I've been reading Maria Montessori's "The Montessori Method" anthology and it's been interesting to see how her "children's houses" were like startup schools, err... schools that are like startups. The theory side is a little hard for me to fully grok, but her insights into the mental world of children are outstanding and the way she applies them quite interesting.

For the record, I went to a Montessori school for kindergarten and first grade.