At Clark Montessori in Hyde Park, field studies along the Appalachian Trail or on a Native American reservation in the Southwest are essential parts of the curriculum. Yet Maria Montessori never wrote detailed plans for educating older students. Since there are no universities that certify teachers for Montessori high school programs, Clark developed its own training. Teachers also must be experienced with the Montessori method. What we are doing is an experiment, but it's one with a lot of integrity.
Students appear to be thriving.
In a recent philosophy class, students and teacher Bob Girton sat in a circle on the floor, discussing African tribes. In Bruce Weil's music theory class, seventh-graders practiced Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on steel drums. On a recent lesson on immigration, seventh-graders worked in teams, studying maps and geography. All students must complete 50 hours of community service a year to graduate. While some critics say this fluid style of education might not prepare students for college, the 23 Clark students who will graduate this year are finding otherwise.