By George K. Regan Jr.
I recently had the terrific opportunity to participate in the “Principal Partners” program at the East Boston Early Education Center for a second time. I was very eager to return to this “assignment,” given that my faith in the Boston Public School system was heartily restored upon getting to know the school’s dedicated teachers and staff firsthand, particularly Principal Olga Frechon.
Yet big changes are about to hit Boston Public Schools, the East Boston Early Education Center being no exception. The school’s K-3 Montessori program, which has been monumental in improving the lives of a melting pot of young students, will spin off into its own K-5 school in the once-shuttered Alighieri School, located just down the street from the East Boston Early Education Center.
Olga and her tireless staff have been instrumental in utilizing this hands-on learning approach with students, a high number of whom have Limited English Proficiency. At the East Boston Early Education Center, the Montessori program consists of two Children’s House and two Lower Elementary classrooms, providing a wonderful haven for nearly 75 children to explore and become independent and life-long learners.
I am both excited and hopeful that the expansion of Montessori learning in East Boston will not only improve students of varying ages and backgrounds, but the larger community as a whole, as children, through this method, are able to choose their own work course with specific, direct guidance from teachers.
However, the promise and potential of this new school will fall flat if it is not filled with the kinds of teachers and staff willing to dedicate themselves fully to the care and learning of this growing population of students. A recent evaluation of our Boston public school teachers indicates 7 percent have either been deemed as “needing improvement” or “unsatisfactory.” This is concerning and needs to be rectified.
It is crucial that whoever helms this new Montessori school must follow the gleaming example of Olga and her teachers. Olga is not shy about the fact that she knows her students’ first names, and those of their parents, as well. This same mentality needs to carry over into this new school. What’s on the table is superior learning opportunities for more disadvantaged children who can ultimately grow and flourish through Montessori learning.
Montessori principles are not the only solution to improve Boston’s public education system ills but they help create a smoother transition for students as they advance by grade. Olga and her teachers did not build up the East Boston Early Education Center’s Montessori program to better themselves. They implemented it for the well-being of the young children in their care. It’s this kind of selflessness that must be transferred to the former Alighieri School if it is ever going to succeed.
(George K. Regan Jr. is founder and chairman of Regan Communications Group of Boston)
