History of Montessori in Yonkers

Montessori education in Yonkers began in 1986, the year the Yonkers Public Schools opened various magnet schools throughout the city in response to a federal court-order to desegregate the city schools.  Along with various other magnet programs, the first Montessori school, Montessori School 27 was opened on the south west side of the city.

Montessori School 27 was immediately a school of choice. A very active PTA at Montessori 27 began to advocate for a Montessori middle grades program in 1993.   They had become strong proponents of the Montessori Method and wanted their children to have a continuous Montessori education. Through the persistent lobbying of parents, teachers and with the support of the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, Yonkers Board of Education committed to planning the expansion of Montessori programming. During the 1993-94 school year a committee was formed to plan a Montessori Adolescent Program at Mark Twain.  Consultants from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, administrators from both Montessori School 27 and Mark Twain Junior High School, and teachers, along with School 27 parents served for one year on a planning committee which designed the first model for the early adolescent program.

In September 1994, based on school choice requests for Montessori, a second elementary program was opened on the east side of the city, Montessori 31. At the same time, the first two classes of fifty Montessori students (seventh graders from School 27 and eighth graders from Mark Twain) were opened. Within 3 years, the adolescent program expanded to 8 classes.  In 1997, the District opened a separate Montessori elementary program in the School 11 building, which was being used as the south wing of Mark Twain Middle School. 

In the fall of 2000, the New York State Education Department made a site visit to the school.  They cited the Montessori program as being a strong academic program model for students.  Parents were very satisfied with the learning experiences their children received in our Adolescent Program. So pleased, in fact, that once again, they became the impetus for expanding the Montessori Program through high school.  Now equipped with children that had gone through PK-8 in a Montessori setting, an administration that was Montessori trained and certified and teachers who were ready to expand Montessori in Yonkers once again, the lobbying for a Montessori high school program began. 

In 2009 Yonkers Montessori Academy was established as a PK-8 combining the existing PK-6 from School 11 and the adolescent program from Mark Twain. In September 2010, Yonkers Montessori Academy welcomed its first 9^th grade class, becoming the first, public, PK-12 Montessori school in the country. 

From 1984 to the present, Yonkers has realized Maria Montessori’s vision for educating students on all developmental planes, preparing children and young adults to be critical thinkers and positive contributors to our world.