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Students who complete the Early Childhood Montessori Teacher Education Certification program of South Mountain Community College will now receive the important National Montessori Certification.
The SMCC program has been granted full accreditation from its parent organization, the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).
The college’s 21-credit certification program is one of only three similar programs among community colleges in the U.S. (and is the only one in Arizona). “This accreditation will enable our diverse population the opportunity of career advancement in the private preschool sector and provide a career ladder for future leaders in early childhood education,” noted Billie Larime, Montessori director at SMCC.
Cost is $65 a credit hour (and one-time-per semester registration fee of $15), far less than the cost of Montessori certification programs outside of community colleges. “The cost is very affordable when compared to private Montessori Accredited Teacher Education Programs,” according to Larime.
The SMCC Accredited Montessori Teacher Education Program is affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS). National Montessori Certification is necessary for any lead teacher to be employed in a Montessori private or public school.
The college’s program began with 12 students in the fall of 2005; 64 students enrolled in fall of 2007.
It takes two years to complete, including a nine-month internship. The college program’s instructors are nationally certified Montessori teachers.
“This program provides the opportunity to obtain AMS certification that is accepted and respected worldwide. Many public schools are now asking for teachers trained in Montessori,” Jody Johnson, a current student in the college’s Montessori program, said. “Montessori training runs upwards of $10,000 and would have required (my) relocation to another city if the curriculum had not become available in Phoenix.”
In early December 2007, Billie Larime received the news that the SMCC program was awarded the status of full accreditation at a MACTE conference in Canada. Full accreditation is for four years.
Larime has spent the last four-and-a-half years perfecting the program at SMCC, 7050 S. 24th St. The first two years she wrote curricula and the last two-and-a-half years she implemented the program, taught new Montessori courses, and wrote the self-study for accreditation.
Montessori Education has become increasingly popular in the the past 10 years among private and charter schools. In addition, several public school districts in the Valley have Montessori classes as a choice among their alternative schools, according to Larime.
The accrediting agent is MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) -- the nationally recognized accrediting agent for most Montessori Teacher Training programs in the U.S. The certification earned at SMCC is recognized nationally.
Meanwhile, SMCC will graduate its first AMS-certified early childhood educators this academic year. Plans for the future include opening a Montessori Elementary Certification program in the summer of 2008. Candidates for that program would need to already have their bachelor's degree.
SMCC also provides college credit and a career path that can lead to an AAS degree in Early Childhood Education.
For further information contact Billie Larime (Montessori Director at SMCC) 602.305.5601 or visit the website at: http://teacher.southmountaincc.edu/