New Designs for School
New Designs for School

We’ve all had the experience of truly purposeful, authentic learning and know how valuable it is. Educators are taking the best of what we know about learning, student support, effective instruction, and interpersonal skill-building to completely reimagine schools so that students experience that kind of purposeful learning all day, every day.

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Primary Contact Name:
Keith Whitescarver
keith.whitescarver@public-montessori.org
Award Date:
April 2014
Grant Type:
Regional D.C. Planning
Start Date:
Fall 2016
Startup Type:
New School

School: Breakthrough Montessori
Grades Served: PK3-6, starting with PK3-PK4
Location: Washington, DC
Operator: Montessori Charter Management Organization
Operator Type: Charter
Students at Start: 90
Students at Capacity: 400 

Hallmark Feature:  Montessori-based student-centered learning

Breakthrough Montessori will be the first school for this charter organization that aims to create a national network of next generation public Montessori schools serving large numbers of low-income and minority students.

  • The model will combine the proven insights of Maria Montessori with the 21st century evidence base and breakthrough school design principles  to create student-centered learning within a structured environment.
  • Long known for fostering students’ intrinsic motivation and love of learning, this Montessori school will include a focus on developing teacher skills and preparation through a two-year residency and student-teacher pairings (lasting three years) to foster family engagement.
  • Staff will develop a cloud-based daily assessment for students from which teachers can review analytics and explore technology applications at younger grade levels.

Inquiries may be directed to Emily Hedin, Director of External Affairs and Community Engagement.