Ha -- I had a deliciously ironic thought. Not sure how well it translates into words: The problems with Montessori wouldn't be so bothersome if it weren't for the fact that it has great potential. Why won't it just live up to its potential?
You know it's all about implementation. Good teachers (Montessori or otherwise) find the materials they need to challenge the child. I think that the Montessori method is set up to succeed at this with the "follow the child" mantra. However it's still up to humans to implement it.
I've said it before, I think that Montessori is a great system. Our daughter did REALLY well there. Each child was met at their readiness level and introduced to plenty of things that many schools would consider out-of-level. Multiplication and fractions were part of the K curriculum, readily available to everyone who was ready for it.
It's also really hard to judge "Montessori" since many schools claim the name but are not accredited by AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) or AMS (American Montessori Society).
