The Montessori Guide to the ECERS-R was created for use by State Montessori organizations as an advocacy tool in support of fair and accurate ratings of Montessori early childhood classrooms.
Advocating with this tool, gives us the opportunity to both demonstrate the high quality of Montessori education and educates those in the larger world of early childhood education about its benefits for children and families.
Montessori education can, and should, be able to participate in accountability systems, like QRIS. It is our responsibility, though, to explain how the research-based, developmentally appropriate Montessori curriculum and practices meet the goals of quality even while specifics may look different from a Head Start, or play-based, program.
RB Fast, Colorado Montessori Association, recently shared her advocacy action using The Montessori Guide to the ECERS-R (www.montessoriforward.org Resources Tools). RB contacted the office that manages program rating to express concerns of the CO Montessori community regarding QRIS. A meeting was scheduled and she was able to share The Guide, and give specific examples of how goals of "best practice" are met in a high quality Montessori classroom. She suggested that raters "see a classroom and learn about the reasoning and purpose behind the materials and layout." Speaking with the "right" person resulted in a workshop for raters across the state.
Read more about the opportunity and fantastic workshop she presented for these raters and the benefits it will have for Montessori schools in CO. at Montessori Forward- Resources- Tools.
Congratulations RB! Great work!
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