MEETING THE DEMAND E.D. Walker will host Dallas ISD’s newest Montessori school
CLAUDIA MARQUEZ dedicates much of her weekday time toward her role as a teacher at Ji m m i e Ty l e r B ra s h e a r E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l . B u t o n we eke n d s , t hat role is re ve rs e d . Sh e be comes a s tu d e n t a n d d e v ote s Satu rd ay af te rn oon s and S un d ay s t o s t u d yin g. Marquez, who’s been working for Dallas ISD for t h e p a s t f ou r ye ars , is on e of abou t 16 e d u cator s p a r t i c i p at i n g i n a Mon te s s ori train in g p rogram
paid for by the school dis tric t. Marquez says the course load and time commitment of the training is simil ar to that of a mas ter ’s pr ogram. “For me, it ’s so wor th it that I’m on board with a l l o f t h i s . I k n o w i t ’s go i n g t o b e a t ra n s i t i o n , b ut it ’s going to pay off,” she say s. DISD needs more ins truc tors to s taff the ne w in- demand Montessor i school s, such as the o n e at E.D. Wal ker El ementar y, wher e Marq uez w ill
Story by RENEE UMSTED | Photography by JESSICA TURNER
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MAY 2021
