I agree with your very last paragraph.
Also, you are right that perhaps this was an unusual set up. The class was really all brown and beige. No color. And I asked the teacher if this is just one part of their classroom but that was it.
My other concern was the you have new arrivals from back home who come in and get their Montessori teacher certificate. They don't know much about life in US and have "strange accents." There's this one Montessori where my Indian friend teaches and she tells me that at least 40% of their teachers are from other countries. I respect diversity but I would be a bit concerned about what my child is listening to in terms of the local perspective, use of the English language...
Please note that I am not trying to put any system down but I really want to know the worth of spending so much money before I make a decision.
Nikisik just because a school calls it Montessori doesn't actually make it a true montessori school. there r lots of schools who use this term but not all follow the true philosophy of Maria Montessori. So to find the real one browse more. Read literature on Maria's philosophy.
the one my daughter goes to is a really big school with outside playarea, gym, library, field trips, pizza luches, welcome breakfasts, music, drama n french classes. they hav even made a vegetable garden for kids last yr.