And I have been accused of being judgmental on this board? Geesh!
Yes, it does matter from an early age that we develop the whole child to have an honest love of learning and exploring, not just the child to fill in bubbles on a test sheet. Why wait until college for the quality education to begin? Middle and high school don't matter?! What about those that don't go beyond high school? Let's just forget about them and not teach them employable skill sets? Next you are probably going to suggest cutting auto shop and vocational training at that level.
Parents send their kids to various private schools for so many reasons, how can you possibly suggest I am wasting my money and should just wait until college? I send my child to a Montessori school because I believe in the Montessori Method and have the means to pay for it - and sacrifice to ensure that she continues to attend her school. AND I pay taxes so that there is "FREE" education available to other kids. A number of Montessorians have done quite well for themselves (as have a number of public school kids, touche). Check out this list:
http://livingmontessorinow.com/2010/04/22/famous-people-influenced-by-montessori/
The US public education system is failing our kids - look at any number of studies to see how far behind we are compared to the rest of the industrialized world. Getting into to so called dream schools and getting scholarships is getting harder and harder. With all of the cuts to the arts, sports, and ever expanding class sizes, how can you fault a parent for looking for alternatives? Perhaps it aligns with her personal value system. Whatever the reason, I can certainly understand her disappointment in not getting aid, especially given that she is not working.