Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools started by parents, teachers, businesses, and/or community leaders. In Massachusetts, these schools operate independently from local school districts and are accountable directly to the state Department of Education.  RVCS's application for a charter, once approved, became a renewable five-year contract between the board of trustees and the state. The state monitors progress toward the goals stated in the charter through annual financial audits, detailed progress reports, and an annual site visit. During the school's third year, it underwent a detailed review process and received early renewal of its charter for an additional five years.

Mission
The mission of the River Valley Charter School is to provide a rigorous academic program based on the Montessori philosophy and rooted in the history, culture, and ecology of the Merrimack River Valley. Students will reach their full potential as scholars and as self-reliant, productive members of society. They will be adept at critical problem solving and will be fully prepared to succeed in future schools, careers, and civic life. RVCS works with curriculum partners such as the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Maritime Museum, and the Parker River Clean Water Association, utilizing the vast resources available in the Merrimack River Valley. These partnerships allow students to use the community as both a source of knowledge and a means of applying what they learn.

Staffing
The director of the school is Dr. Dale Bishop. Our head teachers are experienced Montessori teachers with Association Montessori Internationale and/or American Montessori Society certifications, and our assistant teachers have or will soon be receiving Montessori training as well. In addition to our Montessori professional staff, our faculty includes special education professionals, a school nurse, and specialists in art, music, and other areas as funding allows.

Governance
RVCS is governed by a board of trustees, consisting of founders of the school and other parents, members of the community, and business people. The responsibilities of the trustees are to set policy for the school, hire the director and, working through the director, carry out the mission of the school and guarantee its success. The board meets monthly at the school; these meetings are advertised and open to the public.

Funding
RVCS is funded in some ways like the traditional public schools ("district" schools), but not in other ways. It receives per-pupil funding from the state in the same manner as district schools.  Like school choice, the per pupil funds follow the child to the charter school; until 2002 (when Massachusetts' then-Governor Swift withdrew the charter school reimbursement schedule), River Valley's sending districts received reimbursement money of 100 percent the first year, 60 percent the second year, and 40 percent the third year. Additionally, charter schools do not get significant capital funding from the state and so must meet facilities costs through their operating budgets and through major fund-raising efforts. RVCS has established the River Valley Charter School Foundation, Inc. for the purpose of raising funds for these costs.

Montessori Philosophy and Methodology
Maria Montessori, MD
The River Valley Charter School educational program is based on the Montessori philosophy and methodology. Dr. Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, began working with children in the early part of the century. At the request of local councilmen, she opened a childcare facility in the tenements of Rome, where children were not being supervised as a result of their parents needing to work. She agreed to get involved with this venture as long as she could determine how best to work with the children. In 1906, Casa de Bambini (House of Children) was opened. Dr. Montessori continued with her medical practice, but she observed daily at the childcare facility. Through her observations, she realized children learn on their own, that all adults need to do is provide the environment and materials to assist in the process. Dr. Montessori began to develop materials for the children to work with as she trained her staff as guides for the children. It was not long before very young children were reading, and many people around the world were taking note of this great accomplishment. Casa de Bambini observers would ask Dr. Montessori how she had taught these young children to read and she would say, "Do not look at me, look at the children," for it is in the children where all elements of intelligence lie in wait for the adult to allow the learning to occur.

US History
President Woodrow Wilson was one of many leaders who expressed interest in Montessori education. In fact, President Wilson sent a representative to Rome to observe and meet with Dr. Montessori, who was subsequently invited to the United States with the intent to bring Montessori education to public schools. Unfortunately, the war began and Montessori education was put on a back burner. It was not until 1960 that the first Montessori school, The Whitby School, opened in Greenwich, Connecticut. Since that time, Montessori schools have grown throughout the country in both the private and public sectors.

Characteristics of a Montessori School

Multi-age Classrooms
Classes are three-year age spans in the elementary program and two in the middle school, maximizing curriculum options, encouraging cooperation, and fostering self-confidence in students who serve as role models.

Interdisciplinary Approach
Subjects are taught thematically using reading, writing, and mathematics as tools for the pursuit of knowledge and skills.

Montessori Materials
Materials focus on many levels of understanding, beginning with the concrete and moving to the abstract. Materials are self-correcting and reinforce autonomy, confidence, and self-motivation. Extensive written materials support the Montessori emphasis on research from primary sources such as reference books, the Internet, and the like.

Long Work Periods
Whole-class instruction is minimal, with lessons being given to individuals or in small groups. Students spend long blocks of time on work, thus enabling students to explore a topic or material thoroughly.

Mastery Learning
Students go beyond memorization and repetition to true understanding and application of knowledge, skills, and concepts. The individual student progresses at his or her own rate, either moving ahead without having to wait for the rest of the group, or taking the time he or she needs to internalize the material.

Classroom Design
Classrooms are arranged in study centers, with clusters of student-sized tables and open areas for floor work. Each study center is surrounded by shelves of books and materials pertaining to a particular area such as language arts, mathematics, history, or geography. Students are allowed to move about the classroom and choose resources, working individually or in small groups.

Thank you for visiting with us. Observers are welcome at River Valley Charter School. If you would like to observe in one of our classrooms, please call the school office at 978-465-0065.