Why AMI accreditation?

Around Kansas City, Montessori preschools are like Old MacDonald's Farm—here a Montessori school, there a Montessori school, everywhere a Montessori school.

Why?

Well, there is a complicated and fascinating (for those of us who like spilled tea) history, involving various Montessori organizations, the US Department of Education, and several individuals, including our own founders, Charles and Shirley Plath. Someday, we can have coffee or a mixed drink and talk it over. For now, suffice it to say: There is no Montessori trademark or registration that states the term "Montessori" can only be used under certain conditions. So, anyone can put Montessori in their name resulting in a multitude of Montessori schools and businesses such as Montessori dog training.

So, it's the "Buyer, Beware!" scenario that we often find ourselves in, in the US.

Luckily, there are credible organizations that accredit or recognize Montessori schools that meet the criteria Dr. Montessori set for Montessori education. One of those organizations is Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), which was established by Dr. Maria Montessori herself to protect the integrity of her work. One of the committees established from the outset was the Scientific Pedagogy Committee, which continues research and study of the Montessori Method in lab schools and classrooms across the world. It is for these two reasons that Clay-Platte Montessori chose AMI to be our accrediting agency.

This means that we meet a set of criteria (https://amiusa.org/schools/standards-for-ami-montessori-classrooms/) in each of our classrooms, which are verified by site visits every three years. These site visits are conducted by specially trained consultants, who not only verify that our classrooms are running as they should, but who offer suggestions for improvement to the teachers and administration. This cycle of continuous improvement keeps us accountable to the children and families in our community.

We are proud of our recognition from AMI and look forward to continuing to provide the highest caliber education for our children.