Our Story: The Arbor Community

“They follow Montessori principles in everything they do. They're respectful to parents, they give parents information… honest open communication. That kind of thing doesn’t happen at other schools.”

— Lisa Bridges, Parent of two Arbor grads

There are other models out there for how to run a school. At Arbor we have specifically chosen to be a true Montessori community. What does this mean exactly?

First, it means that all members of our community know that our mission —to develop the full, unique potential of each and every child—drives everything we do, and that all business, policies, design and decisions must serve that mission.

Second, it means that our parents and teachers benefit from the same Montessori principles of respect and collaboration that guide and govern the Arbor classroom.

How Arbor is governed

Principles of governance

• Arbor makes policy in two ways. Policy which relates to teaching and the classroom is made by the AMI Teachers Team. All other policies are made by the Board of Trustees.
• The responsibility for carrying out these policies is described in the organizational chart of the school
• These bodies desire to make decisions by consensus. When this is not possible, the majority prevails.
• Governance is based upon democratic principles and open discussion, within the framework of Arbor's philosophy and goals.

How Arbor is governed

Arbor Montessori's Head of School supervises and manages the daily operations of the school. The Board of Trustees delegates to the Head of School the full responsibility of school management and implementation of the policies and directives of the Board of Trustees. The Board is not involved in the daily affairs of the school and is not a board of appeals. Board members refer parent questions or concerns to the head of school. Arbor’s volunteer Board of Trustees is responsible for the preservation of the vision and mission of the School which is delineated in the Statement of Purpose and Fostering Values. The Boards’ primary responsibility is to maintain the integrity of the school’s Montessori educational vision through time and to ensure that the school remains viable to serve future generations. Fiscal integrity, present and future, that is aligned with the Statement of Purpose and Fostering Values, is integral to the responsibility of preserving the vision. Arbor’s Board is composed of parents and AMI staff who put aside personal issues to focus on our common mission; the school’s policies and decisions support this mission. In the conduct of official business, the Board acts and speaks only as a whole. Because Arbor Montessori School is an AMI school, with the Montessori philosophy as its guiding directive, there is a majority of AMI staff on the Board.

Standing Committees of the Board

The Arbor Board of Trustees directs the work of the board committees and accomplishes its work through these committees. Arbor Montessori encourages parents who are interested in the decision-making process to join a board committee. From the discussions, research and planning that take place at committee meetings, recommendations may be brought to the board for consideration.

• Committee on Trustees
• Diversity
• Executive
• Finance
• Fundraising
• Health and Safety
• Nominating
• Parent Involvement
• Personnel
• Planning

The standards of excellence for Arbor Montessori School are set by AMI (Association Montessori Internationale). AMI was founded in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori to further her life’s work in its original integrity and completeness and to guide its development and application in the interests of all children. AMI consultants visit AMI-recognized Montessori schools every three years as part of the accreditation process. Adherence to distinct philosophical and operational characteristics is necessary for a school to meet the AMI recognition criteria.

The AMI Team (AMI teachers, the head of school, the business administrator and the coordinators) makes all decisions regarding pedagogy, programs, and classrooms. Fundraising efforts, parent education, school activities, and long range plans are reviewed by the AMI Team to be sure they are in keeping with the Montessori philosophy and Arbor’s Mission Statement.