Golden Oak Montessori Elementary Charter Petition Approved!

On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, at Hayward City Hall, the incumbent Hayward Unified School District five-member Board of Trustees voted 4 to 1 to approve the Golden Oak Montessori Charter Elementary School petition, on which the 20-member founders' group has been working for the past year. Elated as we are at the vote, there is much more work to be done for our dreams to become reality. Our numerous current tasks include meeting various stipulations of the approval, locating a site for the school, and procuring funding during an economic recession.

The founder's group would like to thank the countless individuals and groups who have given us their time and advice so far. We congraulate the newly elected board members and look forward to working with them and the Hayward Unified School District in the months and years ahead.

Who is Starting Golden Oak Montessori Elementary School?

We are a group of motivated local parents who are seeking an alternative to traditional public schools in Hayward. Our group is ethnically diverse, with children who have very different talents, learning styles, and needs, but we have seen them all thrive in Montessori preschool and kindergarten. Our kids are advancing academically and are excited to attend school. We want to see this love of learning continue throughout their education.

We also recognize a need within the Hayward Unified School District for a curriculum to address poor attendance, testing challenges, and the large number of English-learning students. We believe Montessori's child-centered philosophy is a great match for Hayward's ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and academic diversity; in fact, the more diverse the students, the richer the Montessori classroom experience. In January 2008, a group of twenty educators and parents formed a Steering Committee to establish a Montessori charter elementary school to expand the public school options in the area and give back to the wonderfully diverse community of Hayward. For more information, please visit Golden Oak Montessori of Hayward, CA!