Diversity and Equity

Maria Montessori believed that young children should study the similarities and differences between communities around the globe, to build an early and growing awareness of our diverse, interconnected world.

Our Montessori school strives to be an intentionally diverse community, comprised of people of different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, family structures, sexual orientations, racial identities, national origins, religions, and abilities.

We celebrate the ways that our uniqueness and differences enable us to enrich each other’s lives. We actively seek to create an atmosphere of respect and openness, in which every person is recognized and supported.

In accordance with the MCS Strategic Plan, we continue to work to strengthen diversity and inclusiveness in our community. MCS strives to provide a culturally competent curriculum in the context of the Montessori philosophy’s commitment to social justice and peace.  Our work is supported by the MCS Administration and by the Diversity and Equity Committee, which is made up of a dedicated group of parents, faculty, and members of the Board of Trustees.

Below are some of the resources that our school community relies upon to do this work.

Learning for Justice (www.learningforjustice.org) is an extensive resource from the Southern Poverty Law Center with information on teaching about race and ethnicity, ability, class, immigration, gender, and sexual identity, bullying and bias, and rights and activism.

Working to Extend Anti-Racist Education (https://www.weare-nc.org/) is a Durham-based organization that facilitates programs for children, pre-service teachers, and teachers to gain an understanding of race, racism, and recognizing racist practices.

EmbraceRace (http://www.embracerace.org) is a multiracial online community of parents, teachers, experts, and other caring adults who support each other to meet the challenges that race poses to our children, families, and communities. 

Montessori for Social Justice (http://montessoriforsocialjustice.org) is an organization that formed in 2013 with the mission of “creating sustainable learning environments that dismantle systems of oppression, amplify voices of the Global Majority, and cultivates partnerships to liberate the human potential.” The group is made up of Montessorians from all over the country who meet annually.

Resources for Parents and Families:

American Psychological Association to help parents engage with children about race and tolerance.

Defining LGBTQ Words for Children

Resources for Educators and Education Leaders:

Defining LGBTQ Words for Children

Our Big Work: Reflections on being Anti-Racist Montessorians

Teaching Tolerance Guide in working with educators, students, and facilitators

The 10 R’s of Talking About Race: How to Have Meaningful Conversations

Tools and toolkit to change how we talk about race and racial equity

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh