Our Mission
Community Montessori School is a diverse partnership of parents, teachers and children; an independent non-profit school embracing Montessori principles to develop a child's full potential and life-long love of learning. Our community strives to instill in each child a sense of duty and personal responsibility for the world in which we live.
Our School
Community Montessori School (CMS) is an incorporated, nonprofit, tax-exempt school. CMS is owned and administered by member families, staff, and an executive director.
CMS was founded in 1981 by thirteen families. The school was founded for the purpose of giving parents an opportunity to assist in their children's education, to relieve teachers from non-educational responsibilities through increased parent participation, and to provide the community with a quality, nondiscriminatory alternative to public education.
Recognizing that we live in a diverse and increasingly interconnected world, CMS strives to create a community that reflects and celebrates the full breadth of human diversity, including, but not limited to, differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, family structure, religious preference, national origin, or disability.
Licensing
CMS is licensed by AMITOT (Association Montessori Internationale Teachers of Texas) for its Montessori school programs and by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS) for the operation of its Early Care and Afterschool programs and nap programs. CMS sought and achieved "recognition" status with the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), the group that was founded by the Montessori family and the group with whom the Montessori family is still involved. Recognition status certifies that the school meets the standards put forth by AMI and offers credibility to a school's status within the educational community. It confirms a dedicated support of Montessori principles faithfully put into practice. Schools apply annually for recognition. Every three years, an AMI consultant visits the school and completes evaluations on each teacher and on the school as a whole. To be considered for an AMI Montessori Certificate of Recognition a school must have:
- An AMI trained teacher at the appropriate age level for each class.
- A consultation by an AMI trained consultant once every three years.
- A complete set of materials for each class from an AMI authorized manufacturer.
- A philosophical approach consistent with what is given in AMI training courses.
- Between 28-35 children in each primary class including a well-balanced division of ages to ensure social development.
- Morning sessions five days per week for the full class, with an afternoon session (extended day) for the older children in the primary classes.
- An uninterrupted three-hour work cycle each morning, an uninterrupted hour and a half work cycle each afternoon.
- No more than one assistant in each traditional Children's House community.
See Also...
About Montessori, Organization, Staff, Calendar, Frequently Asked Questions
