MSH Commitment to Anti-biased Antiracist Practices

“Either education contributes to a movement of universal liberation by showing the way to defend and raise humanity or it becomes like one of those organs which have shriveled up by not being used during the evolution of the organism.”
Dr. Maria Montessori, The Formation of Man

The Montessori School of Huntsville affirms our commitment as an educational institution to anti-biased and antiracist (ABAR) practices. The mission of Montessori education is deeply aligned with the liberation of marginalized and oppressed people. We support this liberation through the removal of obstacles that stand in the way of children realizing the expansiveness of their unique potential. The unexamined culture of our daily lives creates some of these obstacles through racial injustice and system-level inequalities. Our school seeks to actively dismantle the systems of oppression that stifle human flourishing.

After several months of deep reflection and ongoing discussion, our faculty, administration, and board of directors affirm our responsibility to acknowledge and challenge hidden biases, racism, and systems of oppression that exist in our communities, schools, hearts and minds.

We have set the following goals for the 2020-2021 school year as part of this commitment:

• Our faculty and board will engage in ABAR professional development.
• We will conduct the first stage of a multi-year analysis of implicit bias and systemic racism within our school.
• From our self-study process, we will develop concrete steps and actions specific to our community, which will inform our strategic plan for the coming years.

Even as we navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that this work is vital to truly serving our community through these difficult times and beyond.

There is much work to do, and we are humbled to reflect, listen, learn, and serve.

In Peace,

Jay Stark
Head of School
Montessori School of Huntsville

MSH ABAR Statement