“This is our mission”: Equity and Ideological Clarity in a Montessori Dual Language School

Educational equity remains elusive in Two-Way Immersion Bilingual programs (TWBE), where students of color experience significant disparities in academic achievement, parental voice, and meaningful engagement compared to their white peers. This study examined teachers’ and administrators’ perspectives on equity in the context of a public Montessori Dual Language School (MDLS) within a gentrifying neighborhood. The qualitative analysis of 15 interviews revealed two primary orientations to equity: political and ideological clarity and a Montessorian approach, with some educators drawing on both. Administrators shared teachers’ views of equity; however, they adopted a broader perspective on the impacts of gentrification on TWBE program sustainability. Findings suggest the critical role of ideological and political clarity within integrated dual language bilingual schools.