Parkmont School
Encyclopedia
Parkmont is an independent school
, headed by Ron McClain, located in Washington, D.C.
Parkmont was founded in 1971, as a cooperative Middle School by a parent group in McLean
, Virginia
. The parents were acquainted with the work of progressive educator Maria Montessori
and they consulted extensively with John Bremer, founder of the Parkway School in Philadelphia and a proponent of experience-based learning. Parkmont has always emphasized educating the individual in the context of a close-knit community and the program has strong roots in both the progressive and experiential educational traditions.
Parkmont moved to Washington, D.C. in 1977 to take better advantage of the educational opportunities available in the city. Parkmont started an Upper School
program in the fall of 1991 that serves students in the 6th
through 12th grades. In the spring of 1991 Parkmont joined forces with the Somerset School and moved to its permanent home at 4842 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, headed by Ron McClain, located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Parkmont was founded in 1971, as a cooperative Middle School by a parent group in McLean
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The parents were acquainted with the work of progressive educator Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
and they consulted extensively with John Bremer, founder of the Parkway School in Philadelphia and a proponent of experience-based learning. Parkmont has always emphasized educating the individual in the context of a close-knit community and the program has strong roots in both the progressive and experiential educational traditions.
Parkmont moved to Washington, D.C. in 1977 to take better advantage of the educational opportunities available in the city. Parkmont started an Upper School
Upper school
Upper Schools tend to be schools within secondary education. Outside England, the term normally refers to a section of a larger school. There is some variation in the use of the term in England.-State Maintained Schools:...
program in the fall of 1991 that serves students in the 6th
Sixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
through 12th grades. In the spring of 1991 Parkmont joined forces with the Somerset School and moved to its permanent home at 4842 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.