Roberto Germán [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Our Classroom. In this space, we talk about education, which is inclusive of, but not limited to what happens in schools. Education is taking place whenever and wherever we are willing to learn. I am your host, Roberto Germán, and Our Classroom is officially in session. Welcome back to our classroom. Today I'm joined by Dr. Lucy Canzoneri-Golden, an educator, Montessori leader, and co founder of Coral Reef Montessori Academy Charter School in Miami. Born in Colombia and raised in New York City.
Roberto Germán [00:00:46]:
Dr. Canzoneri-Golden has spent her career championing child centered learning and
Roberto Germán [00:00:52]:
helping students develop independence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.
Roberto Germán [00:00:58]:
Back in 98, she and Dr. Juliet King became the first teachers in Florida to found a charter school.
Roberto Germán [00:01:07]:
Wow. Amazing.
Roberto Germán [00:01:08]:
And creating a Montessori learning community that has grown from just 86 students to nearly 600 students today.
Roberto Germán [00:01:17]:
Salute.
Roberto Germán [00:01:18]:
And with a background in theater, elementary education, Montessori leadership, and background in early childhood education, Dr. Canzonero-Golden brings a
Roberto Germán [00:01:29]:
unique perspective on creativity, innovation, and what
Roberto Germán [00:01:33]:
it means to truly honor the potential of every child. I'm excited to talk to her today about Montessori education, educational leadership, and the
Roberto Germán [00:01:42]:
lessons she's learned from more than two
Roberto Germán [00:01:44]:
decades of building a thriving school community.
Roberto Germán [00:01:49]:
Welcome, Dr. Lucy Canzoneri-Golden.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:01:53]:
Thank you so much for that incredible introduction. And it's really an honor to be here, Roberto, with you and to just be able to share hopefully some encouragement as a public school educator. Because we are a charter school, but our school is really run by myself and Dr. King in the sense that when we started the school, we, we started as teachers, which really was the original vision of what a charter school was supposed to be. Albert Shankar, the former United Federation of Teacher president in the 80s, talked about this way before I'm sure you were even born, how there needs to be schools that are led by teachers because we know what's best, we're on the front lines. And that was sort of what we envisioned when we started Coral Reef Montessori in Florida. And it's just been an honor that we've been able. We're still thriving and we're still doing what we're doing.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:02:51]:
Amongst all the controversy and politics in Florida and how things are changing all the time, tests are changing all the time, and there's a lot of pressure in public education. Right. And so I'm here to say that you can do it, we can make it happen. You definitely need to be surrounded by the right people for sure, and the right community of support, which we could not do it without our students, our parents, and all the community. Partnerships that we have. But, yes, it is exciting to still be doing this work in the state of Florida.
Roberto Germán [00:03:27]:
No. And there's so much intentionality around the work that's being done at Coral Reef Montessori, around culture, around identity, around belonging. And I'm wondering what made you realize the importance of doing that work?
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:03:46]:
I mean, I just feel like being raised in New York, and my first teaching experiences were in El Barrio in East Harlem. And I, you know, just learning firsthand and knowing the. You know, I went through the city university system, so I got to really work from the time I was very young in doing many internships, not just one, in different public schools in New York City, and just realizing that there is great potential with our communities, being able to have our students thrive, but there's also negligence in a lot of our communities if we are not connected to the right people and doing the right things and also really having a little bit of luck, if you will, because I've been very blessed in that way that I've always been able to connect with the right people. When I came and I moved here, and a few years Later, I met Dr. King Juliet, you know, it was an instant connection. So I was, you know, I have a background as an ESL teacher. An ESOL teacher is what they call it now. And so that also, you know, made me very passionate about making sure that all students, you know, have the opportunities to excel, to succeed.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:05:08]:
And that is really what the essence of Montessori is, the infinite potential in each student. So that's kind of the story in a nutshell of kind of, you know, how we got here. And I think this part in this phase of my art, my life, it's how do we sustain that and how, you know, how we lay the groundwork for future generations. Because public school is changing, and it continues to change right from the time I was a student to the time that I was in high school, college, to the time I relocated here. So it is constantly. The landscape of public education is constantly changing. Right. So it's keeping up with that, but being able to really still provide excellent opportunities for our students, for our scholars, for our learners, you know, particularly all students.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:06:01]:
Right. But particularly those that have come in and are marginalized because of history, because of laws, because of, you know, the inequities in education, and really being able to transform that and create something unique.
Roberto Germán [00:06:21]:
Yeah, I love the idea of the infinite potential of the child. And I heard you use the word sustaining. When I hear sustaining, naturally, I think about culturally sustaining practices which is our focus here at Multicultural Classroom. And yet I'm also wondering, with the competing priorities in education, how is it that you make it work? You know, so that is not one more thing, but it's something worth investing in, and you do actually sustain the work.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:06:53]:
Well, I think we have to understand in public education that, again, there's a continuous alignment between politics and education. You can't take that out. I'm not here to debate anyone, right. In the state, Tallahassee. I'm like, I'm not here to fight anyone. I think as an independent thinker, Dr. King and I always realized that even with people who have very different views than we do. Right.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:07:22]:
About politics, if you will. I think everyone, regardless of where you are, wants their children to succeed, be safe and thrive and be respected. Right. So one of the things that Montessori really teaches is that critical thinking piece, being able to look at different perspectives, all perspectives, even perspectives you may not go home and hear about that you may not agree with, you know, and still being able to think critically and get information from many sources, multiple sources, and sort of move beyond that. And I think that that is really, really clear. And I think that transcends whatever political climate we have to be in right now in the state of Florida. We need our children to learn. Regardless of what your beliefs are, who you vote for, everyone wants their kids to learn.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:08:20]:
Right. And that is really. And not just learn, but thrive. Right. And not only do we want our kids to thrive academically and be able to compete in the workforce, but we want them to be happy and productive citizens. Right. So I don't. We try to really focus on that and sort of the global view of humanity and really not get caught up in what is happening, if you will, what is the current thing, if you will, or getting scared that we can't do this or teach this or be like that.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:08:59]:
Because, again, that's why we work so closely with Lorena Herman, which is part of your team, because she, as a teacher, understands that our teachers prioritize the students learning. But we're in a public school, so they have to succeed. So we are an A school. We've been in a school most of our life. And I think it's important to let that know, because sometimes people think, oh, well, to be an A school, you have to teach to the test. No, to be in a school, you have to learn to teach the children to think critically. And we've had a partnership with Lorena for now, four years.
Roberto Germán [00:09:43]:
I think it's been Five years.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:09:45]:
Five, you're right. It has been five, because we.
Roberto Germán [00:09:49]:
The partnership started while we were still in Texas.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:09:53]:
That's right. That's right. It's been five years.
Roberto Germán [00:09:55]:
Yes.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:09:56]:
Yeah, it's been five years. But, you know, I've had a lot of wonderful people. We've had a lot of wonderful people come and go in our school and have brought incredible knowledge that, you know, I don't want to. We don't have the time to talk about, you know, and have enlightened me, have taught me. Right. Have taught me so much that I didn't know about. Right. I thought I knew, but I really didn't.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:10:17]:
Right. And I always like to learn from the younger generation. But fast forward, it just got to a point where, yes, it's great. This information was great, you know, and we did our thesis on using literature to really open doors and hear about narratives of other folks that you may not normally hear about. Montessori is European based, so we're always going to hear from the European perspective, but hearing the other perspectives and making it a really, truly global movement. We've had many people come through our doors, but I listen to the feedback of our teachers and because we use literature as our base of sort of transmitting this information across the curriculum, it sort of organically worked out that Lorena became a real instrumental person in our school in terms of training and pd. And I tried whenever at an event, whether it's a Montessori event or public school event, I really tried to let people know about Lorena because her work is so. This work that we've had, this partnership is so good.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:11:29]:
Teachers are asked to do a lot more and more and. And they're burnt out. And she, you know, she really, she's so intentional about listening to the teachers and, and she's so intentional about time that year after year they just say, thank you so much, she's helped us. So that whole point about, like, how do you find the time to do it? Lorena Germán is a key part of that. Right. Having her here is a key part. So one of my teachers said this training is so incredible because it validates our real lived experiences in the classroom and directly address those daily realities and how it impacts our work with literature. Gaining validation allowed me to approach my spoken language and story time circles with greater confidence and intentionality, keeping the human element of teaching at the forefront.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:12:27]:
That's a testimony from another teacher. Now, another teacher was very practical in saying that I've been able to improve my instructional practice in language by Applying everything she's taught us, like teaching rhyming, grammar, culture and vocabulary through the book. Selected another teacher, though those were lower elementary, those were early childhood teachers. In upper elementary, a teacher talked about her library. She said, I was able to look at my classroom library differently, not just as a collection of good books, but as a message to my students about who matters and whose stories deserve to be told. I've been more intentional since then about what I put in front of the kids and why. And lastly, our middle school teachers. So this is a real good sort of example of how she's able to really touch on all grade levels.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:13:22]:
Said Ms. Germán. Help me better understand how to create stronger interdisciplinary connections and encourage students to make meaningful, real world connections. Through literature and discussion. We discussed themes such as connection, identity systems, interdependence, exploration, and how students can analyze issues through multiple perspectives. These conversations encouraged me to create lessons that promoted critical thinking, discussion, and student reflection rather than simply focusing on memorization. And we all agree that if you want, we know that we're in this and we don't have a choice about what tests that the students have to take if we're in public school. But we all can agree that we don't want our kids to be like robots.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:14:13]:
We want them to be thinkers and to really evolve. And so you can do both, right? You can get them in Florida to learn the skills that they need to learn, but you can do it in a meaningful way. And that's why we continue our partnership with people like Lorena and, and, and yourself. And again, I'm just very excited about, you know, like I said, now we've been doing three years of literature studies with Lorena. And you know, this is our. We're going into our third year, but we've been with you all for five years. And so I'm excited about what the future holds.
Roberto Germán [00:14:49]:
Yeah, absolutely. We're excited also, and it's so affirming to hear the feedback from the teachers, from the folks that are on the ground, from, from you as a school leader. And it's also, for us, been a wonderful partnership because when we're present there, you know, you could just feel it in the atmosphere, you experience it, that the, the school culture has been fostered, has been nurtured, has been cultivated in a way to yield the type of results that y' all are getting. And not just results in terms of meeting state standards and things of the sort of.
Roberto Germán [00:15:26]:
All right.
Roberto Germán [00:15:27]:
And that's important. I don't want to dismiss that. But more importantly, the results of educating the whole child, the results of supporting and sustaining community. Right. That the families feel like they're a part of it, that the faculty and staff truly feel a part of it, that there's this connectivity that is present at Coral Reef that we deeply appreciate. So I. I want to give kudos to you and Dr. King and your whole team for all of the work that y' all been doing to nurture this type of environment and create a school culture that people really want to be a part of.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:16:04]:
Thank you so much. Yeah, it really is a team effort. And like I said, I'm blessed that Dr. King and I work so well together. And we have. And we're friends, we're sisters, and we've been doing this for years and years. And it truly is. I don't take it for granted.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:16:25]:
Right. I really don't take for granted what we have created and what we continue to create. And it's wonderful to see our students come back. Some of them come back working for us. Some of them come back with their kids going to the school as well. And some of them we stay in touch with, and they're doing incredible work, whether they're lawyers for immigration or whether they own their own businesses and maybe didn't go to college, or, you know, whether they're doctors, lawyers, moms, dads. You know, it's, you know, the whole spectrum. You know, we've been able to maintain a connection with a lot of our students that come back and said that Coral Reef Montessori really had a major impact on their lives.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:17:11]:
And many of the kids, themselves, within themselves, they stay in touch with one another. I see the pictures on social media, and they're the ones that go to each other's weddings or their, you know, child gets showered, baby showers or birthday parties. It's amazing to see that, you know, that continuum of that connection. Right?
Roberto Germán [00:17:33]:
Absolutely. Absolutely. And again, that just speaks towards the culture that you've created. And. And I think you've hit upon this in terms of even the partnership that we have and the work that Lorena's done there. Y' all brought her in not to do a one and done type of event, but for. For it to be truly a partnership and in which parties are growing, learning with one another. I think the fact that Lorena has been doing some work there for the past five years has given her ample time to get to know folks who are on the ground.
Roberto Germán [00:18:11]:
Right. To get familiar with you all as leaders, but also with the faculty and staff, and so that there's just this synergy there because we have allowed for there to be growth in the relationship. And so I think that's essential. And I hope school leaders take note of that. The importance of not just identifying the right partners, but also creating space for the relationship to truly grow. Right. Thinking about sustaining practices.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:18:47]:
Absolutely. I mean, I think, you know, when Lorena first came, I kind of wanted to stick around and see, like, what is she doing? But she very politely said, okay, you can leave now. And it was great, actually, that she did that, because teachers need to feel seen and heard. And it doesn't matter, you know, no matter what I say or what Dr. King says, the reality is that right now we're not teachers. We are administration. And so you have to be able to step aside, trust, obviously trust when you know, it works, and just, you know, let allow your teachers to have a voice. Which is why she keeps coming back.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:19:29]:
It's not because I want her to come back or Dr. King wants her to come back. It's because the teachers want her to come back. And one of the key things is that they say, we're overwhelmed and she's able to give us tools that are time efficient. We don't have to sit here and spend all day. She's got it done. She communicates, she's easy to get in contact with, and she's very practical and hands on and she listens to us. This is what the teachers are saying.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:19:58]:
So of course we're going to keep saying come back because if your teachers are happy, then half the battle is right there. Right? So, yeah, absolutely. I think it's an important thing as a school leader to be able to know when to step aside and to be able to allow other people to step in and then give you the feedback that, hey, maybe you want to try this or do this and be open to it. But yeah, I think that that's important for school leadership.
Roberto Germán [00:20:30]:
So for school leaders that are listening right now and want to create a more inclusive and responsive school culture, what's one piece of advice you would offer them?
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:20:40]:
I would offer them that I really believe, especially if you are working with students who are, you know, from the global majority. Right. Students who are either identified from, you know, the African diaspora, whether it's the Caribbean or wherever, or African American or English language learners or, you know, recent immigrants or any student. If you're working with a population that in the past very often has been ignored, I think more reason to partner with someone like Lorena Germán to help bridge that whatever they may not have gotten from other schools or really help them with building those critical thinking skills, that vocabulary, all of that that is needed and done in such a way through literature, that is something that they see themselves in, that they're able to connect with that, even if that's not necessarily their experience. They get something from that, they learn something from that, and it really expands their minds and. And it becomes such an enjoyable experience that we know that if students are motivated to read, that's it, you've got them, because then they're going to want to continue to do that. And I think that very often people get stuck in this sort of skill and drill mentality. If you're working with a certain school sector that you have to do that.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:22:27]:
And kids get bored, you know, just because they may not be sick, English may not be their first language or, you know, there's certain things that they don't know or they haven't been exposed to, doesn't mean that that is, you know, that that is an end all. And of course, valuing the experiences that our kids come and bring because they come with a plethora of knowledge and culture and rich gifts, if you will, that they share also. Right. So looking at our students in that way, we are able to, you know, say, yes, we believe in you. We know that you are going to being an incredible human being. And it's very interesting because our students that started with us from preschool and some of them that struggled in the beginning, by the time they get into middle school, they're flying. They are flying. They are.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:23:26]:
Like, our middle school scores are amongst the best in the state.
Roberto Germán [00:23:30]:
Wow.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:23:31]:
And I don't just attribute that to the middle school teachers. I attribute that to the preschool, lower elementary, upper elementary.
Roberto Germán [00:23:40]:
Yes, yes.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:23:41]:
Because we're building foundation. And then when it gets that middle school, it's like an explosion. Right. And people just comment on, like, your students in middle school are amazing. Like, they're just amazing.
Roberto Germán [00:23:54]:
Yes. It has to be cohesive. And as we think about our amazing students, when you reflect on them walking through your hallways today, compared to when this journey began, what gives you the most hope?
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:24:15]:
Knowing that we've expanded to not just 63 students, like when we started, but, you know, several hundred. And knowing that the Montessori curriculum, coupled with this global, which it is, it is a global worldview and inclusive of looking at literature and everything we do is an interdisciplinary, lived experience that we are getting results, that students are becoming happy, productive humans that are actually doing good work in the world. And let's face it, that is sort of one of the main things that really attracted Both myself and Dr. King is this whole aspect of Dr. Montessori believing that everyone has a cosmic task. We're not just brought into the world to just, you know, have a family and just there's a deeper spiritual purpose. Right. That we all have.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:25:29]:
And so what we are seeing is our children becoming adults who are able to actually manifest that. And it just brings me and Dr. King such joy. It really does to see that.
Roberto Germán [00:25:47]:
Yeah. And I think, especially from observing your school and being familiar with the work that's being done there, particularly through the lens of Lorena and the partnership that we've had for the past five years, that there are connections between the Montessori philosophy and culturally sustaining approaches and practices. And to me, having some experience in Montessori schools, particularly when I was in Texas, that made the school I was serving and it makes your school unique. Thank you so.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:26:33]:
Thank you so much.
Roberto Germán [00:26:35]:
For, for individuals who want to learn more about you and your work, who want to learn more about Coral Reef Montessori Academy, who want to support Coral Reef in some way, shape or form, and maybe they want to partner with Coral Reef. Where should they reach out? Where can they learn more?
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:26:57]:
Well, we have a website. If you Google Coral Reef Montessori Academy, it'll pop up. But we're also on Instagram at Coral Reef Montessori Academy and we also have a Facebook page. So, you know, by all means, you know, please reach out. We'd love to partner. We've always, you know, we're real believers in partnering with other folks that want to do good work with schools and children. So we're happy to share information as well and share some of the best practices that we've Learned with the 27 plus years of this school and prior to that, you know, close to 40 years for me and Dr. King is even longer.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:27:43]:
She 1969, you can do the math. So she's a legacy. She's a living legacy. So anyway, yes, that's. Please, we hope that you all find us on the web.
Roberto Germán [00:27:56]:
And yes, listen folks, reach out research. Check out the work that is being done at Coral Reef Montessori Academy
Roberto Germán [00:28:09]:
and
Roberto Germán [00:28:11]:
tap into the expertise of, of Dr. Canzoneri-Golden and also of Dr. King.
Roberto Germán [00:28:20]:
This.
Roberto Germán [00:28:21]:
There's a wealth of knowledge there. There is wisdom for, for us to embrace and ultimately to apply in our different settings. And so we want to be practitioners that are always building community, that are always learning from one another, that are always trying on approaches and some of those approaches might be new but some of them might be old and and we'll find that in both they're going to be things that work and work well for us. All right? These folks have lasted the test of time in education and they have the evidence to to demonstrate the impact of their work. So again, I salute y' all for the work that you're doing. So, so enthused to be in partnership with you and excited to continue to see our partnership deepen but also to see our young people grow and go out there and be impactful in the world. Thanks for your time today.
Lucy Canzoneri-Golden [00:29:30]:
Thank you so much.
Roberto Germán [00:29:32]:
My pleasure as always. Your engagement in Our Classroom is greatly appreciated. Be sure to subscribe. Subscribe, rate the show and write a review. Finally, for resources to help you understand the intersection of race, bias, education and society, go to multiculturalclassroom.com Peace and love from your host Roberto Germán.
