A Website By Rebekah Williams

Who am I?

My name is Rebekah Williams.  I am the mother of a beautiful, ten-year old boy, Bhakti Williams-Brown.  We live in a co-operative household, Nickel City Housing Co-operative, in Buffalo NY.

Me at Nickel City Co-op

My Educational Background

I am an alumni of Buffalo’s public Montessori school, Bennett Park Montessori Center.  I attended Bennett Park from the age of three to thirteen years-old.  The school instilled in me a love of learning and the understanding that I was the leader of my own educational process.

After graduating from Bennett Park in 1992, I attended Hutchinson Technical Central High School for a year, then went on to graduate from City Honors High School in 1996.

Observations

I was mostly dissatisfied with my high school experience.  Although I loved my teachers, I often felt disconnected from the subject material.  I observed many of my peers (mostly young people from low-income and minority families) become increasingly disconnected from the school community and from the academic program.  These young people were extremely bright; scoring above 1200 on their SAT’s and acing exams, even though they hadn’t studied.  Despite how smart they were, they ended their academic careers after leaving City Honors; they did not go on to college.  A few of them currently work in entry level jobs at fast food restaurants or retail stores in Buffalo.

I believe there are answers for my dissatisfaction and for my peers disconnectedness during high school.  I believe the answer is that young people, high school students, in particular, need to be the leaders and stewards of their own educational process.  I believe Maria Montessori’s philosophies may provide a foundation for that kind of alternative experience.