What is the purpose of education?
For Andrew Kutt, founder of the Oneness-Family Montessori School, the purpose of education is the development of the heart.
Over the last 40 years, the United States spent millions of dollars in “education reform” focused on mass standardized testing of discreet, alienated skills and content. This funding has done two things:
The push toward standardization has not increased student knowledge or abilities, as measured by the tests that the reformers claim to champion.
The push toward academics and a compliance and control model of education at has created the child and adolescent mental health crisis that we see across our country.
In this educational ecosystem where academics are still seen as the most important, how can educators bring ourselves back to our mission to support the whole child?
What can schools do to stay true to their mission and how can they communicate that to key stakeholders?
I dig into all of these questions, and more, with Andrew on this podcast. Enjoy!
About Andrew Kutt
Andrew Kutt is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Oneness-Family School, the Montessori-based, international peace academy founded in 1988 in Bethesda, MD. He serves on the board of the International Montessori Council and is a founding member of the Montessori Peace Academy, which advises schools with a peace-centered curriculum.
Academics, self-discovery, and world service are integral parts of the curriculum Andrew developed at Oneness-Family School, a curriculum that is sought after and has been adopted in schools around the world. The program is recognized for its success in preparing students with the leadership skills necessary to understand and meet the challenges of the 21st-century, global society.
Andrew has spent the past 30 years in Montessori education, guided by Maria Montessori’s adage “to follow the child” in his work as teacher, administrator, trainer, and educational consultant. In addition to academics, his curriculum materials address positive discipline, conflict resolution, diversity, happiness, and other extensions to the Montessori classroom.
A poet, songwriter, and musician, Andrew’s latest children’s CD is entitled Earth Songs and the piece "Montessori Child" is dedicated to Maria Montessori’s mission. Andrew writes regularly about education, cultural trends, and human development.
Breaking the Paradigm is a division of Developing Education, which is on a mission to fundamentally transform education globally to foster human development and flourishing for all people.
Check out our other offerings here!
First Intention: Curriculum and pedagogy support for Montessori adolescent practitioners, specifically with math and language across the prepared environment.
www.FirstIntention.org
The Enlightened Educator Project: Supporting educators with mindfulness and resiliency through professional development and downloadable resources.
www.EnlightenedEducatorProject.org
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