Traverse City Record-Eagle

Our Views

EDITORIAL

The issue: Bertha Vos to house only International Baccalaureate program

Our view: District must still expand Montessori

February 7, 2012

Bertha Vos switch will work if Montessori gets home

Our view: How Bertha Vos switch could work ----

The latest decision from Traverse City Area Public Schools about the former Bertha Vos elementary school in Acme makes sense. But it would have made more sense back when the district said it was going to reopen the school with both Montessori and International Baccalaureate programs in the first place.

Acme-area parents, and parents looking for alternatives for their children, deserve a more thoughtful strategy.

The school board in December voted to reopen Bertha Vos in the fall of 2012, offering Montessori and International Baccalaureate curriculums under the same roof. Now, the district has said the building will house only an International Baccalaureate program. Officials have determined that the way International Baccalaureate and Montessori groups grades made finding teachers with the right qualifications "a bit complicated," said Jim Linsell, TCAPS' director of leadership effectiveness.

So the board decided instead to open Bertha Vos as strictly an International Baccalaureate program and possibly find a home in an east-side school for a second Montessori program.

While creating an International Baccalaureate program will likely be good for future recruitment and will give parents more choice for their kids, the reversal was poorly handled.

The district should have realized early on that pairing the IB and Montessori programs may not be a good fit; parents should certainly hope the district knows more about both programs than that, particularly with the district's long association with Montessori.

And it would be short-sighted if the district does not find a way to expand its Montessori offerings, particularly on the east side, this fall.

When the district closed three elementary schools four years ago (including Bertha Vos) it turned the former Glenn Loomis elementary into a Montessori-only building. Now, that program is full and there is a waiting list.

Obviously, parents like the Montessori alternative and want more, but as of right now there is no guarantee the district is going to expand that program for the fall. Given the demand, not doing so would be a big mistake, and it's incumbent on the district to offer east-side parents better access to Montessori.

While it appears the district has made a couple mistakes here, at least they were made as part of an effort to offer more choices for parents, retain the current student base and lure more parents and kids into the district. That's better than not trying.

Many parents are looking for challenging programs for their children and Traverse City is in a perfect position to create them.

The district needs to move ahead with an east-side Montessori offering and do it soon enough for parents to plan for the fall.

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