Parent Gibbs Got It in One on CCSD's Montessori Plans for Murray-Lasaine

"Gibbs, who is black, feels the district is using the allure of a full Montessori program to attract more white families to the predominantly black school while ignoring what black parents want." So states Sunday's article in the P&C regarding plans for revamping the curriculum at Murray-Lasaine.

Unfortunately, parent Yolanda Gibbs also believed the Charleston County School District when it promised to keep both Montessori and traditional tracks at the school. Superintendent McGinley had a secret clause at the end of that promise: until 2015 when traditional will begin phasing out. McGinley doesn't want a school with an all-black traditional track and an almost all-white Montessori track, no matter how "diverse" it appears on the outside.

CCSD's ploy is working: in two years enrollment has grown from 200 to 352, 80 percent black dropping to 68 percent black. Not only that, but CCSD is spending--are you ready for it--$10 million renovating the school for Montessori. Some of you might question why so expensive, but then you probably aren't accustomed to spending OPM.

CCSD's Montessori specialist (there's a specialist for everything in CCSD) laments that people want to hold on to their family traditions. LaDene Conroy says that "change can be difficult." Yes, especially when you've been promised something else.

Gee, who would want to hold onto tradition anyway? Right, LaDene?