History

Martha Filley founded Escuela Montessori in 1974 in an existing building located behind her one-acre Upper Valley residence. By 1975, her enrollment had increased from 15 to 45, and had outgrown the original schoolhouse. Construction on the first custom designed school building was completed by 1976.

In response to parental demand, Mrs. Filley has since added 4 more classroom buildings at two locations. From 1980-1996, student enrollment remained steady at 115 students. In recent years, however, the increasing demand in the Elementary class exceeded the available space. In response, the school purchased ½ acres of land adjacent to the upper valley location at 208 W. Sunset. This is now the home of the new Elementary building, a 2,400 square foot. With a capacity of 30 students, the Elementary facility is home for 1st through 6th grades. 

In 1981 our second school was built.  Escuela Montessori de Coronado, known now as Coronado Montessori, is located on ½ acre of land in El Paso's rapidly growing Westside. The Franklin Mountains behind the buildings and playground create a beautiful backdrop for two magnificent classroom facilities.  During the spring and summer, children help tend vegetable and flower gardens scattered about the school grounds. At Escuela Montessori and Coronado Montessori, we believe that an exciting and stimulating outdoor environment is equally as important as that inside the classroom.

A Montessori school is neither a traditional play school nor a day care program. Rather, it is a unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of a child's sensitive years between two and six, six to nine and nine to 12 where he can absorb information from an enriched environment. A child who acquires the basic skills of reading and arithmetic in this natural way has the advantage of beginning his education without drudgery, boredom, or discouragement. By pursuing his individual interests in a Montessori classroom, he gains an early enthusiasm for learning.

The Filley's are very proud of being the first Montessori school here in El Paso and this year will be celebrating 50 years of serving their community. Over the last 20 years Mrs. Filley has been joined by her son, Steve, and daughter in law, Jackie Filley. They work along side each other making sure that their vision continues for years to come.

Montessori Memories: 1974-2014

My Journey Begins

In 1973 I was a first grade teacher at a private school in central El Paso, and the busy mother of two young children. 1 loved my work and my kids, but at times it was overwhelming to try to keep up with it all. I started dreaming of doing something creative that would give me more time with my two boys and still allow me to pursue my love of teaching.

One day I received a call from my college roommate (also a teacher), who excitedly started telling me that she had found the answer for early childhood education. She had been introduced to the Montessori Method by another friend, and had already researched everything she could find out about this new idea that was sweeping the country at that time. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and before long I had done my own research and made the decision to get my Montessori training and open my own Montessori school.

It was a huge undertaking, but almost seemed pre-ordained because of several fortuitous facts that soon became evident. First, at that time there were no Montessori schools in El Paso, and many parents who had learned about the value of Montessori education were sending their children to a Montessori school in Juarez. They were so committed that each morning they put their children in vans that drove them across the border to go to school. When I was able to talk with some of them, they were very excited that I was starting a Montessori school on this side of the border. Some of those children became my first students.

Also, the previous year my husband and I had bought a home on an acre in the Upper Valley. At the time, we had no plans for the land other than to give our children lots of space to run and play in a healthy, beautiful country environment. We planned to have horses in the pasture and chickens in the barnyard. Little did we know in 1972 that the land we bought on Sunset Road would not only eventually grow horses and chickens as well as sheep, goats, rabbits, and guinea hens, but would also be a place where children, including my own, would continue to flourish for forty years. We took our original name, Escuela Montessori del Valle, from our unique location in the upper valley of the Rio Grande.

We were also very fortunate that there was an existing "mother-in-law apartment" on our property which, after much renovation, eventually became our first classroom. That original building continues to be utilized as our Toddler Classroom.

The final ingredient that enabled me to take on the challenge of starting a school from scratch, was the support and help of my husband who really had more entrepreneurial skills