Before I went through the education system with my kids, I thought that good or bad experiences revolved around the teacher, and all you could do was hope to have the best educator in your child’s classroom.

When my children moved (at the beginning of grade 4) from a Montessori system to a public system, I really started to appreciate the ways the overall education environment shapes every classroom, especially when it comes to setting expectations and the culture of learning. At Montessori, my kids saw learning as a fun challenge; at public school it’s a chore invested with capital-R Responsibility. At Montessori, my kids had some (not unlimited!) freedom to pursue their interests and felt in charge of their learning; at public school they’re on the low end of a power dynamic where the job is to receive what the teachers bestows on them. There are still great teachers and mediocre ones, but the great ones don’t have the benefit of a system that works for them, supports them, and helps to extend their reach.