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Garden Oaks Montessori
Houston, TX

 What makes Garden Oaks Montessori Outstanding?​​

Garden Oaks Montessori is an outstanding school in the Houston Independent School District. Led by Principal Dr. Lindsey Pollock, Garden Oaks fosters an environment of mutual respect among students and teachers and encourages children to become responsible world citizens through hands-on, individualized learning.



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​Garden Oaks and TutorMate teachers Ms. Diaz, Ms. Julian and Ms. Magre-Loren embrace the school's vision of engaging the whole child in activities that promote authentic problem solving, critical thinking, skilled communication, social responsibility and more. Their goal is to empower students with 21st century tools to advocate for our Earth and themselves. Guided by the school’s mission of providing a world-class education for its children and empowering them to be “learners for life,” these outstanding educators have successfully incorporated the TutorMate program into their classrooms. Dr. Pollock shared, “TutorMate is an invaluable support to the students and teachers at Garden Oaks!  It brings the students great joy to know there is an adult phoning in to provide personalized support to them.  I have watched students waiting in anxious anticipation for their "call" and watched their faces light up when they connect with their tutor.  THANK YOU for making TutorMate possible at Garden Oaks!” TutorMate is honored to be a small part of the extraordinary education experience offered by Garden Oaks.

School Demographics

Grades served — PK–8
Enrollment — 852
Enrollment by ethnicity — 55% Hispanic, 6% African American, 31% White, 2% Asian, 0% American Indian, 4% Multiple
Economically disadvantaged — 46%
% of ELL — 23%
% of Special Education — 8%



​Corporate Sponsors
CenterPoint Energy – Not only does CenterPoint provide safe and reliable electricity and natural gas, they are committed to addressing the needs of the Houston community. They take great pride in the relationships they’ve formed, and we are grateful that so many caring, engaged CenterPoint employees have chosen to partner with TutorMate. With more than 90 CenterPoint Energy TutorMate volunteers in nine Houston Independent School District classrooms, CenterPoint is by far our largest TutorMate group. Their efforts make a tremendous difference for young readers.

Hines – Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment, development and management firm with a presence in 214 cities and 24 countries. They believe truly great organizations create a positive impact on their community, and that's why they get involved—donating their time, resources and knowledge to organizations who help people. We are grateful for their outstanding service and commitment to the students of Garden Oaks Montessori.

Williams – Williams is an energy infrastructure company focused on connecting North America’s significant hydrocarbon resource plays to growing markets for natural gas. They recognize and enthusiastically accept their responsibility to the communities they serve, through acting as a good neighbor and through involvement and support for community activities. We are pleased and fortunate to have Williams as a member of the TutorMate team.

KPMG – KPMG is a global network of independent member firms offering audit, tax and advisory services. They work to find solutions for poverty, education and climate change and inspire confidence and change in all they do. They recognize their responsibility to drive positive, sustainable change to both clients’ successes and society. We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to KPMG for partnering with TutorMate in three Houston classrooms this year.

CenterPoint Energy, Hines, Williams and KPMG tutors have shared the following in tutor session feedback:

  • Carmela Ferrell – “Hazel was very engaged in our session. She was eager to read!”
  • Susan McCreary – “Gabriel did very well today sounding out his words, reading and playing strategically.”
  • Kellie Stephens – “Enjoy working with Benjamin!”
  • Lisa Kpotle – “Eric is very smart and able to sound out his words. I think he will move to the next level in no time!”
  • Sara Castillo – “Mike was engaged and excited to learn. At the very beginning of the call he said he didn’t know how to read, so we worked instead on identifying letters and sounding things out. He did a great job!”
  • Jennifer Elliott – “Jordan was so cute. She is super smart and did great!”

Houston ISD has an outstanding teacher!
Click here to learn about Ms. Pesce!
© 2019 Innovations for Learning
  • OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS
    • East Coast
    • Midwest
    • West Coast
  • OUTSTANDING CLASSROOMS
    • East Coast
    • Midwest
    • West Coast
  • How-To