"An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking: it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live." —Maria Montessori, Education and Peace
An education capable of saving humanity must center equity and justice. To achieve this, we must unapologetically ask ourselves a few basic questions about our Montessori communities: Whose voice is not being heard? Who is being silenced? Why does this happen? How does this happen? We can then dive deeper and ask more specific questions: Are we mindful of all our learners' religious beliefs, cultural backgrounds, traditions, and customs? Do we make it a point to talk about race, gender, and cultural identity with our learners? Do we work to keep our language free of racist and biased language (both conscious and unconscious)? Do we have a formal strategic plan of action that clearly lays out the challenges and points of focus for our DEI and ABAR work? Reflecting on these questions (and many more) will help you and your organization create a more inclusive and equitable Montessori environment for everyone. Equity Examined is both a series of essays and an assessment tool designed to help schools and teacher education programs measure and understand the current state of DEI within their organizations. In working through this publication, you will recognize strengths, identify areas for improvement, and gain valuable insight to help you prioritize and implement meaningful change. This is how we thrive. This is Montessori education.