We urgently request a meeting with the District.

​Tacoma School District is has two Public Montessori programs that are currently in jeopardy due to restructuring and lack of direct partnership with the community.

The first line of the District Mission Statement says to partner with parents and the Community. Currently, material changes to the Montessori program are being planned for 2019-20 school year at Bryant -affecting the Middle School options for Geiger- without f​​irst surveying the core population served.  This is in direct conflict with the Districts Strategic Plan to Partner with the community, address the whole child, and focus on achievement through accountability and transparency.  

We, as a community, have chosen Montessori as a long term education strategy for our students. The District is making changes without community input, in ways that affect the outcomes for our children. Clearly there is a demand for this format of education as the programs have continued to grow steadily year after year with waitlists at both schools.

We urgently request:

1) a meeting with the principals of Geiger and Bryant, the Superintendent Carla Santorno, and the designated representatives from the School Board prior to implementing any changes in the format of either school.

2) this meeting be in a forum format for all parents to attend and speak up, to just select parent representation.

3) that no changes be made to the schools without first developing a longer term strategy to support the K-12 Montessori Innovative Program in Tacoma that the District applied for and received.