This story is part of an EdSurge Research series about how personalized learning is implemented in different school communities across the country. The article highlights how one reason parents choose the Montessori model for early childhood learning is because it encourages diversity. Yet, the schools in the research are showing increases in the number of wealthy families attending the schools.

In 2014, Sara Cotner, the founder of Magnolia Montessori For All, purposely placed her school in an economically disadvantaged part of Austin, Texas with hopes of bringing a unique model of education to a diverse community. She calls her school an intentionally “diverse by design” campus, mixing students from different socioeconomic, racial and cultural backgrounds.
“We believe that all children learn better in diverse environments, so they learn how to navigate differences in life and really help break down segregation that is plaguing our cities right now,” says Cotner.

Efforts to reduce segregation in schools have caught the attention of reporters from a number of outlets including from Vox and The Atlantic. Yet, in spite of Cotner efforts to break down segregation, demographic data from Magnolia shows that the school is increasingly becoming more wealthy.
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