It is said that Montessori is for every child, but not necessarily every parent. I think an analogous idea applies to Higher Ground: its mission is to serve every Montessorian, but not every Montessorian will necessarily enjoy working at Higher Ground. It is a demanding environment where competence is worshipped, no one suffers fools, and everyone pushes each other to deliver. Personally I like it--the people that demand the most are also the most hard working, and I see in countless examples daily that the driving motivation is really the mission. My experience is that everyone is really happy here, and this is what they want. But it definitely does have the feel of a missionary crusade to change the world, and that's not for everyone. (BTW, the idea that people are lining their pockets, which people here have been accused of in the past, is totally ludicrous--everyone here has the reputation, connections and ability to land a cushy, high-paying, safe job if all they wanted was to make as much money as possible.) It's an organization where one's reach almost always exceeds one's present grasp, and that means often being under pressure, fumbling forward, often learning things the hard way. For the people who love it, including me, we wouldn't want it any other way. For the people who don't like the constant risk of making mistakes or making enemies in pursuit of something hard, or even respect it but just honestly want something more balanced, this might not be the place for you.
