Montessori public schools in Toa Baja build the dream of their communities

Currently, Toa Baja has three schools that use the Montessori methodology – the Ernestina Braceros, Delia Dávila de Cabán and José Robles Otero schools, serving around 625 students. 

In this historic meeting to dream their schools, Principals, teachers, guides, families, the mayor, Betito Márquez, municipal staff, Marlyn Rodriguez, the Assistant Secretary for Montessori Education, members of the Instituto Nueva Escuela and members of the three school communities participated

The exercise started from the questions: What school do our boys, girls and youth need? What school does Puerto Rico need? What school does Toa Baja need? 

The exercise was completed in three stages – personal reflection, reflection in small groups and plenary in search of a common dream.

From this exercise, important elements of the school we dream of arise: a beautiful and safe infrastructure, complete, green and clean areas, spaces where students develop orchards, nurseries, crops, butterfly farms, programs for the care of the environment; school that includes arts and music as essential experiences; open-door school and community work.  

For Lizette González, mother of a Delia Dávila de Cabán Montessori school student for five years, she acknowledges that the meeting was an "incredible space where they were heard" and in which a "common desire" was reached, a space where ties were created and support networks that will work for the benefit of their sons and daughters.   

In the same way, for the director of the Delia Dávila de Cabán school, Wilnelia Cabrera, the space was one of "great motivation and joy." For her it was an experience through which she transcended, and established "ties" with other members of the school community, and with other schools. "Join forces to achieve an excellent education and work for a common good." 

During the meeting, the Family Committees of the schools were established, and action plans were established that are already advancing the dream, bringing it closer to being a reality. This was recognized by an Early Childhood guide of the Ernestina Bracero school, Paquita Cuevas, who started the first Montessori environment of this school 5 years ago.

Leslie Bonilla, School Transformation facilitator for these three schools, shares that the next step is the construction of an Action Plan that makes the “dream” of this excellent school accessible to everyone possible; The Family Committees will be strengthened as custodians of the dream and companions on the way of the guides and directors of the schools.  

We hope that these schools are the best for each and every one of the girls in the project, so that each and every one of them discovers their vocation, is well prepared and pursues it, so that they are well-prepared and good citizens.   

This exercise of "Construction of the Dream" is being carried out this year in 16 Montessori Public schools of the country.