Montessori Makers Group · NJMAC
Where is your school running on improvisation?
A take-home systems diagnostic from NJMAC. Use the same lens you bring to the prepared environment: notice the recurring friction, examine what the environment makes possible, and choose one structure to strengthen. Work with a colleague or your leadership team after the session.
Print this handout or save it as a PDF to write your responses privately.
For each system: mark Clear and reliable / Inconsistent / Depends on one person / Not sure, and jot one recent example without naming children, families or staff.
System 01
Faculty and administration communication
- Where can faculty raise a concern, and how do they know it has been received?
- Who owns the next step, and when should a response or decision be expected?
- Where are decisions recorded so absent or new colleagues can find them?
One recent example
System 02
Admissions and enrollment sequences
- Can someone trace the family journey from inquiry through enrollment without relying on memory?
- Who owns each handoff, and what tells the next person it is time to act?
- Where do families or staff repeatedly have to ask what happens next?
One recent example
System 03
Faculty support and development
- What support can a new or struggling colleague reliably expect, from whom and when?
- Is there a protected rhythm for observation, feedback and follow-through?
- If the person who usually helps is absent, does support continue?
One recent example
System 04
Board governance
- Are board and school-leadership decision responsibilities clear in practice?
- Where are decisions, owners and follow-up dates recorded?
- When an issue crosses those boundaries, is there a shared route for resolving it?
One recent example
System 05
Family communication
- Do families know where to bring questions and when to expect a response?
- Who owns communication when a concern moves between classroom and administration?
- Which routine information is communicated predictably before confusion becomes urgent?
One recent example
From noticing to structure
Choose one place to start next week.
Name one recurring friction.
Identify the missing or unclear structure.
Define the smallest useful change:
- Owner
- Next step
- Communication channel
- Response rhythm
- Completion signal
Set a date to review what changed.
Continuity check: would this still work if its usual champion were away?