Renewing the Promise of Montessori Education

I received an inspiring email this morning from Daniel C. Petter-Lipstein, author of the wonderful blog “Superwoman Was Already Here!”  He inspired Trevor Eissler to create the superb “Montessori Madness” animation, the best short course on Montessori I’ve ever seen.

Daniel reminded me of the article I wrote in 2006 on “Renewing the Promise of Montessori Education.”  I am reminded of her passionate belief that education could change the world, and continue to belief that under the right circumstances, it could.

Since writing that article, Gary Lamb, a leading Waldorf educator, has convinced me that both charter schools and educational vouchers will have too many strings attached, and that therefore tuition tax credits (including donation tax credits) are the only form of school choice for which we should advocate.  Gary is now working on Cause NYS to promote tuition tax credits in New York.  In the future I’ll write in more detail on exactly how the “strings attached” that come with charter school funding, and will come with school vouchers, rip the heart and soul out of Waldorf, Montessori, and any other kind of liberating and holistic education.

For now I just want to thank Daniel for recognizing Montessori’s greatness.  I regard her as one of the greatest creators of modernity:  At some point she should be included in the pantheon of the “great geniuses” such as Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, etc.  I am baffled at the extent to which she has been marginalized, and do believe that university-based education departments are largely responsible for her marginalization.