Dear Dr.
Scribner:
Thank you
for the leadership and dedication that you bring to the Fort Worth Independent
School District. I especially admire
your strength in bringing to the public’s attention, the District’s changed
demographics that make the District a minority-majority school district--- with
Hispanic students representing the largest ethnic group.
Your focus
on making sure that every FWISD student gets a quality education is readily
apparent. Directly related to your
focus, I have also become aware of the fact that you are very interested in
expanding Montessori education opportunities in FWISD.
It is your
interest in Montessori education that prompts me to write to you directly.
As you know,
Daggett Montessori and Como Montessori Schools are the District’s two
Montessori school campuses. Both schools
have had a long history of development that involved years of dedication from
local students, parents, teachers and administrators, as well as private
Montessori schools and training academies.
These groups came together to establish the schools’ Montessori lineage
and fidelity in FWISD.
Unfortunately,
under its current administration, Como Montessori School has done everything
possible to go against Montessori teaching, the school’s established
guidelines, and any semblance of fidelity because of the incompetent,
unqualified, discriminatory, and bullying management of Janna Bennett.
In an effort
to keep this complaint as objective and relevant as possible, it is important
to first establish that Bennett does not have Montessori teaching experience or
any sort of Montessori certification. No
doubt she will point out that only after receiving her appointment to
become principal of Como Montessori School, she spent a few weeks getting a
“trumped up” emergency training by the Houston Montessori School. But Bennett never followed through on the
steps required to receive Montessori certification. Bennett’s only teaching experience was as a
kindergarten teacher in a traditional FWISD school on the eastside of Fort
Worth. In her over 16 years as principal
at Como, she has made no effort at investing her time in furthering her
Montessori training and earning her certification--- and yet, the District has
assigned her to a K- 8 “Montessori” school?
As a FWISD
taxpayer and the father of a former Como Montessori School student (who
attended when the school was true to its moniker’s fidelity and under a
different principal) I am incensed that my taxpayer funds go to the District’s
efforts to fraudulently promote this school as a Montessori school and that
District officials, unwilling to hold Bennett accountable, have knowingly left
Bennett to her own devices. Bennett, for
all intents and purposes, has been allowed to run her own, publicly funded, private
school.
District
officials have long been aware of Bennett’s mismanagement and abusive behavior
toward her faculty and staff. Instead of supporting her teachers, many of
whom have attended to their rigorous Montessori training and received their
certification (something that Bennett has not done), Bennett belittles and
humiliates them--- often in full view of their students, as a means of what
Bennett has often been quoted as saying that she is “growing” her teachers. Even a cursory review of the number of
teachers who have left and/or have requested to leave Como Montessori, attests
to Bennett’s 16 years of “growing” pains.
It is the
teachers’ dedication to their students that has accounted for Como Montessori’s
academic achievements and that unjustly gives Bennett the undue credit. I am disappointed that District officials,
knowing Bennett’s extensive shortcomings and her history of abuse and
discrimination, think that her management is the source of Como Montessori’s
success. Give these dedicated teachers a
true academic leader and see how they can “grow” a true Montessori school.
Bennett has
a long history of protecting neighborhood children who share Bennett’s
African-American, southern Baptist, and Como heritage while showing hostility
toward the majority Hispanic student population.
The Como community has evolved from a historically African-American community to a 50/50 or majority Hispanic community. No doubt, because of the community’s historical origin, Hispanic residents have oftentimes faced hostility from entrenched African-American Como residents. While attitudes cannot be legislated, the nature of public education and Maria Montessori’s approach to teaching would welcome and nurture the rich cultural heritage of all members of the Como community. Bennett comes from one of Como’s long standing families and there is little doubt that it is only her connection to Como that won her assignment to Como Montessori and that keeps her there in spite of numerous complaints against her. Bennett, as evidenced, is the antithesis of Maria Montessori and as an unqualified Montessori principal, should be an embarrassment to the Fort Worth Independent School District.
Perhaps
Bennett’s discriminatory behavior toward the greater Hispanic population had
become so evident that she was finally forced to hire a bilingual parent
liaison; and yet, Bennett has manipulated this necessary development by forcing
Ms. Sara Brown to office out of Arlington Heights High School--- 2.3 miles away
from the campus where she is supposed to be serving!
Bennett’s behavior
reveals the personality of an insecure administrator focused on keeping “outside
eyes from looking in” and doing everything possible to keep District
specialists from establishing a presence in “her” school, thereby depriving
Como Montessori School students of opportunities that other District students
enjoy.
I am aware
that every one of the District’s secondary schools, except for Como Montessori
School, has an Intervention Specialist.
Intervention Specialists are trained professionals housed on secondary
school campuses to intervene in the real-life challenges facing vulnerable
middle and high school students. These
necessary faculty members help students navigate through their issues and bolster
their spirit to stay-in-school and avoid dangerous drug use and violent
behavior.
Bennett has,
on her own, been able to refuse to have an Intervention Specialist assigned to
and housed at Como Montessori School.
While I want
a quality education for all Como Montessori School students, I am especially
concerned for the Hispanic students.
In my
analysis of Como Montessori School, I conclude that in keeping and supporting
Janna Bennett as principal of Como Montessori School, the Fort Worth
Independent School District discriminates against the majority Hispanic student
population and their parents by:
1)
Compared to the only other K- 8 FWISD Montessori
school (Daggett), Como Montessori School’s administrators (i.e. principal,
assistant principal) are not prior certified Montessori and/or
experienced Montessori educators.
In comparison, both the principal and the assistant
principal of Daggett Montessori School are prior certified Montessori
and/or experienced Montessori educators.
2)
Compared to the only other K- 8 FWISD Montessori
school (Daggett), Montessori methodology for teaching is not practiced
or even encouraged at Como Montessori School and Bennett does not understand,
advocate, or see value in the Montessori methodology of teaching.
In comparison, Montessori methodology for teaching is
practiced at Daggett Montessori School.
3)
Compared to the only other K- 8 FWISD Montessori
school (Daggett), Como Montessori School does not have an assigned and
on-campus Intervention Specialist like all other secondary schools, including
Daggett Montessori School.
In so doing, Bennett deprives the majority Hispanic
student population and their parents of services offered by an Intervention Specialist.
4)
In a direct affront to and a discriminatory act against
the Hispanic community served by Como Montessori School, Bennett houses the
school’s bilingual Parent Liaison at Arlington Heights High School rather than
on the Como Montessori School campus.
One has to question, what good is having a Hispanic, bilingual Parent Liaison
if she is not allowed to be on the campus that she is supposed to be available
to serve?
Bennett’s intentional displacement of the Parent Liaison
diminishes the liaison’s ability to demonstrate her ability and credibility to
the majority Hispanic, often monolingual, Spanish-speaking parents who have
never felt welcomed by Bennett and are too intimidated to participate in their
right to visit and communicate with school personnel. Without reason, Bennett has put up yet
another barrier for these Hispanic parents to have to overcome.
Unqualified
as Bennett is, the District has been extremely generous in allowing her a long 16
year tenure at Como.
It is well
past time for Bennett to “move on” to another District assignment that may be
better suited to her traditional school background.
I am
convinced that such a move would be fair and beneficial to both Bennett and
Como Montessori School; Bennett could bring her administrative credentials to a
new school and the District could invest in a true Montessori certified and
experienced set of administrators for Como Montessori School.
Dr.
Scribner, your admirable interest in establishing a Montessori high school in
Fort Worth has to include a review and upgrade of your already established
Montessori schools. How sad, embarrassing,
and a set-up for failure would it be for
Como Montessori students to have their first real Montessori education in ninth
grade, all, while their parents thought that their children were being taught
using Montessori methodology from K- 8 at Como Montessori, under Bennett’s
“watch”.
I hope that
you will take a personal interest in this serious matter and act on it as quickly
as possible; I am readily available to meet with you to answer any questions
that you might have.
