Expanding Access to Quality Pre-K Education: Tomorrow’s Promise and ResponsiveEd Collaborate to Serve Huntsville’s Future Leaders
Tomorrow’s Promise Montessori Schools in Huntsville, Texas, has announced a new partnership with ResponsiveEd, another nonprofit charter school organization. The collaboration aims to provide affordable, high-quality Montessori education to qualifying pre-K students in the Huntsville area.
In a recent discussion, Kaye Boehning, the president of Tomorrow’s Promise, explained the motivations behind this partnership. “When I first opened the school, I wanted Montessori to be affordable to anyone, to children whose only other option might be enrolling in a daycare where they watched TV all day,” Boehning shared. “For 25 years we have been able to do that, but this partnership has made my wildest dream come true which has been to be able to have something similar to a sliding scale for parents. We’re now able to offer free pre-K classes for children that are eligible.”
Boehning explained that due to financial constraints, many parents have had to pull their kids out of Tomorrow’s Promise and transfer them to public pre-K programs. “I have been told many times over the last 12 years that they wanted to stay with us, they loved the teachers, they loved what their children were learning and the small campus, but that we just couldn’t compete with free. With the partnership with ResponsiveEd, these families now have a choice.
The collaboration is also aligned with the missions of both institutions, which focus on cultivating moral and academic excellence. “50% of everything you know today you learned by the age of four. The first years of learning are where children learn the most. Their minds are like dry sponges, they absorb everything. Also, Montessori is all about respect,” Boehning explained, “we’re going to respect ourselves, each other, the classroom environment, and nature. This approach fits right in with our teaching of morals and values.”
Tomorrow’s Promise has been at the forefront of shaping future leaders and change-makers, using its Montessori approach. “Have you ever heard of Google, Amazon, Microsoft, or Wikipedia? They were all Montessori preschool students! These Montessori Alumni have significantly changed the world. So, I never know when I’m going to be teaching the next Einstein or the President of the United States,” Boehning added.
On the potential impact of this partnership, Boehning was optimistic, drawing an analogy from her father’s experiences. “Competition makes you better,” she shared. “When the public pre-k opened, several years ago we got better. So much so that this year we are already full for the fall. However, we are in the process of transforming another classroom into a pre-k classroom in order to have a few spots open for parents who are not yet enrolled in the school.” She also emphasized her commitment to providing a service to the community, whether it’s staying open during bad weather or during global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
This partnership seems poised to continue the traditions of Tomorrow’s Promise while incorporating ResponsiveEd’s contributions. “Very little change, if any at all, is going to happen to our daily schedule or our method of teaching. They’re going to let us do our thing and let us do what we’ve been doing best for all these years,” she reassured.
Looking ahead, Boehning is hopeful that this collaboration will further enhance the broader vision of Tomorrow’s Promise, emphasizing the importance of fostering a love of learning in children. “That’s the thing that I want to give the children,” she noted, “Opportunities to love learning and to continue to love learning.”
The program is available to qualifying three and four-year-olds. Those interested should apply to ResponsiveEd to see if they qualify for free pre-K and will have to also be dually enrolled at Tomorrow’s Promise. Parents who do not qualify for the partnership can continue to attend Tomorrow’s Promise at the standard rate. More information is available by calling Tomorrow’s Promise at (936) 435-0303.
With this new partnership, Tomorrow’s Promise is living up to its name, promising a better tomorrow for the children of Huntsville.
Related Links:
Tomorrow’s Promise Montessori Schools Website
ResponsiveEd Website
