Crossway Community, Inc.

Community Montessori Charter School Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Crossway Community? Crossway Community, Inc. is a pioneering, community-based nonprofit organization that has been implementing innovative ways to end the cycle of generational poverty through education for more than 20 years. The Crossway model integrates asset-based family support with rigorous academic and social development programming to fulfill its mission of promoting community, creativity, and learning for all families. As the first charter school in Montgomery County, Community Montessori Charter School (CMCS) will marry Crossways acclaimed approach with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) tradition of educational excellence to build a strong pathway of meaningful, responsive, life-long learning. 2. Why Montessori? For more than a century, Montessori education has been recognized internationally as a thoughtful, child-centered, and innovative instructional model. Crossway will make excellent Montessori education central to its mission of serving the family through focus on the child. Pubic Montessori schools exist in more than 300 communities throughout the U.S., and a strong research base affirms the power of Montessori to promote both high academic achievement and enhanced social development. 3. How will Community Montessori Charter School benefit from Crossways existing strengths? In support of students and the proposed CMCS, Crossway will deploy existing assets to: Forge new partnerships and expand current ones to support family-centered learning communities; Develop additional operational and administrative systems that allow school leaders to concentrate on their primary purpose, the students, and instructional outcomes; Raise capital, complete special projects, and generate operating funds to provide exemplary programming and replicable service models; Advocate locally and nationally in support of education, prevention, family development, and economic empowerment; and, Provide community outreach that embodies a broader understanding of the direct correlation between investment in families and the elimination of poverty.

Crossway engages thousands of stakeholders annually and has raised over $20 million dollars to support its mission. Crossway will continue to engage a wide array of partnerships to support planning, design, and implementation of CMCS. In turn, CMCS will benefit from the wraparound support supplied by the networks of people, wealth of experience, collection of resources, and connection to services Crossway contributes to the entire community free of charge.
3015 Upton Drive, Kensington, MD 20895 Tel 301.929.2505 Fax 301.949.4741 www.crossway-community.org

4. How is Crossway Community successful? Crossway has a 20-year track record helping at-risk single mothers break the cycle of multigenerational poverty and social isolation. Outcomes of social change and progress include: 85% of Crossway Family Leadership Academy graduates report they are living without public assistance; Nearly 60% of alumni have earned or are working towards college degrees; and More than 90% of the children from Family Leadership Academy families have graduated from high school or remain in school performing at grade level or better. The Family Leadership Academy (FLA) students attend classes at Crossway while maintaining jobs and raising their children. While Crossway works in a multi-generational approach, the greatest return on investment in Crossway is shown through the success of our effective early intervention Montessori programs for children from birth through six years of age. More than 40% of Crossways FLA families with children enrolled in the present Montessori Pre-K program are below federal and state poverty guidelines. 5. During these challenging economic times, why take money away from the public schools to educate a child in a charter school? Per-pupil funding follows the child. CMCS will bring additional resources, in partnership with MCPS, to income-eligible students and their families. This strategy will support the educational infrastructure of the Wheaton/Kensington community. Crossway Communitys 20-year track record of serving vulnerable families has made it possible to leverage nongovernmental resources and raise $500,000 annually. 6. How can I contact the Community Montessori Charter School? Contact Ms. Kathleen Guinan, Chief Executive Officer, Crossway Community, Inc., 3015 Upton Drive, Kensington, Maryland 20895 (301.929.2505), or reach us by email at reception@crossway-community.org.

3015 Upton Drive, Kensington, MD 20895 Tel 301.929.2505 Fax 301.949.4741 www.crossway-community.org