In my last post, I asked for a new guest list for our “Montessori party.” I proposed we disinvite tech billionaires, change the vibe, and instead highlight Montessori figures who are committed to more than scale and profit.
Unintentionally and serendipitously, this idea is in conversation with Tom Brown’s recent post on Marigold Montessori (subscribe!) about how teachers can be good hosts.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the Montessori community that lacks popular and public figures that promote the movement. This got me thinking about the broader need for exemplars in education - figures who inspire the same kind of passion and imagination we see in sports. As Key and Peele so keenly satirized, the teaching profession could benefit from the kind of excitement and recognition we readily give to professional athletes.
A few years ago, inspired by my obsession with The Ringer (and perhaps subconsciously by Key & Peele), I merged my dual passions for education and sports. I was able to convince my two Montessori besties, Chelsea Roberts and Tom Brown, to draft the staff for an imaginary school designed to transform education.
Here’s the name of our imaginary schools along with the staff we drafted in 5 rounds1. If any of these names are new to you, they are well worth a research deep-dive.
Justin - Schoolvolution
Maria Montessori - Dir. of Montessori
Ella Baker - Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist Director (ABAR)
Mr. Rogers - Director of Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Mary McCloud Bethune - Leader
Alvin Ailey - PE/Wellness
Tom - Nevertheless She Persisted
Angeline Lillard - Dir. of Montessori
Angela Davis - ABAR
Brene Brown - SEL
Elizabeth Warren - Leader
Pat Summit - PE/Wellness
Chelsea - The Niche School of Human Development in the Post De-Colonized Era
Maria Popova - Dir. of Curriculum
Jennifer Mullan - ABAR
Bell Hooks - SEL
Esther Perel - Leader
Roxanne Gay - PE/Wellness
Sign me up to work at any of these schools!
Our teacher draft is a fun example of how much education could benefit from celebrating diverse talents and perspectives, just as sports do. But even these luminaries are humans - flawed and fascinating in their own ways. The bios of the folks above aren’t squeaky clean2. Maria Montessori abandoned her son to avoid scandal and prioritize her career, Alvin Ailey abused drugs and alcohol, and bell hooks called Beyonce a terrorist (although I guess it’s true that Queen B slays).
But I say that’s the beauty of it! As the organizational psychologist Adam Grant points out, “Picking someone as your role model in life sets unrealistic expectations. Eventually, you'll learn they don't belong on a pedestal. It's better to admire people for specific strengths. It reminds you they have weaknesses too. Knowing they have vices puts their virtues in reach.”
Imagining schools staffed by such inspiring figures reminds us of what’s possible when we dare to dream big for education. This wasn’t just a fantasy draft - it’s a reflection of the values, ideas, and leadership we should strive to cultivate in real life. As we acknowledge the humanity of even our heroes, we’re reminded that greatness is within reach for all of us!
Recognizing the flaws and complexities of those we admire helps us see that greatness doesn’t require perfection. It’s in the striving, the commitment to growth, and the courage to imagine something better that we find real inspiration. Whether it’s a famous figure, a colleague, or a teacher from your own life, the people who shape us often do so through their unique strengths, not despite their imperfections.
So, who has influenced you on your educational journey? Share their names and stories in the comments - I’d love to learn more about the people and ideas that have inspired you.
In my next post, I’ll explore the ways the education world can learn from professional sports to make it a more equitable system for all.
I recently reshared these draft results with Chelsea and Tom and they were uneasy with how “basic” their selections were. I take that to mean I won the draft ;)
Except Mr. Rogers. He was made in a virtue factory and is goodness personified.
Ok, I'm redrafting. So I want to create a Montessori program that bucks the cult of personality. I'm calling it:
The School of Everyday She, He, and They-roes
Leader - The Head of School who seems to know every child's name, connects with families in the carpark, and shows up in teachers' classrooms
PE/Wellness - The coach who shows young boys that life is about more than competition and dominance, it is about care and relationships
Dir. of Montessori - The wise and experienced Montessorian who has been doing this for years, who has cultivated a "presence", and who perhaps we all could learn a little bit more from
ABAR - The teacher who bravely asks the uncomfortable questions that need to be asked in meetings, in classrooms, and of themselves
SEL - The school counsellor who too often shoulders the emotional burden of a whole school, and is ultimately the glue that keeps it together
You are already innovating in this space. I didn't even know you could do footnotes. Also, I like the post (but not my draft list). I'm bringing Adrienne Marie Brown onto my new team. Maybe I could bring in Merce Cunningham, to rival your Alvin Ailey run program. Btw - I'm massively jealous of Maria Popova and Alvin Ailey as choices. I'm no longer convinced by these 3 choices of mine: Brene Brown - SEL, Elizabeth Warren - Leader, Pat Summit - PE/Wellness (They are all of an era, which may no longer be this era for me.) Happy for people to suggest alternatives.