Honululu Waldorf School - Reviews by Parents

Remember this school? They sued residents around their school:

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Nov/07/ln/hawaii711070394.html

"As far as we're concerned, now we're going to make it very clear to them we
don't even want them in our community any longer," said Seitz, who also is
president of the Niu Valley Community Association. "They no longer are going to
have freedom to exist in our valley to do what they want to do. They're going to
be under siege."

That was in 2007... but the school is still there apparently:

Let's see how they're doing...

http://www.greatschools.org/school/parentReviews.page?id=304&state=HI#from..Head\
erLink

The first three reviews are as of 3 days ago... must have been a bad day for the
pre-kindergarten teacher:

Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012
As soon as we mentioned other private schools to our teacher in Pre-K and having
her submit the Progress Report to other schools, - everything went upside down.
The attitude changed, the Report was not handled properly and was biased and
full of her opinions and suggestions. Needless to say, when we questioned the
protocol on the such reports written by Pre-K teacher to other schools, - the
anwser was, - she should have not written one! i.e. it only applies to grade
school and not Pre-K, K level. We complained and were extremely upset. The
outcome - THEY TOLD US TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL! Heartless, unorganized, biased, no
core value. So , unless you are willing to kiss up and never object, - stay away
from this "school". The rule of this school is - The Teacher Is Always Right. (
even when she screwed up) —Submitted by a parent

Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012
Pre-K teacher is emotionaly unstable. Communication is a problem, does not know
how to handle simple discipline. Calling parents in the middle of the day asking
to pick up children because they through rocks at each other. Unorganized school
and I would not recomend to anyone. Many students are leaving to other private
schools after Pre-K. —Submitted by a parent

Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012
Though our children enjoyed the school, my husband and I were not happy with a
teacher. She was very strict and very opinionated. She did not allow our son to
go to 1st grade; as per her opinion, - he was not ready. Yet, he is in the 1 st
grade now in the different school and is very capabable and ready to learn and
progress.
—Submitted by a parent

Another parent expecting the "hype" and not the reality.

Posted January 14, 2011
This is a good school in many ways. It lacks the heart, knowledge and true
spirit of Waldorf but is still better in many ways than what else is out there.
In Europe, Waldorf works elegantly and effectively for 'difficult' or disruptive
children, in fact, so much so that the government pays for some of the most
problematic children to attend Waldorf. This is a great life experience for the
whole community. It seems that this is not the case here, 'difficult' children
are not well-held in a way that they can heal and often become the scapegoats
for teachers inability and/or insecurity. We removed our children after several
years. We could not recommend this as a wholesome or effective learning
environment. —Submitted by a parent

Posted December 28, 2009
The Waldorf curriculum was designed to end at 8th grade. Honolulu Waldorf School
does very well in the lower grades, and starts to unravel at around the sixth
grade. My kids went to this school from pre-k to eight and sixth grades. Parents
should ask hard questions of a variety of individuals, not just the teachers
that form the governing body. Particularly, ask about how many kids go to
college and how discipline is handled. If you question HWS deviation from
established Walodorf pedagogy, you and your children will quickly be pushed from
the fold. —Submitted by a parent

Posted May 8, 2004
Just as in other Waldorf Schools, the problem here is that no one wants to
discipline problem children. —Submitted by a parent