An Alternative to “No Excuses”: Considering Montessori as Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

To address inequality, philanthropists support “no excuses” schools in majority-Black low-income communities. While the model has raised achievement, its practices are problematic from a social justice lens. Montessori is a highly contrasting model, and over 25% of public Montessori students are Black. Here we examine whether Montessori is a viable alternative school model for Black children. After showing the theoretical alignment between Montessori and culturally responsive pedagogy, we review studies of Montessori outcomes, then we present a new mixed-methods study of 12 adults who attended a primarily Black Montessori preschool. Their descriptions suggest that their lived experience in Montessori reflects a culturally responsive pedagogy. The evidence suggests Montessori schooling avoids the concerns raised by no excuses schools while delivering positive outcomes.