UMCS students learn about early humans using a timeline. Photo courtesy of Ri Johnson

Urban Montessori Charter School (UMCS), the only tuition-free, public Montessori school in Oakland, combines the teachings of Maria Montessori with Design Thinking and Arts Integration. Montessori education is often associated with private schools and many practitioners can take a strict, dogmatic approach to how the model should be applied. UMCS, however, embraces the intentionality originally set forth by Maria Montessori by continually working to reflect Oakland’s racial and socioeconomic diversity. Rallying school staff and leadership around this goal provides a clear lens through which decisions are made. UMCS is committed to maintaining a respectful community where all students achieve, differences are valued, voices are heard, and power is shared.  

We had the opportunity to delve deeper into UMCS’s mission and accomplishments in a recent conversation with Head of School, Krishna Feeney. Krishna believes that UMCS’s work gets to the heart of the Montessori model, “We want to reflect the demographics of Oakland and have our Montessori anchored here. We want to have Montessori work for our community.” UMCS mirrors Maria Montessori’s effort in constantly shifting to meet the needs of the community, perhaps most notably by hiring and retaining lead teachers of color. An intentional focus on Anti-Biased/Anti-Racist Commitment and Land Acknowledgement work is integral to achieving this goal. 

UMCS student engages in self-led reading time. Photo courtesy of UMCS

Training and professional development for teachers and staff is a top priority at UMCS. To that end, Krishna and Daniel Bissonnette, Assistant Head of School, created UMCS’s own Oakland Montessori Teacher Residency, which launched in the summer of 2022 with six teachers of color, formerly staff in support teacher or operations roles, in the inaugural class. The Teacher Residency program tailors the Montessori pedagogy to the needs and realities of Oakland’s public school students and families, while also reinforcing the school’s vision. The program confirms the school’s desire to reflect and serve the Oakland community while retaining high performing staff. With their second summer training intensive finished, the residents are on track to complete the program this year and receive MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) accreditation. The innovative program is expertly designed to improve quality teacher retention, to ultimately support student achievement. Krishna shares,“We actively look to hire local talent of color. People who want to be here, who are born and educated here, as they are the most likely to stay.”

Family engagement to build a shared vision for the school is an ongoing focus. Montessori is a specific model, one that many parents have not experienced themselves, so engagement is two-fold: learning about the model and growing participation in the community. Krishna says, “The Montessori model is about creating environments and training adults to support students and families.”  She wants families to share a clear understanding of what the school is about, and create transparent lines of communication. To that end, UMCS sends regular notes to applying families to help them better understand the school experience. This builds excitement for the school and ensures families are choosing a school that is a good fit for their student. These kinds of small touch points reinforce the importance of a shared vision of the school and create tangible ways students and families experience that vision.

We asked Krishna if UMCS could have three wishes granted today, what they would be. She answered:

• The ability to reach students earlier in life— even before birth. This means offering parent education and support during pregnancy and including 3-year-olds in the primary program, which is made challenging by current CA licensing requirements.
• A larger school facility tailor-made for them that supports the school’s programs, the developmental needs of students, and the flow and function of learning.
• Recognition in California for Montessori teaching credentials as a state teaching credential. Many states have made progress towards this goal, but California is far behind.

We applaud UMCS’s seamless start to their 12th year of operation. Krishna was excited to share that they expanded their administrative team this year with Lisa Gonzalez, Director of Student Services, and Tobie Garcia, Montessori Coach, stepping up and out of their classrooms to take on these new roles. Krishna looks forward to UMCS’s future growth and the continued ability to make Montessori learning available to the students and families of Oakland, “We are so excited to keep growing and learning together.”

Stay up-to-date on UMCS by following them on Facebook and Instagram. To support their commitment to have two adults in every room and pay their staff a living wage in Oakland, you can donate here.

Written and edited by Amy Breshears and Bonnie Look.

Amy Breshears joined the RFF team in 2023. She transitioned from the Rogers Family Office, working in office management and administration, to the Foundation’s strategic communications and events teams. Her favorite childhood book was Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume. Her hope for Oakland students is that the community at large prioritizes providing them a safe, supportive environment where they can learn, thrive, and follow their dreams.

Bonnie Look joined the RFF team in 2017. She designs and coordinates the implementation of the Foundation’s strategic communications, program operations, grants management and evaluation. Bonnie’s favorite childhood book was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Her hope for Oakland students if for each to realize their potential, to feel valued and loved, and have a hunger for continuous learning in school and beyond.

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