A Tour of Educational Models 

Durango Montesorri School is a K- 5 educational institution serving students in the Durango community. DMS is commited to following the original teachings of Maria Montesorri, as well as implementing ever changing teaching methods to best serve the Durango community. The classrooms are arranged in three sections: Early Elementary (Preschool and Kindergarden), Lower Elementary (First, Second, and Third Grade), and Upper Elementary (Fourth and Fifth Grade.) All three of these classrooms are under the instruction of two teachers, a primary teacher, and an assistant teacher. Following in the teachings of Maria Montesorri, students are self regulated and motivated, and complete learning objectives throughout the week, when they desire. When speaking to a third grade girl at DMS, who had trasferred from a traditional school, she exclaimed, "I love it! And I get to learn what I want to learn, which makes me more excited to come to school everyday." 

Bayfield Primary and Intermediate schools serve the community of Bayfield, 20 minutes outside of Durango, Colorado. The schools boast new buildings, small class sizes, and a variety of resources for English learning students, IEP students, and non-tradtitonal students. I was most impressed by the combination of Montesorri field methods incorporated into the lower elementary level, as well as the trauma informed resources for all age groups. 

Silverton Public schools is a K-12 district serving the rural community of Silverton, 45 minues outside of Durango. About 85 kids attend Silverton Public Schools in K-12 programming. The historic school house encompasses the entire school district, and has a variety of resources for students. During my visit to Silverton, I was most surprised by the progressive nature of the school's programming. Silverton has adapted programming over the last decade to encompass trauma informed programs, as well as restoritive justice preventitive measures. I was the most surprised by socioeconmic diversity within SPS, learning that almost 80% of students are English learners, and 70% of students live below the poverty line. SPS has adapted programming to reflect this demographic, and provides a tremendous amount of resources to make sure all students succeed. The profound effects of these programs are apparent in the student body: students are well rounded, kind, and extremely intelligent. 

Animas High School is a progressive charter school, situated in the heart of Durango, Colorado. Serving approximately 200 students, Animas High School combines project based learning, heavily influenced by art, to create a student body that is extremely passionate about learning. Throughout our tour, students shared stories of projects created to reflect learning in core classes. Two of the young boys on our tour, built out a sprinter van to learn more about the properties of insullation. Animas High encourages students to learn thriugh creation, which in return creates a very well rounded student population. Animas High is a diverse and vibrant place. In was apparent after talking to a number of students, that they are excited to continue to post-secondary education, and have an indidualized passion for education themselves.