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I'm definitely not an expert but my DS has been to both Montessori and normal daycare. He started Montessori at 2, and then we moved when he was almost 3.5, so we switched to a normal daycare that was closer to our new place. While I'm glad he did get the Montessori experience, I have been much happier with the normal daycare. For me, it boils down to the quality of the caregivers. At the Montessori, the director was just awful and the staff always seemed rushed and somewhat cold and they also had a high staff turnover. At the normal daycare, the staff is extremely warm and welcoming and I get a better overall feeling.

Eta: if we had felt like the Montessori was really worth it, we would have made the effort to keep him there after we moved (it would have been an hour round-trip drop off then another hour for pickup). But for us it wasn't. (Also, it wasn't a question of money, daycare prices here are regulated so they are all the same price).

I spent a lot of time worrying about a similar topic and in the end, we ended up going with a nature center affiliated play based preschool.

At the end of the day, the only real "test" is how I felt when I walked into the school, could I imagine leaving my son here, alone for a number of hours? If the school passed my gut test, we considered it. I can't tell you how many places where I walked in and basically walked right out.

Two thoughts about this...
1. I think philosophy matters most at this level only if you DISAGREE with the philosophy in place
and
2. I think being play-based is its own philosophy. Have you asked them their philosophy? I bet they would have an answer for you. Even if it doesn't seem so, most educators I've met are very intentional about what they do, even if it doesn't have a brand name.

I think it depends. By age two I would worry about education and structure because they are getting close to pre K and K. There are things they need to start learning. But focus on education can be taken too far ImO.

I'm an early childhood professional (I have an elementary ed degree & an early childhood masters) and I've worked in several different settings including Montessori (& Reggio for a small time). In my professional opinion, it doesn't matter that much. If it's a place that allows your child creativity, choices, safety, and the ability to form loving relationships with nurturing caregivers it's going to be a good place for your child. Having a knowledgeble classroom lead IS important, especially at 3 & 4, because you do want someone keeping track of what your child knows and helping them learn new things (not always worksheets or lessons, but someone who can observe your child's work/play and see what skills they developed; then offer other things to keep them going).

What you do as a parent matters much much more. Your attitude about daycare/school: do you talk positively about it? Do you make sure the schedule is consistent? Do you ask what happened during the day or ask the teachers so you can have conversations with your child? Do you try to do some activities at home to build on what your child does at school? An involved parent magnifies the growth made in a program and can supplement any shortcomings.

Bottom line: is your child loved and respected and happy in his program? That's the real key. Anything else can be filled in at home.

Philosophy certainly matters. A play based preschool would be an absolute requirement for me. A 15 month old is absolutely capable of showing initiate in their play - if you give them the opportunity. My daughter is in a montessori home school preschool, and it's absolutely perfect for her. I think that all education for children under the age of 6 needs to be play based, with varying amounts of free play and directed play.