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Rowntree Montessori Schools

I would not recommend any new teachers to apply to this private school. Hold off and try to get into the public school sector, even though it may take time to get a full-time position. The expectations at this school are extremely unrealistic. Be weary of signing their contract and ask for specifics when it comes to extracurricular activities that you are "voluntold" about. Extras include being told to run certain clubs, extracurriculars and extended care activities. Your typical work day is something like 7 to 4, 8 to 5 or 9 to 6. There are other things you are expected to volunteer for including numerous Open Houses that take place outside of an already LONG work day (you get paid for 8 hours but you actually are at school for a minimum of 9 hours). An Open House day, concert night, speech night etc. for a teacher is usually working from 8 or 9 until 8 or 9 at night. You may get to take an hour for lunch, if you are lucky.  You are supposed to get an hour for lunch but I almost never get my lunch between covering for other teachers or supervising some activity. Oh, and you get to work all summer too! If you want time off in the summer, you are not paid.  And if you do want vacation, you are made feel guilty about taking time off. It's all about "filling classrooms" and marketing the school. Little is mentioned about the quality of education we are providing to students.

In addition to this, you have Christmas concerts, a Christmas parade, speech nights, book fairs, concerts, arts festivals, math bowls, etc. etc. etc. etc. I have many teacher friends who are shocked to learn of the expectations of this place. Teacher turnover is extremely high. Teachers are burnt out and are faced to take sick days that they are not paid for. You are lucky if you get 2 paid sick days per year. Pray that your kids don't get sick at home or that you have an ill parent to care for because there isn't any empathy coming from management. The Principal plays favourites and thinks he is the best educator in the world but rarely steps foot in the classroom and is too busy preaching tech like it's the answer to education. The majority of the teachers aren't even OCT certified. Any long term employees are there because they don't have their certification and aren't certified to teach anywhere else. I do have to say that they are very kind people and work extremely hard. I honestly don't know how they are stayed so long.

The good part of the job - your fellow teachers and the ladies in the office (not the owners of the school). They try to make the best of things but they are also worked to the bone. 

Please don't let them fool you during the interview process. You will be making a gigantic mistake if you choose to work for this school. I am hoping to leave by the end of this school year. Or I will go on leave due to stress. But won't be paid for it!

This is a horrible school to work for. 
- Low Pay
- Long Hours
- Poor Benefits
- No Pension
- No WSIB (if you get hurt you are on your own)
- Low to no quality of life

- Employment contracts contain clauses stating that you will be "fined or sued"  if you quit or leave the school during the school year. If you don't sign - no job. 

- Highly questionable teacher evaluation system is based on a rubric. It is a joke and is not comparable or transferable to any other Ontario (public or Catholic) board system. There are no formal observations.

- Questionable qualifications of the "teachers", many of whom who do not have teaching credentials. "We can teach you how to teach" is a common refrain. 

- VERY LOW PAY. If you work out your pay to an hourly wage based on the hours you work, you barely make more than minimum wage.

- VERY LONG HOURS. You work 9+ hours a day. Lunch hour is deducted although you end up working, marking, prepping and covering. There is no quality of life. You are expected to take work home and to work nights and weekends. At this school you live to work!!!   

- There is an expectation that you will run after-school clubs, activities or sports teams (these are assigned, it does not matter what you would prefer or signed up to do).

- There is an expectation that you will donate your time to participate in open houses after school and on weekends. You can't really say no.

- You are REQUIRED to write reviews and articles about your class or experiences that are then posted to the school website and Facebook account and used as "marketing" materials.

- Professional development is a joke and almost exclusively focuses on tech, apps and so called "21st Century" ed. There is a lot more to teaching than just tech. There is little to no interest in pedagogy, differentiated instruction, spec ed accommodation or behaviour management or intervention.

- Many parents think, because they paid private school tuition, they can confront, question and tell teachers how to do their job. Administration says they will support you, but they frequently side with the parents. 

- The administration clearly play favourites with the staff. These "teachers" act like they walk on water and are dismissive (particularly those teaching grade 7 and 8 and several others in the junior and primary grades). They care little about your interests, past experience or what you can bring to the table. Their attitude is "my way or the highway".   

Overall, I could not, would not, recommend this school to any prospective teachers looking for employment. Avoid this organization, you will be better off.

My Second Home!

Rowntree Montessori is a positive workplace where both employers and employees are ardent and passionate about their work. There is teamwork and collaboration in all activities, no matter how big or small the activity is. '100 th day at school' is as big a celebration as the 'Spring Concert' or the 'Grandparents Appreciation Day.' While the academic highlights are the Math Day, French Carnaval, STEM Fair, Speech and Debate Night, RMS Math Bowl Competition, to mention a few, they also try to instill community and citizenship through all the Charity days. To balance it, they also have their fun-filled Spirit days, Valentine and Halloween jubilation, to name a few. And the icing to the cake are their concert days, be it Christmas, Spring or Festival of Arts! Not a very big school as they pride in calling themselves as the Rowntree family, but a very busy and active place indeed!

Over the past couple of years, I have had the opportunity to work at this institution. I have witnessed the school to grow by leaps and bounds. We definitely are moving towards a 21th Century digital learning and every possible help is being provided by the school management and administrators. Its open doors policy allows all to share their thoughts and provide suggestions, be it a staff member or a parent. Teachers are provided with continued Professional Development in order to abreast themselves with the growing technology incorporated in the school. And if you are passionate about any sport or  extra-curricular activity, you are provided the opportunity to spread the love!

In addition to instilling the flexibility to readily adapt to changing technologies, the management also aids us to create an environment that encourages critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, global awareness, and social responsibility. The daily STEM challenge introduced lately by the Director of Education is the direct outcome of this thought process where students are made aware of a real-life global issue and consequently figure out a solution. And this could not have been possible without the guidance of future leaders and a sound management team. Rowntree Montessori is indeed helping to nurture our tomorrow's achievers!

I can not recommend working at Rowntree in good conscience. The culture is insular, and rewards sycophancy. Staff are not given the time or resources to teach thoughtfully, and many of the staff do not have teaching licenses. The owners of the school are not themselves educators and are image conscious to a fault. They explain their obsession with “optics” as a necessary part of running an independent school. However I’ve worked at multiple independent schools and I have never witnessed such a monomaniacal focus on appearance over substance. Classroom time is consumed by events that face the public: Christmas shows (not all holidays, just Christmas), parades, field days etc.  The justification for not teaching children during those school hours and instead focusing on these events is that it helps promote the re-enrollment by the very parents who pay tuition. I truly felt that I was participating in something disingenuous at best.

Truly what bothered me most was the impression that enthusiasm for teaching and for learning were less important than the appearance of doing that. Priorities wrong way around.

Things that are considered standard teaching accountability practices are absent or minimal. Very few observations, feedback on lesson structure, students were routinely given chances to rewrite answers on end of year proficiency Exams and shown which incorrect responses to correct by admin. This practice meant that those results can’t be used by teachers to improve their practice. It also meant that parents had an unreliable metric on which to base their choice to re enroll. I suspect this was the point.

Students with learning disabilities or special needs are not supported adequately, nor are they directed to schools that can best serve their needs. The IEP process is not followed without parents driving it, and admin do not oversee implementation in a serious way. The view is that it would cultivate a reputation of not being a rigorous place if the school were seen to have special needs as a priority.

RMS is better at the performance of education, rather than its execution.

Typical day at work: 9 hour work day minimum (can range from 7:00am-4:00pm to 9:00am-6:00pm depending on your shift), unpaid lunch (but many times you still work during lunch because of extracurriculars, tutoring students, etc.), extracurriculars are mandatory and chosen for you by administration (e.g. clubs, teams, sports, recess/lunch supervision, before/after school care, including many overnight and weekend responsibilities).
What I learned: The year-to-year activities are consistent. There is no interest in teacher feedback or opportunities for change. What has been done in the past is what's going to be done in the future (for better or worse). 
Management: Administration cares more about your involvement in extracurriculars than your actual teaching abilities. There are no professional observations or opportunities for professional growth. 
Workplace culture: The staff are the best part of this workplace, although the turnover rates have sky-rocketed in recent years. Veteran teachers encourage novice teachers to move on quickly, as they've seen the lack of progress made available to them throughout the years. 
The hardest part of the job: Very low salary. Lack of opportunity for professional growth. Lack of disciplinary action for students. Small classrooms. Small playground/yard for students. High expectations for teacher involvement. Low levels of communication/support from administration. 
The most enjoyable part of the job: Co-workers are very supportive. Students are (generally) very polite and hardworking. Parents are (generally) communicative and involved in their child(ren)'s education.

I have had the pleasure of working for Rowntree Montessori Schools for many years. Rowntree is not just my place of work it is also my second family. The amount of support and guidance that has been given to me has greatly contributed not only to my success as an educator but to my personal growth as an individual as well. 

First I want to express how grateful I am to have worked with such a great team. The management staff is always welcoming, compassionate, knowledgeable and they have created a solid foundation not only for the students and their parents but for the teachers as well.  The continued success through the ongoing training is contributed to the director of education whom has created a positive atmosphere for all who work at Rowntree. His knowledge and passion for teaching is evident in his approach and guidance for our Rowntree family.

The curriculum is what RMS strives to deliver in the most “21st way!” The teachers are given plenty of guidance and support to succeed successfully within in the education that Rowntree provides. Our team leaders within RMS have created an open door policy, inviting all families, friends and staff to freely express themselves, ask questions or just talk. The teachers are always given the opportunity to get involved in all areas of the curriculum as this gives each teacher an opportunity to do something that they love; whether it be coaching a sport or the head of the robotics club. All staff are acknowledged for their hard work and dedication and I am so happy that I have been a part of this team.

All I can say is read the reviews! There isn't much more to say. But I cannot in good faith, recommend working at this school. All they care about is getting as many students into the school as possible. Teachers are treated like commodities. Work, work, work. And LONG hours with low pay and poor treatment. It is not normal to be expected to work 44 to 48 hours per week. Most full-time employees work 37.5 hours per week, not a minimum of 40. Do the math! You will end up working 2 to 4 weeks extra per year. Not to mention Before and After School Activites, Concert practices, Open Houses (held at night and on the weekends), Teams and Clubs etc. They will sell you during the interview but do not be fooled.

The Principal plays favourites too. Oh, and read the reviews about the micro-managing. People use that term lightly these days but these guys take the term to a whole new level. They have cameras everywhere. In the staff room even. 

Please RUN from this place. RUN, RUN, RUN. Hold out for a different job. Working retail would be better than working here.

A typical day at work is 9+ hours long, newest employees usually get the worst shifts.  You don't get paid for lunch even though you are regularly required to work during your lunch "break".  Teachers are always catching up with things or covering for someone.  I've learned that the private school environment is all about marketing and image.  The management doesn't really understand what it's like to be a classroom teacher and thinks anyone can do it.  The workplace culture is mostly positive because people are worried that if they show negativity they will lose their job.  Most teachers reach burnout regularly throughout the school year.   The hardest part of the job is the amount of hours and extracurriculars a homeroom teacher is asked to do.  There is no empathy from management about the amount of hours and activities classroom teachers are asked to do even though it affects the quality of instruction.  The most enjoyable part of the job is the eagerness of the student body.  The principal also seems to genuinely care about the kids and advancing the school, but has very high expectations.

I am skilled in core curriculum development customizing lessons which adhere to individual students academic levels.
During principal absences I maintained school functions (organization of staff, inputting payroll, tours, scheduling etc.)
The most enjoyable part of the job was being involved with a student's academic achievements. It left me with a rewarding experience. The hardest part about the job was when our campus closed.

Teacher turnover here is high. This is down to leadership.  the treatment of staff is condescending and demotivating. New hires are not paid a livable wage. Most of the senior staff stay because they don't have the licenses required to work in the public system. Teachers are worked to the bone and burn out quickly; they're micromanaged to death. Not a place that values teaching expertise or the teaching profession. They just want you to smile for parents, and not rock the boat. What they've done in the past, they're going to keep doing for better or for worse.

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