Montessori Teacher Training Scheduled
July 5, 2009
Columbia College to offer Montessori training for primary level teachers
COLUMBIA, SC – July 2, 2009 – Columbia College is launching Montessori teacher training this summer in partnership with Florence District One’s Montessori primary level (3K-5K) teacher training program.
The introductory course, “Montessori Philosophy and Observation,” will be offered July 20-24 at Brockman Elementary School in Richland District One in Columbia.
Information about how to register (deadline is July 9th) and the complete training program can be found at http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Innovation-and-Support/Public-School-Choice/Montessori/documents/flier-ColumbiaColltrainingbegins.doc.
Columbia College is now the second institution of higher education in South Carolina to provide Montessori teacher training. Lander University has been training Montessori teachers since 1998, at both the primary and elementary levels and has trained a majority of the public school Montessori teachers in the state.
In addition to courses available through these institutions, a new course for Montessori instructional assistants will be offered this fall at Midlands Technical College with plans to expand to other technical colleges in the state in 2010.
“As part of Dr. Rex’s goal to expand public school choice, Montessori programs have grown to 41 sites for the 2009-10 school year,” said Dr. Ginny Riga of the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of Public School Choice. “New Montessori programs and expansion of existing ones will reach over 4,000 students this fall in grades 3K through middle school. Montessori classes are beginning at five new sites and four existing programs are adding new classes within their school.”
Dr. Riga said new regional staff development sessions for Montessori teachers and administrators will be offered in August, modeled after successful pilot sessions that were conducted last spring in Cherokee and Allendale counties.
More information on these and other Montessori training options is available on the Department of Education’s Web site at http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Innovation-and-Support/Public-School-Choice/Montessori/Index.html, or contact Dr. Ginny Riga by phone at (803) 734-8470 or by e-mail at [email protected].
