I'm torn. On the one hand, my understanding is that the concept of a Montessori school is based on the notion of exploratory learning for young children, and th

I'm torn. On the one hand, my understanding is that the concept of a Montessori school is based on the notion of exploratory learning for young children, and there was an article recently that remarked on the unusually high rate of Montessori-schooled individuals in places of power. So there is some sort of lesson to be drawn from this idea, namely: send your kids to a Montessori school. But I don't like the characterization of the preferred drive for approval in writing from an adult as a "cancer", and I think it obscures the fact that at some point grades and such will become important because society is going to have to sort them, and grades are just the sorting mechanism. I think that for each socio-economic stratum there is going to be some optimal transition age which puts the students in the best position to succeed, make money, have families, found companies, make great art, heal people better, make scientific discoveries, etc... and ultimately have more kids. Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/04/05/the-montessori-mafia/ http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/04/05/the-montessori-...