It was the presence of glue sticks on the back-to-school list that caused Anita Thurakal to grow concerned.
Her son had been looking forward to another year at Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan, the only dedicated public Montessori institution in D.C., which typically relied on specific Montessori materials. So the unusually long back-to-school list, filled with crayons, pencils and other items traditionally found in a conventional classroom, made her take notice.
Thurakal and other parents’ concerns have only solidified in recent months, with a growing number expressing frustration at what they describe as a sudden shift in curriculum — one that is moving away from the Montessori model and more closely resembles a traditional public school.
Multiple parents told The Washington Sun that they feel both betrayed over the change in approach and powerless to stop it — and that after seeking out a Montessori education for their children, they’re only receiving a modified version, at best.
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“We built our community here,” Thurakal told The Sun in an interview, her voice breaking. “It makes me really sad that we potentially have to leave this because they’ve just destroyed it.”
Tensions have begun to boil over, resulting in clashes between parents and the school’s new principal, with some parents handing out cautionary flyers at back-to-school night. Advocates have testified in front of the state board of education, and even D.C. Council members are raising concerns.
And, like Thurakal, several parents have said they may seek new schools for their children, possibly in the middle of this school year.
“I would have just never thought that they would do such an immense overhaul of what they were doing in previous years,” Thurakal said. “Because it had been working so beautifully.”
Technically, any school can call itself “Montessori,” because the name is not trademarked. But many schools seek accreditation from bodies like the American Montessori Society or the Association Montessori Internationale, the organization originally created by Dr. Maria Montessori. The Montessori approach is known for teachers, often called “guides,” keeping watch in the background of mixed-grade classrooms and students learning practical life skills like gardening and baking.
CHML has AMI certifications and AMI-trained teachers, and on its website, Capitol Hill says that its mission is built on the “100-year-old, evidence-based Montessori approach” — something parents cited as reason for wanting their kids to attend.
Much of the ire has been focused on Shelly Gray, who was hired as the school’s principal over the summer. Gray, who declined a request for comment, does not have experience with a Montessori curriculum listed on her DCPS biography page. She and other leadership officials, while not going so far as to say the school is abandoning its Montessori philosophy, have acknowledged some intention to change the school’s approach.
During a virtual September meeting between Gray, DCPS officials and parents, instructional superintendent Gwendolyn Payton addressed the issue.
“I want everyone to hear this as I speak for the team from the Office of Schools: There is no effort to dismantle, eliminate, reduce or diminish Montessori programming at Capitol Hill,” she told the 90-plus people who had tuned in.
But, Payton said, the school was making tweaks to its approach. Citing assessment scores that were lower than the city average (something parents pushed back against, given the differences in structure and grade levels between Montessori and other schools), Payton said that the way forward would involve marrying DCPS’s traditional curriculum with Montessori “philosophies.”
“We do not lower the rigor,” she repeated more than once while explaining the new system. “We increase the independence.”
Parents jumped into the meeting’s chat room, wanting to know why there was no prior communication about the changes. One said she and others felt “a sense of betrayal.”
Tensions only increased as the school year got going. On Oct. 1, almost a month after the meeting with Payton, a group of parents organizing under the name “Montessori Advocates of CHML” wrote a letter to Dr. Kim Jackson, the interim chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, arguing that “AMI accreditation is a demanding standard reserved for schools that adhere to the Montessori curriculum with fidelity, not a label DCPS can preserve informally while the conditions that earned it erode underneath.”
Many teachers found themselves caught up in the chaos, as well. Multiple parents told The Sun they feel bad asking teachers to act as liaisons with Gray, because in many cases the teachers themselves are not happy with the shift in curriculum.
“I know I really want to protect my teacher because there’s a lot of tension between them,” said one parent who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect the teacher’s identity. “[Gray is] really forcing hands against the Montessori-trained teachers who want to remain Montessori.”
The parent said that relationships among teachers, parents and Gray have become so strained that she only plans to keep her child in the school if Gray departs.
Earlier this month, Jackson told parents that Gray and Payton have been “working closely with District leadership and engaging directly with AMI to better understand Montessori accreditation requirements and ensure alignment.” AMI declined an interview request.
In a statement, a DCPS spokesperson told The Sun that “CHML and DCPS remain dedicated to the school continuing as an accredited Montessori program.” Acknowledging the changes to the primary level at CHML, or those serving students between the ages of 3 and 6, the spokesperson said, “There is still a robust period available for students to direct their own learning in uninterrupted work cycles of one to two hours each day. The intent of these adjustments is not to replace Montessori practices, but to strengthen instruction while preserving the core features that define the CHML experience.”
That deviation from the school’s previous approach is disappointing to parents like Marques and Asia Banks, who placed CHML at the top of their list in D.C.’s public school lottery after touring several Montessori schools last year and determining that the curriculum seemed perfect for their 3-year-old. Another plus: Just five years ago, DCPS put $61 million into renovating the school building near Union Square, making it better equipped for Montessori education with large, well-lit rooms and ample outdoor garden space.
The Bankses were convinced by the “long-standing traditions” at Capitol Hill and teachers who were “really grounded in the Montessori philosophy.” They submitted one of nearly 700 pre-K 3 applications for the 2026-27 school year.
But just two weeks into this school year, their son’s pre-K schedule seemed off. There didn’t seem to be the traditional three-hour, self-led block of time. After the couple joined the parent group chat, their fears were validated.
“Our child is young … and this is our first foray into this,” Asia said. “A 3-year-old cannot come home and tell us that there are changes to our expectations.”
The change in expectations is causing some parents to look elsewhere. Midyear D.C. school lottery applications are already open for parents who wish to move before the year is out. Applications for next school year will open in mid-December.
“We’re going into the lottery, and I think there’s a lot of parents who are doing this,” said one parent. “The curriculum has changed so dramatically. Some teachers I know are trying their best to hold on to some of the Montessori work, but because of the schedule changes, it’s just not possible.”
City officials have begun to take action. Ward 6 council member Charles Allen recently wrote a letter to Jackson, expressing concern over changes at the school.
“I am concerned these actions are significantly harming the ability to deliver the educational method embedded in the name and identity of the school itself, as well as a method that parents, families, students, and educators affirmatively choose in becoming a part of this school community,” Allen wrote.
Thurakal is still considering how to move forward. Public Montessori schools near the District are limited, and she believes her son has surpassed grade-level expectations for traditional schools.
“This is what I want for him,” she said. “This is how I want him to grow up. Like I just feel so cheated for [the students].”
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