The Vision of the California Montessori Project is to provide a Montessori education that supports the intellectual, social and emotional development of every child.

Dr. Maria Montessori’s fundamental goal was to prepare the child for the “real world” and recognized that each student is a unique individual with unique personal, social, and educational needs.

California Montessori Project offers an environment which has the tools, programs, resources, and support to enable students to become educated to high international academic standards and to develop themselves to their fullest capacity as competent, happy, productive individuals, family members, workers, and contributors to a better society and a peaceful world.

This is achieved through a commitment from the community: parents, teachers, community groups, the legislature, and, most importantly, the individual child.

Internationally high academic standards and expectations of achievement, with emphasis on core subjects, are maintained through adherence to these values:

• Small total school populations and low student/teacher ratios
• Creative, passionate, progressive teachers who are committed to Montessori philosophy
• Responsibility, accountability, and freedom for individual student progress within the academic framework
• Challenges to develop critical reasoning, openness to encourage creativity, and opportunities to facilitate service
• High, unwavering standards of conduct, emphasizing respect for self and others, honesty, responsibility, and courtesy
• Emphasis on collaboration, peer governance, problem-solving, and goal-setting according to developmental readiness
• High parental involvement and collaboration in education and governance

“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are a part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” 

— Maria Montessori

CMP commits to cultivating, welcoming, and celebrating diversity to fulfill our mission, affirm the principles of Montessori education, and carry out a responsible role in our community.

CMP endeavors to honor the qualities that make us similar to each other and those that make us different, co-creating a space that values and respects the race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, language, religion, socioeconomic status, gender identity, size, sexual orientation, relationship status or choice, and different levels of ability, exceptionalities, and neurodiversity of all students, families, and employees. 

CMP promises to encourage everyone to choose respect over hate, embrace diversity, act with empathy and remind our community that being a global citizen comes with responsibility. 

CMP works to promote a sense of appreciation, belonging and care for every learner, family, educator and employee. CMP will do this by:  

• Recruiting and retaining a diverse student body
• Hiring and retaining diverse staff
• Exposing students to a well-rounded curriculum to prepare students to be global citizens
• Empowering our students to become changemakers
• Creating safe, and brave, spaces for all members of our community
• Fostering learning environments that are accepting to everyone and represent everyone
• Teaching and modeling to students how to show empathy, kindness, and gratitude to others
• Creating a community that recognizes how we are alike and celebrates our differences
• Creating safe, shame-free spaces for all members of our community where students and staff are supported in having crucial conversations centering around diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• Treating every person with dignity, always seeking to understand and support, while also upholding these commitments

CMP understands this effort is constantly evolving, and the achievement of such principles grows from the work of educating ourselves and each other as we address our biases and revisit program curriculums, classroom practices, and school policies. The empowerment of the members of our community will bring confidence and compassion for understanding, Our community will be able to communicate with a more inclusive language, challenge discrimination and stereotypes, and provide guidance.

California Montessori Project Students:

• Make Safe, Respectful, and Responsible choices for themselves and empower others to do so as well.
• Are Montessori Learners who work independently, demonstrate initiative, utilize the power of concentration, think critically, and are life-long learners.
• Are Ambassadors of Grace and Courtesy who celebrate the diversity in our global community.
• Are Agents of Change who have a strong sense of community, are socially responsible, connected to their environment, advocate for themselves and others, and are empowered to be problem solvers.