2005 Summer Montessori Leadership Institute

Building a World-Class Montessori School ó July11-15, 2005

Master Teachers ‚ Model Programs: July 18ó22, 2005

Finding The Perfect MatchóHow To Recruit And Retain Your Ideal Enrollment: July 25ó29, 2005

Building a World-Class Montessori School: Turning your dreams into reality

July 11ó15, 2005 (5 days -Monday through Friday)

Tim Seldin Ý

The Montessori Foundation has worked with hundreds of Montessori schools around the world, helping them to clarify their philosophy and develop the highest levels of Montessori curriculum and practice. This seminar will give you the tools that you need, and a week away from your desk to chart the best course for your school's future.

Here's just a taste of what we will cover!

Defining Institutional Identity

You'll learn to understand your school as a dynamic system of interdependent elements [your educational program, faculty, facilities, finances, administrative leadership, governance, recruitment, retention, and fund raising), each of which should be derived from your school's mission, institutional identity, and core values.

In addition, we will take a first, but close, look at the following topics:

how your school community can define a clear mission, blueprint of core values, and a vision for where you want to be five years from now.

how to identify the challenges and opportunities that your school faces, and assess your own program and facilities.

Educational Program

how to create a culture of Best Practice throughout your school.

how to enrich your curriculum through an extra-curriculum studio program

how to develop a curriculum plan that ensures continuity for the entire school

Faculty and Staff

how to find and develop the perfect staff.

turn your staff into partners in building the school.

create a pool of good candidates who want to join your faculty.

find the resources that will allow you to offer competitive salaries and benefits.

Facilities

how to conduct a facilities needs assessment

keep your campus safe and secure

create a pattern language for your campus

define your ideal classroom and begin to replicate the model

find spaces for indoor play

develop a ìpreparedî outdoor environment

find comfortable and attractive spaces for adult meetings

establish a calendar for preventive maintenance

Administrative Leadership

understanding the difference between a school administrator and an educational leader.

establish priorities, project costs, set a timeline for completion, designate responsibilities, and evaluate progress.

create a leadership culture that leads to self-motivated teachers.

take a fresh look at your organizational structure.

Governance

the secrets of building an effective board.

clarify what is and is not board business

where to find the right board members

Recruitment and Admissions

how to develop an effective recruitment program.

how to recognize whether or not a prospective family is the right fit.

how to attract, recruit, and hang on to the right families.

how to know whether you can address a child with special needs

Building Community and Reducing Attrition

how to create a school culture that keep people excited and loyal.

keep parents informed and confident in your educational program.

establish a sense of community

work with your families

communicate with your families about their childrenís development

create a strong sense of trust and confidence within your community

Financial Planning and Management

commit your school to providing excellence in all things.

hire the best the best teachers, and pay them well.

charge a tuition high enough to allow you to afford the price of excellence.

plan for unexpected expenses.

prepare Annual Reports

develop a financial aid program

develop a substantial summer program to help support your school

begin to build an endowment.

and much more!

Master Teachers Model Programs: Establishing a Culture of Montessori Excellence

Curriculum Development and Coordination, Educational Program Evaluation, and a Montessori Model to Supervise and Support your Faculty July 18ó22, 2005 Every great school provides a coherent program that is consistent from year to year, from class to class, and from one level to the next. Normally it takes years of hard work to achieve that goal. In the past, it took years of hard work to achieve these goals.

This seminar will help you learn how to develop a formal curriculum, evaluate your program, and coordinate several classrooms at different levels into a unified team

This course will help you learn how to:

Educational program development

ensure that your educational program reflects your schools mission and blueprint

define your curriculum in terms of learning outcomes

identify gaps in your curriculum

choreograph several classrooms into one school

help your teachers become more effective in classroom management

help teachers to respond to behavior and emotions that impede learning

work with children who have poor concentration. Short attention span, impulsive behavior, or special needs

help your teachers let go of stress, negativity, gossip, and resistance to change

deal with upset or difficult parents or strained relationships among teachers, board members, and your administration

identify and address practices that are not consistent with Montessori, whether at line-time, snack, lunch, on the playground, when children are with specialists, or in your extended care program

develop effective parent education programs and class and community meetings

use parent volunteers to enhance your program

give your students "bragging rights" through a strong extracurricular program

assess student progress and communicate it to your parents

respond to unrealistic parent expectations and concerns about their children's education and Montessori program Faculty Development and Supervision

how to find the right staff members the first time

how to use techniques of clinical supervision to coordinate and supervise their teachers

how to develop trust, communication, and partnership with your faculty and staff use rating scales and annual teacher evaluations reward outstanding performance

use videotaping in staff development self-assessment

encourage mentoring and peer coaching among your teachers

help your teachers set personal goals

observe classes at work

how to effectively address staff issues such as hiring practices, employment agreements, salary and benefit issues, orientation of new staff, the cycle of issuing new contracts, or concerns about termination

how to promote self-renewal within your faculty and staff

Evaluating your Educational Program

gather data for the assessment of what is really happening in your school

get your parents and students to tell you what they really feel about your educational program

engage teachers and parents in an ongoing process of school self-study and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Finding The Perfect MatchóHow To Recruit And Retain Your Ideal Enrollment

July 25ó29, 2005

A Montessori child can never be replaced! This course will help you to attract not only children who will blossom in your school, but parents whose values and commitments are in line with your schoolís vision.You will learn how highly effective schools build a strong sense of community and trust.

Topics include:

create alignment within your school community about your mission and fundamental values
define your schoolís unique identity
build a stronger school community
get the most out of your promotional dollars
learn how to get positive PR on a shoestring
understand the recruitment secrets of the most successful schools
turn your schoolís ìlimitationsî into assets
develop highly effective school brochures
make direct mail strategies work for your school
design and learn how to effectively use direct mail pieces
get free publicity for your school
design slide shows and videos
make your school newsletter your single most effective PR tool
organize effective open houses and special events
motivate your present families to help,
find the perfect match between family, child, staff, and school Bonding your students and parents more closely to your school community
make new families feel at home
appreciate the importance of internal communication
the 8 characteristics of Healthy School communities
parent education programs
monthly community and classroom meetings
planning committees and task forces
parent volunteers
the importance of giving children and parents "bragging rights"
Studio programs

Helping your parents recognize, understand and appreciate what your school is doing for their children
Overcoming parent fears
Establishing a sense of accountability
Developing a written curriculum guide
Demonstrating the outcomes of a Montessori education
Choreographing several independent minded classes into a true ìschool ì
Developing a sense of institutional consistency throughout your school
Reporting student progress in ways that build confidence and trust
Narrative reports
A Montessori approach to testing
Family conferences
A Montessori approach to homework Responding to parent concerns
Dealing with difficult parents
Grievance procedures
Creating a school culture of warmth, kindness, and respect
When and how to counsel a family to find another school Helping parents to make the decision to stay!
Moving Up nights
Big brother and sister programs
Using your school newsletter to validate the value of the school
Setting the expectation that parents will continue right from the start
School bonds as one tool to secure commitment

Institute Leader

Montessori Leadership Institutes are led by Tim Seldin, President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. His more than 30 years of experience in Montessori education includes 22 years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland, his own alma mater (age 2 through high school graduation) . He was the cofounder and Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. He also served as Director of the Foundation's Lab School, the New Gate School in Sarasota, Florida. Tim Seldin earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. He is the author or co-author of several books and hundreds of articles, including The Montessori Way, The World in the Palm of Her Hand, Celebrations of Life, Building a World-Class Montessori School. Developing a Summer Program for Your Montessori School, Finding the Perfect Match-Recruit and Retain Your Ideal Enrollment, Master Teachers - Model Programs, and Organizing a New Montessori School. He also served for many years on the Board of the American Montessori Society.

Registration:

Leadership Institutes are small intensive seminars, and enrollment is carefully limited. During the course of each seminar, participants will be encouraged to explore issues that they are currently working on at their schools. Many have described the experience as individual school consultation for a much lower cost, with the added advantage of the shared perspectives and experience of the other leaders participating in the course.

Registration Fees for Non-IMC Members: Registration is $250 a day for the first person from a school/$200 a day for each additional person coming from the same school. For example, if you were registering for a 5-day seminar, the fee would be $1,250 for the first person attending from your school and $1,000 for the second. (Registration fee does not include food, lodging, or transportation fees.)

Registration Fees for School and Individual Members of the International Montessori Council (IMC). Individual IMC members or attendees sponsored by a school affiliated with the International Montessori Council, receive a 10% discount: $225 a day for the first person from an IMC affiliated school/$190 a day for each additional person coming from the same IMC school. For example, if you were an IMC member registering for a 5-day seminar, the fee would be $1,125 for the first person attending from your school and $950 for the second. For more information about membership, please call 800-632-4121 or click here.

Location: Sarasota, Florida.

Contact the Montessori Foundation Conference Center at 800-632-4121 for more information or email timseldin@montessori.org

Refunds and Cancellations:

The Montessori Foundation maintains the right to cancel seminars if there is insufficient enrollment. If a seminar is canceled, all registrants will receive a full refund of all fees paid. Registrants requesting a refund prior to commencement of the seminar must notify The Montessori Foundation in writing at least two weeks prior to the seminar in order to receive a refund.

Have a question or need more information? Please contact The Montessori Foundation Conference Center at 800-632-4121

Or by mail:
Montessori Foundation
The International Montessori Council
2400 Miguel Bay Drive
PO Box 130
Terra Ceia Island, FL 34250-0130
941-729-9565 • 941-729-9594 (fax)
Email: timseldin@montessori.org