About This Episode
Season 7. Episode 19.
You’ve probably driven past a school with “Montessori” on the sign, but what does that actually mean? Is Montessori education only for certain students, or could its approach benefit learners from all backgrounds?
In this episode of Education Insight, host Lacey Kendall sits down with Sara Cotner, Executive Director of Montessori for All, to explore the history, philosophy, and growing impact of Montessori education. Developed more than a century ago by Dr. Maria Montessori, this student-centered approach emphasizes hands-on learning, independence, curiosity, and social-emotional development. But despite its long history, many families and educators still have questions about what Montessori looks like in practice and who it serves.
Sara breaks down the core principles that make Montessori classrooms unique, including self-paced learning, mixed-age environments, and the role of teachers as guides rather than traditional lecturers. She also discusses how Montessori education helps students build confidence, develop critical thinking skills, and take responsibility for their own learning.
The conversation also examines the growing movement to bring Montessori education into public schools and expand access to communities that have historically been underrepresented in alternative educational models. Sara shares how organizations like Montessori for All are working to ensure that high-quality Montessori programs are available to a more diverse range of students and families, challenging the perception that Montessori is only for private schools or affluent communities.
Whether you’re a parent exploring educational options, an educator interested in innovative teaching practices, or simply curious about a model of learning that has influenced generations of students around the world, this episode offers valuable insight into why Montessori education continues to gain attention and how it is adapting to meet the needs of today’s learners.
Join us for a thoughtful conversation about student agency, whole-child development, and what education can look like when curiosity, independence, and personal growth are placed at the center of the learning experience.
Featured Guests
Sara Cotner
Executive Director, Montessori For All
Biography
Sara Cotner has cultivated broad and deep insight into educational reform as a Teach For America national staff member, the founder of an independent consulting firm, an adjunct professor, and a teacher in various environments, including charter, traditional districts, and public Montessori. She began her career in education as an AmeriCorps volunteer who recruited and trained reading tutors for the public school system. After witnessing the achievement gap firsthand, she decided to join Teach For America to help work toward a solution. In her three years in rural Louisiana, she ensured that 100% of students advanced at least two years in reading, founded the Community Action and Responsibility Education Team, and received a state teacher of the year award. She moved to Houston to work at the original KIPP school to help economically-disadvantaged children get to college. She ensured that 99% of her students passed the state assessment and increased Commended scores from 18 to 57 percent. Looking for a truly transformational approach to education that would not only help children get to college but would help them get through college and succeed in the ever-changing global economy—in addition to becoming agents of change in their families and communities—Sara found her way to Montessori. She is an AMS-certified Montessori educator who helped 100% of her students pass the TAKS test in a public Montessori program in Houston. She started Montessori For All in 2011 to help children in diverse communities gain access to a high-performing, authentic Montessori school.
