Final answer:
According to Robert Merton's strain theory of deviance, the educator who starts a charter school that doesn't give students grades and encourages creative thinking over rote learning would be classified as experiencing a form of deviance.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Robert Merton's strain theory of deviance, the educator who starts a charter school that doesn't give students grades and encourages creative thinking over rote learning would be classified as experiencing a form of deviance. Merton's strain theory explains that when individuals are unable to achieve socially acceptable goals through legitimate means, they may turn to unconventional methods to attain those goals. In this case, the educator is deviating from the traditional education system by rejecting standardized testing and grades in favor of a more creative approach.