as their link to their child's experience 4) teacher must be prepared to discuss with parents. All players need to take responsibility and there needs to be conscious processes by which communication takes place.
Thanks for reading,
Amy
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