Montessori Schoolhouse

Posted: July 11, 2020

I researched and decided to withdraw from one elementary school and took my daughter to this school. It surely worked. Now I am sending all my kids here!

Posted: July 11, 2020

Every semester a student can pick a project that he/she is interested in and do the research

Posted: July 11, 2020

Teachers are great and care about students. Regine is still the founder and the director. Paige and Rosemary are great!

Posted: July 11, 2020

Posted: July 11, 2020

Posted: July 11, 2020

Posted: July 11, 2020

Posted: December 15, 2018

Our family has had a mixed experience. The reviews here indicate that--families are generally very pleased or displeased. And it's important to ask onesself why is that? If you are considering this school, read these reviews, and try to figure out if your values line up with the values of of the school/leadership/administration/teachers. Then make the decision that is right for your family.

Posted: December 15, 2018

No homework except for a fall and spring project. Some parents/kids will like this and others may not.

Posted: December 15, 2018

Depends on what you think is effective. A few teachers are very good and others are not. If you are a parent who likes open channels of communication, this is not the school for you. If you prefer a hands off approach where you simply "trust" you child will be "fine" in the hands of the teachers at the school, maybe this is a good place for you and your family.

Posted: December 15, 2018

Parents are fundamentally responsible for shaping character of young people. I have not observed the school itself having a particular positive influence in the development of character of students.

Posted: December 15, 2018

What is effective leadership? Must define what this is before evaluating whether or not leadership is effective. This school offers a "closed model" rather than a transparent one. If it were me and I was running the organization, I would want an open model, where the customers (the students and families) were continually asked what was working and what wasn't. Feedback would be embraced and measured against the goals for the school/administration/community. How well are we doing? Where can we improve? As we attempt to improve, is there evidence that improvement is actually happening? Feedback is tough to embrace, especially if it is not "positive" but being open, receptive and embracing all feedback, not just "what one wants to hear" is critical for the enduring success of any organization. If a process like what I described earlier happens, it happens behind closed doors, opaquely; hence my observation that there is a "closed" and insular culture."

Posted: December 15, 2018

There are minimal services for children with learning differences (speech therapy if a student needs it for academic reasons?), and little interest from the leadership to change that. If you have a student with learning differences, I would STRONGLY recommend another school. All the appropriate legal forms and signage is available at the school to make it appear compliant, but in practice, services beyond speech therapy are not available.

Posted: December 15, 2018

Again, it's important to define effectiveness. If the school were effective, would that mean there was no more bullying? Or would it mean that there were clear, transparent, and consistently applied guidelines for dealing with unkind behavior and fostering a culture of kindness, respect, and cooperation, both within and across grade levels? Or something else? In a closed culture, it's hard to tell what the approach/goal is, and without clarity, difficult if not impossible to evaluate effectiveness.

Posted: October 12, 2017

Excellent! My kids absolutely love school here. They did not look forward to summer vacation and were always excited to get back to school. I never liked school so it is refreshing to have both of my children so happy to be in school. My child who has started middle school has had a nice transition and according to her teachers, is an amazing student to have in class. I think she learned the behaviors like helping others and giving her teachers feedback at the MSH. Perhaps this school is not for every child and that's why it's nice we have choices. It's up to each parent to find the school that suits their child's needs the best. For my kids, this school was amazing. Kids who love school, want to do well and that's been the beauty of this school. On the other hand, other kids may do better with more structure than Montessori provides. I do feel that some kids may need to be at a desk, being told what to do at every minute in order to succeed. It's all about knowing what kind of environment your child learns best in. My kids have loved (and continue to do so) their time here. I had looked around for a couple of years before making the choice to go with the MSH and was never sure how it would work out after elementary school. I had also read the one or two bad reviews and was a little afraid. However, after 7 years at this school, I'm very glad, as are my kids, that I sent them here. I've never seen a school, a product, a movie, etc. where 100% of the people gave it 5 stars. There are always a few people who have a bad experience for whatever reason, even if 100s of others have had a great one. If you let that one review keep you from sending your child to this school, it'll be your child who loses out in the end. I strongly recommend you check out the school and make the decision that's right for you.

Posted: October 12, 2017

There is very little homework. Kids get a fall and a spring project, but no nightly or weekly homework. Teachers work closely with kids all day long and there is no need for teachers to give homework because they don't need it to assess the child's progress. Now that I have a child in middle school, I see how much homework stresses the parent-child relationship and the teaching is definitely best left to the real teachers. This school always scores way above the state average on the standardized tests so it doesn't hurt them to not have homework. I was unsure if it was a good idea at first, but my kids have succeeded even without homework. Several of their friends have gone on to Basis and done quite well so I feel the lack of homework in elementary school is a good thing, not a bad one.

Posted: October 12, 2017

I have 2 kids that started in kinder at the MSH. One is now in 4th grade and the other in 6th. Both kids absolutely loved their teachers throughout all years. One of my kids struggled with math and the upper-elem teachers worked tirelessly with her to find a way to present the material that would click for her. As a result, her test scores have increased steadily over the years (she's getting a A in math at her middle school). My other child scored at the very top of the chart for math so the teachers must be doing something right because I haven't taught her math.
My 4th grader had this to say, "I LOVE my school because the teachers are VERY interactive with the students, plus they occasionally play with us, for instance, jump rope. I love long division. Today, I did a really big division equation and my math teacher insisted we hang it up. Therefore, this is a great school and I can't wait to see what we learn next!" The teachers help keep the desire to learn fresh in their students.

Posted: October 12, 2017

I feel that teachers work hard with the kids to get them to understand and respect the feelings of all the students. They have been very helpful any time I've brought up an issue that my kids were having with other students. Teachers always addressed the issues immediately and in a way that taught the kids the importance of understanding, compassion and respect.

Posted: October 12, 2017

From a parent's perspective, the teachers and director all work together well and respect one another. We all know how hard it is to always get along and agree with everyone we work with, but since they all respect each other, there never seems to be any issues from what I can see. Also, when teachers have had a concern, they called me at work to set up a time to discuss it. Whenever I've had a concern, I left a message and the teacher called me later that day. I've never felt my concerns were pushed aside or ignored.

Posted: October 12, 2017

One of my children has been slow to read and learn math, however the teachers worked really hard with her and she is on par with AZ students.

Posted: October 12, 2017

My kids say there haven't been any instances that they know of. That's a good sign to me. I'm sure they'd address it directly with the bully and talk to the parents. Something to consider, many of these kids have been together since kinder. It's a lot like being in a family and family members can tire of each other. There have been small issues that have popped up every now and then. My kids have had "problems," with another child every so often, but things worked out quickly. Childhood is a time to learn how to deal with interpersonal issues and I feel the teachers have assisted my children through these periods.

Posted: October 7, 2017

The teachers at TMS are well educated and carry many certifications in Montessori Education as well as advanced degrees in the Arts, Sciences, and Business just to name a few.

Posted: October 7, 2017

The students at TMS have been some of the most compassionate and respectful students I have ever met. Students are taught to treat each other as equals and with dignity and respect.

Posted: October 7, 2017

I have never had any problem getting issues resolved at TMS. The director and teachers have all taken time after school to meet with me regarding any issues I’ve had over the last 6 years.

Posted: October 7, 2017

The great thing about the Montessori learning style is that students are given the chance to learn in a variety of different ways and at their own pace until they have mastered that subject.

Posted: October 7, 2017

All issues of bullying that I’ve been aware of have been resolved in a timely and peaceful manner. Bullying is not as easy to identify as some parents would like to believe.

Posted: October 7, 2017

I have had both my kids attend this school since Kindergarten. I have watched them grow into bright young people. TMS has taught my kids how to effectively problem solve and explore the many wonders of this earth. The amount of extra curricular activities they are offered in choir, piano, chess, etc... exceeded my expectations of charter school. The Montessori Schoolhouse without a doubt prepares their students to continue to excel at the higher grade levels at various schools. I have seen many students go on to some of Tucson’s highest rated middle schools and achieve academic honors. My oldest child has had no issues with adjusting to a more traditional STEM school. I would recommend that anyone interested check out the Montessori Schoolhouse. I will miss the wonderful staff, teachers, and fellow parents when my youngest moves on.

Posted: October 7, 2017

Students are sometimes given projects to work on at home. Because the school day is effectively and efficiently organized students have enough time to finish required work while at school.

Posted: October 1, 2017

Posted: October 1, 2017

Posted: October 1, 2017

Posted: October 1, 2017

Posted: October 1, 2017

Posted: October 1, 2017

Posted: October 1, 2017

This school is awful. The upper el teachers are horrible and aren't even qualified teachers. They constantly put down and bully kids. And God forbid your child is bullied cause they don't like that word and now refuse to use. As a result they don't have to go through any proper public school required protocol to document and deal with bullying. They don't actively deal with interpersonal issues between children. If you complain or ask questions about anything that has happen during class time the teachers often yell at parents and demand you "withdraw your child from he school if you don't like it." If you think you can take an issue to the Director of the school she will just refuse to meet with you. That's how they handle things, they just wait for you to be appalled and move on. It's a recipe that is ripe for abuse. All the teacher's who have had their own children in the class constantly cater to their own children inappropriately during school hours, making them and only them tea, heating up their child's lunch, and allowing their child's bad behavior to run amuck. The school has no homework, no communication with parents, no emails that go directly to the person you need to communicate e with, everything go through the secretary. God forbid there is an emergency at the school you would have to hear about it on the news! I don't believe this is a physically or emotionally safe place for children despite all appearances on the outside. Don't be fooled. And the school is defiantly not preparing children for functioning Middle School.

Posted: September 21, 2017

Posted: September 21, 2017

Posted: September 21, 2017

Posted: September 21, 2017

Posted: September 21, 2017

Posted: September 21, 2017

Posted: September 21, 2017

I can't say enough good things about this school. It has excellent academics which the children embrace wholeheartedly because the are truly inspired. They learn in a comfortable, creative, hands on environment. Through that they become really engaged in the material so learning is fun. They don't "teach to the test" here but the children do well on the tests because they are so joyfully immersed in their studies, and in their lives as learners. The teachers strike a great balance. They create a nurturing environment that is enjoyable and not stressful, but at the same time the children learn to structure their time and really focus on getting in depth with their studies. I love that there is no regular homework, aside from special projects twice a year. This allows for family time, freedom and play in a child's day. The environment at this school is full of kindness. Respectful problem solving is taught well. My son is there now in the third grade and is absolutely thriving. My daughter, who is older started there in third grade and stayed there through the final fifth grade year. In the middle of her third grade year, we pulled her out of a more traditional school because she was uninspired and starting to develop low self esteem about herself as a student. When she arrived at the Montessori Schoolhouse she suddenly blossomed into an amazing student and really happy child. Her reading skills made leaps and bounds almost overnight. (For the first time, she became a kid passionate about curling up with a good book. Which was a relief because she had really struggled with reading at her old school.) She was thrilled by all the fascinating, hands ons ways to learn about life, academics and the world. She has carried with her into middle school, valuable skills of time management, creative and critical thinking, exceptional math and science ability, as well as respect and appreciation for her teachers and fellow students. Her transition from the Montessori style to a rigorous academic middle school was very smooth and she is now a happy, straight A student. Most importantly, the Montessori Schoolhouse fostered in my daughter a truly inspired, engaged approach to learning that I believe she will carry with her throughout her life. There is research that shows that how much a child enjoyed school is the biggest predictor of success in later life. It's not about grades or how much homework they did. It's about how much they loved school. I am incredibly grateful that the Montessori Schoolhouse taught my kids that school is something to love!

Posted: February 3, 2017

Posted: February 3, 2017

Posted: February 3, 2017

When searching for a school for my kids, we looked at many different schools. Within just a few minutes of observing at the Montessori Schoolhouse kindergarten, my child said "This is where I want to go to school!" The school absolutely cultivates an atmosphere of learning, where kids can enjoy learning without the pressures of "getting it wrong", tests or hours of homework. While I was initially skeptical of this, when I saw that the school was ranked #1 in the entire state in 2014 (among traditional schools) for highest growth of learning and highest test scores, I doubted no more. If the kids can learn that well without tests and homework, then something is being done right!

I like that the students are taught how to be independent, managing their own "contract" of different subjects of work to do each day. They also get to participate in chess, yoga and choir; and, they are offered on-site piano or violin lessons. Preschool through upper elementary, my children have loved going to school there. When I asked my child why she liked school, she said "My teachers love me," and my other child noted a love learning new things.

There are a few things I would've liked to have seen changed. One is more emphasis on spelling and handwriting as my upper elementary student would commonly misspell simple words. Another is more focus on preschoolers - it seems that whether they're super bright or could be falling behind, not much academic attention is given to them. Additionally, it would have been nice to have more frequent and easier parent-teacher communication. While I'd prefer e-mail, its not an option. If I needed to speak to a teacher, I park the car, walk across the street and try to hunt down the teacher and hope she has a few minutes to spare to talk to me (which she almost always did and was happy to talk). And we've had only very positive experiences with the director, administrative assistant and all the teachers. I also would have liked to have seen more parent involvement (still unsure why we can't have a PTO? We parents would have loved to do nice things for the teachers and the school). In spite of the above, when your child is learning a lot, and feels both loved and excited to go to school - that outweighs the rest, and is a winner in my book. I highly recommend this school!

Posted: February 3, 2017

The students are taught to value one another. I like that.

Posted: February 3, 2017

The teachers value the students and vice-versa.

Posted: February 3, 2017

There is a no-homework policy. I love this! This makes evening family time enjoyable and not stressful. The fact that the students are doing all the work in school and still able to achieve such high test scores and growth of learning (school was ranked #1 in the entire state for this in 2014) tells me they don't need the extra work in order to grasp the concepts!

Posted: January 14, 2017

Both my children attend the Montessori Schoolhouse and our family loves this school and what our children have accomplished. My daughter has had amazing state testing scores the past three years and is a confident test taker. The most valuable thing this school has given my children is confidence; they are both learning important social skills and my daughter is already able to give presentations in front of her peers with ease- a skill that I did not have until college!

I am grateful my children attend this school- it is the best thing I ever did for them!

Posted: November 15, 2016

Our daughter attended the school from grades 1-5. If we could have sent her there for middle school as well, believe me, we would have. The habits she learned there have served her beautifully since, and we have wonderful memories of the school. I see that several people have complained about the school being uncommunicative with parents, but that was never our experience. We always found the teachers and director responsive, and the feedback we got at conferences was wonderfully detailed and personal--there was never any doubt they understood our daughter and what made her tick. Five delightful years.

Posted: November 15, 2016

Posted: November 14, 2016

Posted: November 14, 2016

Posted: November 14, 2016

Posted: November 14, 2016

Posted: November 14, 2016

Posted: November 14, 2016

Posted: November 14, 2016

Our children both completed their preschool and elementary school years at the Montessori Schoolhouse, and absolutely loved it. The curriculum is rich and stimulating, and the hands-on materials are highly engaging. There is a strong emphasis on freedom with responsibility, and students are allowed to move freely and work at their own rhythm and pace while within certain guidelines. Our kids learned a lot of self-directedness and ownership of their own education through this approach. In addition, we found the school to be in alignment with not only the Montessori philosophy, but also with the state academic standards. They don't blow their own horn about it much, but this school consistently achieves among the highest state test scores in math, language, and science-- and they do this with no homework, no grades on assignments, and no tests (except the state standardized tests.) Cooperation is emphasized instead of competition-- it's a loving, encouraging environment where kids can be kids and enjoy the love of learning. We could not be happier that our kids spent their formative educational years at the Montessori Schoolhouse. They have gone on to thrive at their next schools after graduating from the Schoolhouse, too. Thank you, Schoolhouse teachers, admin, and staff!

Posted: April 21, 2015

My son currently attends the school in lower Elementary and loves most of the curriculum. I think he's getting a great education there - learning self motivating skills, working in groups as well as learning academia. We got used to the Montessori methodology on parental involvement which is something I missed from Preschool and Kinder. Our main issue (as parents) was with the Director, including her approach to bullying. With regard to bullying, we complained about our son getting bullied (head locks, getting his head shoved to the desk, etc.) and there never was a defined plan. They stated that the bully was separated when he acted out but that was about it, I'm not sure if he was actually disciplined in any other way (i.e. parent conference, one on one discussion with bully). With regards to the Director, she accused us of providing a verbally abusive environment because my son was withdrawn, angry. A very bold statement since she doesn't know our family life. My son doesn't exhibit these behaviors outside of school - at home, with play dates or with teammates in sports activities. We are putting him in a public school next year which he's very excited about!

Posted: April 4, 2015

I'll agree with what several others have said about The Montessori Schoolhouse. They DO NOT want any parent involvement in the school. There is zero communication with parents about students' progress outside of parent-teacher conferences, which are once or twice a year. And there is no electronic communication of any kind about school events or school updates (dates for conferences, dates of days off, holidays, etc.). So if you miss the white board of paper handout, you are out of luck. Academically, I found the teachers to be conscientious, and my child learned a lot. But there's much to be desired in terms of communication and parental involvement.

Posted: March 22, 2012

Both of my children went to TMS and received good educations, but I know now that they would have been just as well served in TUSD or at any other charter school. The teachers at TMS were wonderful, but the administration less so. There is no sharing of information and consistancy in how the school is run or how diverse families are treated. TMS was not an open or responsive environment for parents. There are better schools in Tucson, keep looking.

Posted: February 13, 2012

I find the post that was left on December 17th baffling. If you are familiar with Montessori that is exactly how the schools are run. They expect that you are continuing the same type of independent philosophy at home. They do a lot with the children and care very much for them. They promote independence, so yes if they need to wash their hands they get to do that themselves. I, too, was surprised by what seemed like, little communication BUT when you understand the philosophy behind Montessori you will begin to understand. When you drop off and pick up your child the teachers are all there for your questions. I have heard this concern with the lack of sense of community, but I ask you, what would you like for them to offer? You can reach out to the parents that are there and chat with them over lunch. I think that if you do not embrace the Montessori lifestyle then you will not understand and appreciate how the school is ran. I had my girls in the school for almost 6 years collectively and left for an AMI school in a different state and they were right on track academically. You should be thrilled to have your child in this school!!

Posted: December 16, 2011

Our daughter went to Montessori schoolhouse for preschool and we were not happy with her year there. First of all, there is no communication with parents. I found very odd never to get an update for a three year-old s day and general progress. The only time I did was during the scheduled parent-teacher conference. Whenever I asked about my daughter, I would get monosyllabic or brief, uninformative answers. I found this lack of communication unacceptable. Parents were discouraged from being involved in any way, the teachers preferring to leave the preschool experience entirely to them, the experts. There was no attempt to socialize the parents and allow them to get to know each other to create some sense of community. Second, the 'child-led development' philosophy is an excuse for them to not spend too much time with kids. My daughter played with the same toys every day for an entire year, did not really learn anything or became interested in anything new. At her new school after Montessori, she learned more in her first month than in a whole year at Montessori. There are better options in Tucson.

Posted: August 26, 2010

My child attends the MSH preschool and really enjoys it. The teachers are warm and caring, and they respond appropriately to parent questions/concerns. One complaint: the teachers/staff do not communicate much about daily activities or upcoming changes.