During the Covid pandemic, Imani Jackson used her time at home as an opportunity to be more involved in her daughter’s education. An educator for 20 years, she decided to give her daughter a Montessori-style activity to work on, and noticed that the activity kept her daughter’s attention far longer than traditional school work. 

“I started to do some more research into Montessori and the more I researched it, the more I said, ‘this is just good teaching’,” said Jackson. “Montessori does everything that we want to do in regular education, but it's very difficult to do those things in the system that we have.” 

With her interest piqued, Jackson decided to pursue opening a Montessori school in Germantown. Three years later, Poinciana Montessori – which focuses on Afro-centric values as well as the hands-on learning traditionally associated with the teaching method, is set to open on Sept. 3 for students aged six to nine.

The curriculum includes Swahili lessons twice a week, with a capstone trip to East Africa during the student's last year at the school. 

“We want to make sure that students know the history of where they came from,” said Jackson. “I think that it's important, not just for black students, but for all students.” 

The Montessori method of teaching, an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori in the early 20th century, emphasizes independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child's natural psychological, physical, and social development. The core principle is that children are naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared environment.

Montessori schools give children autonomy to learn at their own pace, and students who show an aptitude for a certain skill can continue progressing past grade-level expectations while taking more time on other subjects. The idea is to extend past typical education, teaching students life skills and offering enrichment programs like music, art and language. 

“One of the biggest myths of Montessori is that kids just get to choose whatever they want to do,” said Jackson. “Montessori teachers are referred to as guides, so we want students to have autonomy, and we want them to have choice, but they're also still children, right? And so just as a parent guides their child in the right direction, so does a (Montessori) guide.”  

Guides meet with students weekly to discuss work plans and set goals. Jackson describes the process as “freedom within a frame,” where guides encourage students back towards their goals if they go off their plan.

The school has a few students signed up but still has spots available. Jackson plans to start with a small class size, intending to add more spots next school year. Each school year, the age group will expand by one year until they reach 13, the maximum age. 

Prior to opening the school, Jackson worked as a second-grade teacher at Greene Street Friends School in Germantown, finishing her fifth year this past semester. During that time, she determined that there was a need for Montessori education in the area. She reached out to the Wildflower Foundation, which helped with fundraising and a loan to open the school. 

“Their (Wildflower Foundation’s) purpose is to bring Montessori to people who either normally don't have access to it, or normally wouldn't necessarily consider it for their children,” said Jackson. 

The school uses a sliding scale for tuition that ranges between $3,000 and $18,500. The amount parents pay is determined by family size and financial information provided by Blackbaud Financial Services.

The school will hold a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 at 6144 Germantown Ave. to celebrate its opening for the upcoming school year.