El Rio Waldorf School Charter Administrator - Ed Eadon

Here's an intimate "behind-the-scenes" peek at an email I sent to Highland Hall board of directors member Tony Blake.  The background is, Highland Hall (Ed Eadon) had been using the expulsion and threats of expulsion of my kids to cause them emotional distress.  They expelled my daughter shortly before school started in the fall.  My daughter was thrilled by this initially... but, her mother went to work on her, frightening her about the horrors of public school, and eventually, my daughter called me - hysterical to go back to Highland Hall.  Ed Eadon seized this as an opportunity to make me "comply" with Highland Hall's Communication Protocol - and believed he could use the children's attorney to pressure me.  It appears the children's attorney only gave Ed the option of expelling all of my kids (rather than make me comply with the Protocol).  Ed used this as a further threat.  My recourse was the following email exchange with the board member.

Hi Tony,

I promise you I'm not trying to start trouble but you invited me to contact you directly with concerns.  It appears one has popped up already regarding Ed Eadon.  I will acknowledge up front that Ed and I have had our differences but that doesn't change the circumstances.  I spoke with Maura Swanson yesterday and she related to me a conversation she had with Ed Eadon, and apparently Lisa Profumo was in on the call.  Ed related to Maura, a parent no longer involved in the 6th grade class, the circumstances by which my daughter, was re-admitted to Highland Hall.  As if that weren't bad enough, he fabricated a lot of what he told Maura.  It is absolutely inappropriate for Ed or anyone representing the school to publicise this information and I am extremely concerned that such nonsense will find its way to my children's ears as information contained in court orders are not to be shared with my children.  The last thing Highland Hall needs now is another issue festering and gossiping to parents, especially by the head administrator is going to be an issue.  Ed can't seem to leave my private life and my children's private lives out of school politics. 

The parent handbook states that the communications protocol is to be followed by administrators as well as parents.  Why is Ed communicating (miscommunicating) my situation to other parents?  Please Tony, let's put some caulk in this crack before the dam bursts again.  I assure you that I won't take this any further than this letter but I need your assurance that this activity will stop immediately.

Thank you Tony.

Tony Blake wrote:

Pete

I've been out of town and unable to deal with a lot of the e-mail I get.  I understand your response and your specific issue.  Unfortuately I can't take the time to discuss this with you via e-mai.  It's far too time consuming for me to spend an hour (as it took for my last response) composing an e-mail.  I'm going to have to ask that if you have any problems with Ed or the communications issue in the future to call me and we can discuss it on the phone.  I can accomplish a lot more in a ten or twenty minute call than in an hour writing e-mail.

That said, I want to address just two points here.  One, yes, the letter you got gave the school leeway in allowing it to change its protocol in the future.  This is not directed only at you Pete.   The school needs the flexibility to make adjustments to this protocol on an ongoing basis.  (And FYI it's only been in print for the first time this year and despite your impression that it's been in place for years, has never been this comprehensive). So I'm sure you can realize the foolishness of an organization to say that a document stipulating  guidelines is in concrete.  So don't take it personally.  It applies  to everyone.  I see it as a courtesy to let you know the school may from time to time change it's protocol.  Otherwise if they did, it without your knowing they had that right, you'd really be outraged. 

Also, I can see how you take issue with the comment (I haven't seen the letter yet, and yes you can fax it to 818-xxxxxxx) "regarding any communications having to do with Highland Hall."  I asked about this and found out that they ran this by the attorney who said this was a legal position the school could take.  In fact I found out from the attorney, that a private school can ask a family to leave for any reason and even no reason.  So while I understand it's an additional stipulation to what you agreed to, the school apparently felt they didn't want a current parent going on the web and putting out negativity about it.  Frankly, I can understand that.  Would you want someone who worked for your company publicly dispensing negative information about it?

Look, here's the bottom line as I see it.  If you are going to make yourself the self appointed "web consultant" for prospective parents for Highland Hall (as you imply when you say you receive inquiries from prospective parents) I can assure you that you will continue to maintain an adversarial relationship with the vast majority of people at the school.  Now that may be fine with you, but know that as Board President I cannot support your taking it upon yourself to be the sole web advisor to prospective parents.  Just between you and me, I suspect the opinion you give is hardly impartial or objective.  And unless you suggest to these folks that they speak to someone in addition to you, say like me or an Elinor Reid or a Vicky Waldorf, then what I'm going to assume is that you're giving prospective parents a one-sided very negative impression of the school.  If I'm wrong, let me know.  If I'm right, don't expect a lot of support from me.  I'm here to try to improve the way things work and create a stronger organization.  And if someone is publicly dispensing one sided negative information about the organization, that's in direct conflict with what I'm trying to accomplish.

If you want to continue this discussion, please call me.  Evenings are best after 7:30 although I'm out at meetings from time to time so we may play phone tag from time to time.

Tony

 

Hi Tony,

I will call you if you insist, but it is difficult for me to accept telephonic communications as a reasonable substitute for emails because there is no record of what was said and, of course with email there is.  We could save a lot of time, perhaps, arguing over who said what and when if we continue by email and of course there isn't the telephone-tag problem.  Again, I will call you from now on but I want to answer a few points below and I will fax you the letter I received.

With regard to the communications protocol, FYI, it is not new this year nor is it revised or more comprehensive this year than last year but, as far as I can determine, it is exactly identical to last year's communications protocol (check both parent handbooks - pages 16 and 17).  I am not concerned with the school's right to change the communications protocol as it applies to the school, but rather with the statement that they have the sole discression to interpret it as they see fit and, consequently, expel my kids.  And, of course, the implication that any mention anywhere of Highland Hall might be covered by the protocol. 

With regard to the expulsion of my kids, I agree the school can at any time expel them.  What I object to is the school's stated premise that I am causing this to happen by my critical public review of Waldorf education and that this public review is somehow covered in the communications protocol.  Your business example indicates to me that you have never been involved in the business world - you cannot find a company where employees aren't critical of management.  If I had an employee that dispensed negative information about my company, the first thing I would want to know is if that information is true.  If it was true, I would look for and address the problems within my company, not within the employee.

I'm not the self-appointed web representative for Highland Hall.  People seek me out.  If they want to hear only the PR, they will look elsewhere.  They seek me out because they know I have had my share of problems with Highland Hall.  The way Highland Hall deals with me in resolving these problems reflects on my opinion of Highland Hall, to be sure.  I can't help it if Highland Hall doesn't like that I speak with other parents, or makes assumptions about what I might say.  Are you suggesting that I should just tell prospective parents that because I'm a parent, I'm not allowed to speak freely about Highland Hall?  I wonder how that statement might be received by prospective parents.

Again, FYI, I represent Highland Hall much better than I should considering what they have put me through over the years.  Deep down I know that Highland Hall's basic problems are administrative and that people like Ed, who has no respect for parents, tend to self-destruct.  I've read enough Steiner to know where this attitude comes from.  In that regard, I can see some light at the end of a very long tunnel and please trust me when I say that I believe there is hope for Highland Hall.  I didn't create the problems here. 

Between you and me, I don't think Highland Hall gives an objective view of itself to parents either.  Nonetheless, you are absolutely wrong about your assessment that I am providing a service of negative one-sided reports.  I have recommended Highland Hall to parents who have high school age children.  I believe the high school is managable and despite some problematic treatment of certain subjects, and some dogmatic teachers, it is generally good as long as parents are willing to consider supplementing their children's education.  Parents who contact me often indicate which class their children might attend.  I sometimes recommend the lower grades if the class teacher is a good one - yes, sorry, I'm the one who gets to decide this.  If I can't wholeheartedly recommend the class, I always suggest they contact parents from the class they would be attending - and I provide them with contact information.  I also suggest they stand outside the school and ask random parents what they think of the school or suggest they attend a faire and mingle a bit - this is random and they are as likely to talk to me as they are to Elinore Reid.  As you have recommended, I have provided contact information of board members they might talk to - not necessarily Vicky Waldorf.  I also recommend they visit the SJU list, Anthroposophy Tomorrow, and OpenWaldorf web sites - if you have other web sources you would like me to provide to them I'd be happy to do so.  I don't send them to PLANS. 

Tony, there really are two sides to the Waldorf education story.  Many parents research it and find out it isn't for them.  Some parents try it for a few years and have a bad experience that changes their mind.  Everyone has a right to know both sides before choosing this for their children.  Parents who have already discovered the other side contact me.  I am absolutely honest about what has transpired and what I represent (unlike Highland Hall - and you might want to ask Lisa Profumo about the 1st grade parent meeting in which she represented to new parents that Highland Hall has never had safety problems). 

Highland Hall has the opportunity to deal with me respectfully or to continue to treat me and many other parents in the way they have for the past several years.    I have repeatedly asked to be heard on the issues of reform and I'd much rather deal with Highland Hall to accomplish this than the general public.  I admit that to some extent, this determines how and if I recommend Highland Hall to parents.

But if you think I'm unfairly representing Highland Hall, let me suggest this to you.  I am mindful that a prospective parent could decide to relate what I have said to Highland Hall.  Indeed, anyone from Highland Hall could email me and pretend to be a prospective parent (and believe me, I've also kept this in mind all along).  If you think I am spreading untruthful information about Highland Hall, or a one-sided story, why don't you pretend to be someone else and contact me - before making a lot of assumptions about what I might be saying or doing. 

If you *really* want to improve the way things work, then know that I could never harm Highland Hall more than Highland Hall harms itself through it's own posture of suppressing the truth and suggesting (as contained in the letter that I will fax to you) that they can rebuild trust by limiting communications by me or anyone else.  To go back to your business analogy, it is like GM firing the whistleblowers and settling with victims out of court instead of correcting the real problem of leaky gas tanks.  Once their behavior is exposed to the public, it's difficult to develop trust.  Highland Hall's behavior needs to change before you will improve the way things work Tony.  I'd love to have nothing to complain about but the people who find it necessary to threaten me with letters like the one in question will ensure that I always do. 

Pete

Subject: Calking the Crack

From: Pete Karaiskos

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 10:27:02 -0700 (PDT)

To: Tony Blake

Hi Tony,

I think we're going to need more caulk.  I spoke with Ed Eadon yesterday (Saturday).  He indicated that the school decided to let Maura Swanson know the detailed circumstances of my daughter's reenrollment because Maura's own child had been denied reenrollment and they wanted to head off any problems that might present.  I pointed out to Mr. Eadon that he has frequently proven himself to be quite capable of withholding information and that he should have encouraged Ms. Swanson to contact either Angela or me if she wanted to find out the details.  He agreed that this should have been done and apologized.  Then he further offered that Angela has been making rather public the conditions of {daughter}'s reenrollment - conditions that I was not aware of and haven't agreed to - and that this is why he felt he could share this information publicly.

As if this isn't distressing enough, it turns out, based on my conversation with Mr. Eadon,  that there is apparently a letter on its way to me from the college that details a new set of conditions NOT contained in the court order, and conditions I have not agreed to, that I have to meet in order to keep my children at Highland Hall.  I explained to Mr. Eadon that we had an agreement that {daughter} would be reenrolled and that I would adhere to the school's communications protocol per the court order.  Mr. Eadon then got somewhat heated (as is his nature I'm sure you know) and claimed that he had spoken with the school lawyer and that the lawyer had assured him that the school could, in fact, expel all three of my children "for any reason or for NO reason" (Mr. Eadon's words) and that I would have to conform to the NEW conditions or all three children would be expelled.  Mr. Eadon, again, had no reason to offer this information or make these threats other than to personally attack me.  If a letter was forthcoming, he should have let it arrive and we could have dealt with it then.  He could have (rather uncharacteristically) kept his mouth shut but he chose to exhibit his everpresent control issues.

You can, I'm sure, imagine how difficult and disruptive this action by the school would be for the children and how it would impact their lives.  {Daughter} especially would be devastated by this and I feel certain this would be viewed as the school's fault for admitting her under a false set of conditions.   After all these kids have been through at this school, and after all I have been through with this school as a parent, year after year and crisis after crisis, it is unimaginable for me to comply with a gag order in order to ensure that my kids will remain at Highland Hall and I am sure I made that clear in our phone conversation.  This was, indeed, why you suggested I speak directly to you if a problem arose.  I will adhere to the communication protocol as I agreed to but I also insist on having the same rights as any other parent.  I thought we agreed to start fresh and work positively.

I'm not inclined to continue this pissing contest with Ed or Christine or anyone else at the school.  All I want, and I made this clear to you, is for my kids to have a good, peaceful year.  Ed has now twice gone out of his way to rub salt in old wounds and to take what would have been a positive situation this year and turn it sour.  He is not going to beat me into submission and he needs to know this - by trying he is only making things worse and exposing the school to more criticism or other action.  The best course of action would be to bury the hatchet, not to continue chopping.  Please, Tony, PLEASE - talk with him and ask him to stop this childish nonsense so we can just move on.

One last note... I am aware that Maura is also having problems with Mr. Eadon.  I want to assure you that this is not some conspiritorial effort to overthrow Ed or to do him damage.  Ed is his own worst enemy.  He could have simply acknowledged what I was saying in our telephone conversation and left it at that.  It is his need to be combative, controlling and punishing (perhaps these stem from his military background) that has now caused two cracks that require attention.  We need to stop making disgruntled parents out of people who just want a good education for their kids. 

Thanks for listening,

Pete Karaiskos

Subject: Re: Calking the Crack

From: rudykazootie

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 09:19:19 -0700 (PDT)

To: Pete Karaiskos

Pete

I just received your e-mail.  Let me address this one paragraph at a time.

I asked you to call Ed specifically so that he could apologize for revealing information inappropriately to another parent about your situation.  You indicate he in fact did apologize for revealing it and that was all that I intended to accomplish. 

His informing you about Angela talking openly about the court order is apparently true from what I've heard from others on campus.   I understand how this is distressing for you, but I think it's important that you know this, so you don't think it's Ed's talking to Maura that has caused this information to be known by others.  I also hope you recognize that this is an issue that no one at the school can control.  That is between you and Angela.

To your statement: "Then he (Ed) further offered that Angela has been making rather public the conditions of {daughter's} reenrollment - conditions that I was not aware of and haven't agreed to -"   I'm not sure what your complaint is here.  Is it about Angela making public the conditions, or the conditions themselves?  If the former, like I said, that's a personal issue between you and her.  If it's the latter, I address it futher on.

Now to the letter that you learned was "forthcoming."  Again, I want to keep the points clear.  You claim there is a "new set of conditions not contained in the court order."  So to my understanding the court order indicated that in order for {daughter} to remain at Highland Hall you would be required to follow the communication protocol.  That's not a new condition that I can see.  Is there some other condition you're speaking of?

If your statement "a new set of conditons not contained in the court order that I have not agreed to" means the issue that your other two children could be asked to leave if you do not follow communications protocol, I see that as a broadened "consequence."  It's not a new condition of behavior being asked of you.

So to be clear, the conditions that you must meet are the same.  It's the consequence that I see as having been broadened.  And honestly, this decision is not within my area of responsibility.  Although, having checked with the lawyer, apparently it is legal.  However, that doesn't excuse Ed's heated behavior.

As I see it, Ed apologized for inappropriately revealing information to Maura which is what I had asked.  Then he informed you of a letter that was on its way.  When you say "Mr. Eadon, again, had no reason to offer this information..." frankly, I don't see anything wrong with informing a parent of a forthcoming letter.   In fact, some parents would complain if they weren't informed during a phone conversation.  However, if Ed's behavior, as you state, came across as a threat or an attack rather than simply as matter of fact information, then I agree, his behavior was inappropriate.  And I'll speak with him about that.

But one thing is coming very clear to me as I'm watching this interplay unfold between you and him.   I can see where people's emotions (on both sides) start to cloud the accuracy of the issue and eventually lead to huge communication breakdowns.   

For example, your statement: " {daughter} especially would be devastated by this and I feel certain this would be viewed as the school's fault for admitting her under a false set of conditions" is in my opinion, spinning things far and away from the truth.  There is no  false set of conditions.  We spoke in our original call about what the conditions were.  That you agree to follow a communication protocol.  You agreed and that hasn't changed.  This is a critical point to me in staying accurate.  I see nothing more being asked of you than what was originally agreed to.   So if you agreed these conditions, (which have not changed), and intend to comply, I don't foresee any more problems for your family. 

Which is why your statement "it is unimaginable for me to comply with a gag order in order to ensure that my kids will remain at Highland Hall" is so confusing to me.  How can you expect me to believe you when you tell me you intend to comply with the court order, (by following communication protocol,) which you told me in our phone call, and then make that statement?  What is the truth, Pete?  Are you intending to comply, or are you intending to violate it?  Perhaps herein lies the root of your outrage.   

To summarize: As I understand it, you're upset about hearing the broadened consequences to the condition that you follow communication protocol.  (That's understandable).   And when Ed informed you of the new information, you got upset at the style in which he did it.  Also understandable.  (I know you're also upset that he even told you about it as opposed to finding it out in a letter, but as I've said, I see nothing inappropriate about that.)  And, it would appear from the statement I quoted, that you are upset about what you call a "gag order" and that you believe it's unimaginable that you could comply.  Which I can only interpret to mean that you expect to be unable to comply and therefore expect to trigger the aforesaid consequences.  (Please know that I will find it difficult to assist you in the future if indeed you decide to violate the court order.)

Considering that I asked you to call Ed to clear up a problem once before and that led to another communication breakdown between the two of you, I hesitate to have you two speak again.  It seems you ignite each other's fuses. 

I will speak with him about his style regarding how you felt he was making threats and how you felt attacked.  It's not how a parent should be treated, under any circumstances. 

Tony

Subject: Re: Calking the Crack

From: Pete Karaiskos

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:02:05 -0700 (PDT)

To: Tony Blake

Thanks for responding Tony.

>Now to the letter that you learned was "forthcoming."  Again, I want to keep the points clear.  You claim there is a "new set of conditions not contained in the court order."  So to my understanding the court order indicated that in order for {daughter} to remain at Highland Hall you would be required to follow the communication protocol.  That's not a new condition that I can see.  Is there some other condition you're speaking of?<

Here is wherein lies the problem and I have just now received the letter that confirms my concerns.  The school has issued a letter dated September 16th that states: "It is impossible to imagine all conceivable issues that may arise; therefore we reserve the right to interpret or change the communications protocol in its sole discretion.  If we determine that you are not following our procedures, we will cancel the enrollment of all of your children."  This is what I am objecting to.  The communications protocol as published and outlined is what I agreed to.  I did not agree to comply with some moving target that the school will change as necessary to keep me quiet.

>For example, your statement: " {daughter} especially would be devastated by this and I feel certain this would be viewed as the school's fault for admitting her under a false set of conditions" is in my opinion, spinning things far and away from the truth. 

There is no  false set of conditions.  We spoke in our original call about what the conditions were.  That you agree to follow a communication protocol.  You agreed and that hasn't changed.  This is a critical point to me in staying accurate.  I see nothing more being asked of you than what was originally agreed to.   So if you agreed these conditions, (which have not changed), and intend to comply, I don't foresee any more problems for your family.  <

Do you see now, from the statement that the conditions I agreed to are, at the school's discretion, subject to change?  I agreed to follow the communications protocol and I will adhere to this agreement.  Changing the communications protocol is changing the conditions.

>Which is why your statement "it is unimaginable for me to comply with a gag order in order to ensure that my kids will remain at Highland Hall" is so confusing to me.  How can you expect me to believe you when you tell me you intend to comply with the court order, (by following communication protocol,) which you told me in our phone call, and then make that statement?  What is the truth, Pete?  Are you intending to comply, or are you intending to violate it?  Perhaps herein lies the root of your outrage.  <

The truth is exactly as I have stated it.  I intend to comply with the communications protocol as it was written when I signed it.  I have no problem with this.  It is, however, the school's intention, as per the letter they sent me, to suddenly expand or alter the conditions of the communications protocol which has been in place for years and was just published in this year's parent handbook.  This, indeed, is the roof of my outrage.  I signed the court order, the conditions of the communications protocol were set, and now they are intending to change them.  In fact, in the same letter they state "Because of the court order requiring you to follow the communications protocol, the College asked the Board's Executive Committee to review the College's decision regarding {daughter}.  She was allowed to return with the understanding that you will follow the communication protocol as published in the Parent Handbook with regard to any communication having to do with Highland Hall.  This is not part of the communications protocol and in fact it is known to the school that I participate in open forums about Waldorf education and also that I receive inquiries from prospective parents directly about Highland Hall.  These types of communications are not at all relevant to or covered by the communications protocol which applies to communications regarding problems with teachers. 

>(Please know that I will find it difficult to assist you in the future if indeed you decide to violate the court order.)<

Tony, I really appreciate that you have assisted me thus far.  Again, I am not going to violate the court order - it was a stipulated order, not something the court ordered me to do against my will - I agreed to it and it became an order.  I am objecting to the school altering what I have agreed to and attempting to convince me that this is in fact what I agreed to as is evidenced by the above-quoted statement that is definitely not contained in the communications protocol.  This kind of stuff is what makes me angry at the school. 

>Considering that I asked you to call Ed to clear up a problem once before and that led to another communication breakdown between the two of you, I hesitate to have you two speak again.  It seems you ignite each other's fuses.  <

I would be quite happy never to speak with Ed again.  As I have stated, he has control issues that I am not willing to comply with and his childish attitude coupled with his anger is something I can do without.  I made an agreement with you and with the court and I am sticking to it.  In all the years I have been at this school, I have never not lived up to an agreement.  I have never lied about anything and I have kept confidences I have agreed to keep.  If the school expels my children because they don't like what I am doing outside the agreement, I will deal with that if and when it happens. 

Thanks Tony - I know you think I am making something out of nothing.  Please, I encourage you to secure a copy of the September 16th letter to me and explain to me why you think it was necessary.  I would be happy to fax you my copy.

Warm regards,

Pete

Here's the letter

Racist Waldorf School Teacher moves from Highland Hall to Lake Champlain

Racist Waldorf Teacher, Merrily Lovell, taught my kid that "the blood of people from Europe is more evolved than the blood of people from Africa and Asia" while working at Highland Hall.  Now, she is employed at Lake Champlain Waldorf School teaching biology and math.   From her bio at Lake Champlain:

http://www.lakechamplainwaldorfschool.org/our_school/meet_the_faculty/

Merrily Lovell

Biology and Math

"Ms. Lovell came to LCWHS in 2010 after many years of teaching Biology at Highland Hall Waldorf High School in Northridge, California. She completed a Waldorf High School Science teacher training in England in 1996. ... She is thrilled... to be teaching part time at the high school." 


Merrily is mentioned here and elsewhere on my blog:
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2009/11/pete-k-declares-war-on-racism-at_2522.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2009/11/pete-k-declares-war-on-racism-at_06.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2009/11/pete-k-declares-war-on-racism-at.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2010/10/highland-hall-board-members-clueless.html

and what she taught was posted to many newspapers and blogs:
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2011/11/controlhaltdelete-article-comments.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2012/01/dcs-improbable-science.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2012/01/local-schools-network-3.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2012/01/local-schools-network-2.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2012/01/local-schools-network.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2012/01/sf-k-files.html
http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2012/01/ny-times-article-rebuttal.html

And many more places... And now Merrily is teaching biology at Lake Champlain!  But does she actually know anything about biology?  What do they teach as biology at Waldorf High School Science teacher training in England?  When my son, who was in her class, turned in a scientific paper on evolution, she chided him for not considering "intelligent design".  Is this what Waldorf biology teaches?  That God made all things and that some people have "evolved" higher than others, and that they are identifiable precisely through the color of their skin" (as Steiner would say).
 
Hasn't Merrily done ENOUGH for Waldorf education already?  Lake Champlain is already a poorly-run school according to the reviews.

El Rio Charter School - Removes Dishonest Blog

 This dishonest blog entry was posted on the El Rio Charter Waldorf School for over 2-1/2 years.  It was misrepresenting the status of the California court trial that may indeed close all California charter schools.  In May, 2012, the 9th District Court again convened and I posted the audio of the tape to this blog.  They finally removed it after it became obvious they were lying to parents.

Here's what the blog said - I highlighted in red the obvious lie: 

el Rio Charter School will not advocate or promote any form of
religious or political ideology to the children. Our aim is to teach
children how to think, not what to think.
Posted: August 11th, 2009 | Author: Joan Jaeckel | Filed under:
Uncategorized | Tags: anthroposophy not a religion, Establishment
clause, First Amendment, non-religious, religion and public Waldorf
education, Rudolf Steiner, U.S. Constitution, Waldorf education is
secular, Waldorf litigation | No Comments»

Q: Will el Rio Charter School, offering a public Waldorf-like
education, be secular?
A: Yes, public, Waldorf-like charter schools are 100% secular. Its
core anthroposophical concepts are not religious. This has been
upheld in courts in California and worldwide for the following
reasons:
Anthroposophy is the name giving by Rudolf Steiner, the designer of
Waldorf education, to designate a cognitive research method using
focused concentration and learned compassion as a way of knowing or
method of inquiry. Anthroposophy, essentially, means"inquiry into
the nature of being human". The purpose of anthroposophy is to
humanize human life on earth through learned openmindedness,
openheartedness, objectivity, positivity and intentionality.
Unlike a religion or a church, anthroposophy has no creed or any other
form of doctrinal statement to which members must or are expected to
subscribe.
Anthroposophy has no clergy or form of clergy and membership in the
anthroposophical society does not qualify persons to perform marriage
ceremony.
Anthroposophy does not have sacraments like communion or babtism.
Unlike a religion, anthroposophy does not claim to have sacred
scripture and it does not have or administer a system of canon law.
Anthroposophy holds no formal worship services and makes no efforts to
propagate or missionize.
Anthroposophy is a way of knowing and inquiry into the mysteries of
human life. Its aim is not answers to be believed, but questions and
more questions into the nature of life on earth.
An atheist may become a member or interested in the anthroposophical
society and remain an atheist; an agnostic may become a member and
remain an agnostic; a member of any traditional religious sect or
denomination Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, etc may become a
member of the anthroposophical society and remain a member of their
sect or denomination.
The trial court's final judgment in favor of the Sacramento City
Unified School District and the Twin Ridges Elementary School
District, states in part: “Plaintiff failed to carry its evidentiary
burden of establishing that anthroposophy is a religion for purposes
of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United
States Constitution or the other California constitutuinal provisions
involved in this case, as stated in the Court's pretrial order dated
April 20, 2005 Waldorf Methods Litigation Update, January 21,
2006, by Christian M. Keiner: Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard.
ckeiner@...

Courts in California and worldwide have found that anthroposophy,

the philosophical foundation of the Waldorf-like curriculum and

methods in public charter schools, is a philosophy and not a religion.

The curriculum and methods of the Waldorf-like education at el Rio
Charter School will be 100% non-religious. Although our teachers will
be trained at institutions like Rudolf Steiner College to observe,
relate to and teach children based on the anthroposophical philosophy,

we can make this assertion because the non-religiosity of Waldorf

education has been upheld in courts in California and worldwide for
the following reasons:

1. "Anthroposophy", the name of the philosophy behind Waldorf
education's curriculum and methods, designates a cognitive research
method using focused concentration, learned compassion and sensory
cultivation as a way of knowing or method of inquiry. “Anthroposophy”,
essentially, means “inquiry into the nature of being human”. The
purpose of anthroposophy is to humanize life on earth through learned
openmindedness, openheartedness, objectivity, positivity and
intentionality.
2. Unlike a religion or a church, anthroposophy has no creed or any
other form of doctrinal statement to which members must or are
expected to subscribe.
3. Anthroposophy has no clergy or form of clergy and membership in
the anthroposophical society does not qualify persons to perform
marriage ceremony.
4. Anthroposophy does not have sacraments like communion or
babtism. Unlike a religion, anthroposophy does not claim to have
sacred scripture and it does not have or administer a system of canon
law.
5. Anthroposophy holds no formal worship services and makes no
efforts to propagate or missionize.
6. Anthroposophy is a way of knowing and inquiry into the mysteries
of human life. Its aim is not answers to be believed, but questions
and more questions into the nature of life on earth.
7. An atheist may become a member or interested in the
anthroposophical society and remain an atheist; an agnostic may become
a member and remain an agnostic; a member of any traditional religious
sect or denomination – Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, etc. – may
become a member of the anthroposophical society and remain a member of
their sect or denomination.

The trial court's final judgment in favor of the Sacramento City

Unified School District and the Twin Ridges Elementary School

District, states in part: "Plaintiff failed to carry its evidentiary

burden of establishing that anthroposophy is a religion for purposes

of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United

States Constitution or the other California constitutuinal provisions

involved in this case, as stated in the Court's pretrial order dated

April 20, 2005". Waldorf Methods Litigation Update, January 21,
2006, by Christian M. Keiner: Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard.
ckeiner@...

You may be surprised to hear that, in Los Angeles public schools,
organizations like the Kabbalah Center, Scientology and Transcendatal
Meditation offer (with parental permission) students scripted lessons,
like"Rules of the Game of Life". Kids bring home marketing materials
inviting students and their parents to find out about or join these
organizations. El Rio Charter School will never do this. No
pamphlets, invitations or lesson plans promoting any religious,
spiritual or political organization will ever be distributed to
parents or given to students either by word, deed or implication.
***********

Parent Lied to by Waldorf

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/683104/life-after-waldorf-a-support-group/2\
40

Poster 1:
Hello again everyone,

I'm not sure how or where to begin. I tried to start from the beginning but it
felt stilted and I felt disconnected from what I was writing. I guess that's how
I've been dealing with it all these years, by disconnecting and not allowing
myself to feel what was happening. I was sucked into the whole Steiner thing
because I deeply desired community, and I had never really fitted into the
conventional frameworks, so I was so relieved to discover these hippy dippy
folks who looked and sounded just like me. When it all fell apart I totally took
the blame on board and thought that it was me, my son, and our social
difficulties. Now after reading this thread (sorry but I do not have the time
right now to go back and read the other whole thread) I'm scared because it
looks like I might have to start ripping the scabs off that old pain, for both
me and my son to heal. I have so many regrets about what happened to my son as a
result of my blindness, I so badly wanted to fit somewhere. So I have mixed
feelings about having discovered this thread. It's so good to know I'm not
alone, it's scary to start to look at it all again and face the fact that maybe
it wasn't all my fault, you would think I would be relieved about that wouldn't
you but actually I realised that I am frightened to put our story up here. What
if...... gulp someone reads it and recognises who I am. I've moved half a world
or more away from that community but I still want them to think well of me!!!!!
How nuts is that.

Oh well, gotta go make dinner for the lucky younger ones for whom a
Steiner/Waldorf education is NEVER going to happen.

Oh does anyone else think it curious that they are Steiner schools in Europe but
Waldorf in the USA?

Poster 2:
Is it your fault if you were led to believe one thing and then it turns out that
you were lied to? I don't think so. Everything in WS is crafted in such away
that unless you have a problem, you may never know what is really going on
behind the scenes. Which doesn't make anyone who has broken away a bad person,
how are you supposed to know? We wanted to do what we thought was "best" for our
children. Unfortunately Anthroposophy doesn't encourage doing what's best for
the individual child who doesn't fit into their molds like they should.
You should know you didn't do anything wrong. They may want you to think that
you did something wrong but your children come 1st. It takes courage to break
away and you should be proud of yourself.

Parent's Eyes Opened by Critical Reviews

Here's another story from the same thread started by "Beansavi" - a young
Waldorf teacher who, along with her child, was abused by Waldorf. I love the
little recommendation at the end of this one:

"This thread has been a fascinating read. Bean, I have shed tears from your
heart wrenching posts. Your councilor's words were spot on -- so many times I
swallow my outrage when something seems off because I fear humiliation that I
read the situation wrong or am overeacting. After reading your story -- I will
feel this way no more.

We were on the brink of joining the Waldorf community here and thankfully I had
an interaction with someone that pushed all my buttons and sent me running for
the exit. I was seeing a chiropractor who is ensconced in the local Waldorf
scene -- both kids attend, she's on all the committees, totally totes the pary
line, and preys upon her clients with children to join. She's a Waldofian
Witness! Her practice is run out of her home and some of her kids' "plant
stained toys from Germany" (love that whichever one of you said that!) are in
the office for patients' kids to play with as they wait. My dd, 3 at the time
and deeply into the Cinderella, Snow White, and all things pink and Disney
Princess, played happily with the Waldorf Toys.

At the end of one visit, the chiro made small talk with my dd as I whipped out
the checkbook. Inn her beautiful little girl voice, I heard my dd innocently ask
the chiro, "Do you got Cinderella?" I have no idea if she meant a doll or the
movie -- or just a plant stained wooden toy that was vaguely princess-like. The
chiro then responded to my child in the smuggest tone possible, "Oh no, the
children who live here do not watch TV." I could tell she was saying this as
much to my dd as she was to me. Writing these words, it might not seem like much
of an affront -- but it was the superior tone and the "Ah Ha!! Caught you! You
plastic-owning, TV watching wolves in plant dyed biodynamic sheep's clothing!
You are inferior!" I so wanted to say something, but just shrugged it off,
gathered up dd, and left. I now wish I hadn't bitten my tongue.

This women and her smug superiority became the face of the local Waldorf
community for me and we thankfully avoided going any further along in the
process of enrolling dd. She called and emailed a few times about both making
another appointment and why weren't we following up at the school? I never
responded. Like you, Bean, I saw her at the natural foods store, but walked in
the other direction.

Bean and other parents, you should really write a book or have a website with
your stories. That way, when someone googles Waldorf, your stories will come up
in their search."

Leaving Waldorf - Parent Support

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/683104/life-after-waldorf-a-support-group/1\
60

One poster:
Hello,

Thanks for this thread-I really need it right at this moment, my hsb. and I are
making the decision at this moment to leave our WS. This is so difficult, and
brought about by many, many concerns on behalf of our child. I am really hoping
to share with others whose children have transitioned to other schools, while in
the grades. I feel almost like we are surrounded by a fog that is gradually
beginning to lift after many years, yet I am so apprehensive. I am worried for
my child-we haven't discussed this change yet, as our decision has been
evolving, and I am worried that we will lose our community of friends, as those
leaving are generally portrayed as problematic. I can't believe we are in the
middle of this...sigh.

Second poster:
HI ______, you aren't alone. It can be difficult and worrisome but I think it
will get easier once you've decided to leave. My dd was angry 2 weeks ago when
we told her. Now she's getting excited about the change. We went past the public
school she will be attending and she was shouting "There's my new school,
There's my new school." I think she's know something isn't right for a while
with WS. So it's sort of a relief to not go back.

First poster:
Thanks for the support. Can I ask how you explained your decision to your
daughter? Our grown up concerns obviously are for us alone-all my daughter will
see is the loss of her friends of several years, and change is difficult for
her. On the other hand, perhaps I should be looking for the strengths and
resiliency that she has, rather than focus on the anxiety of the situation? Any
thoughts are helpful to me!

Second poster:
I guess it helped that my daughter has asked to go to public school for a while.
My dh, teaches in the school disctrict we are sending her. We also know at least
one other Waldorf family who sent their children for Kindergarten only at
Waldorf and is now at the same school where dd is going. My dd also knows a boy
in a grade ahead of her because of my dh's business. Plus being a teacher in the
school district we know lots of teacher's and administrator's. So we just told
her that she was going to public school because we were not happy with the
teacher that was selected to teach the class. We would find tutors to continue
her german and violin lessons. I think I may have told her something like, to be
a good parent sometimes means making big decisions to protect her interests and
remove her from situations which I see are harmful. We pointed out that she was
behind in math and that she would need to be tutored over the summer. If Waldorf
education was the best we wouldn't have these concerns. So she was pretty happy
because we were going to let her take violin. Any other questions about friends
I answered we shall see what happens. She asked about birthday parties, etc...
Since it was a year ahead of time we told her we couldn't answer things like
that, right now. My daughter never thinks in the here and now. So the transition
went easily. I never really let myself get really close to anyone in the class,
so it's not like I really felt she had strong ties to the children. The women I
talk to have either younger or older children and completely understand what the
class has gone through. They would have taken their kids out too. So she will
continue to have relationships with Waldorf children but just not the
dysfunction that went on with her class.

It also helps that many of my good friends live out of the state. So she sees
that my own friendships aren't limited to the Waldorf community. Plus with my
dh's business we have friends we only see once a year when we travel for shows.
So to me, a friendship is not limited to people you see on a daily basis. She
was also on the bullying end of the totem pole and I'm sure it's a relief to not
be going back to that. I hope this helps you and that it is understandable. I
was interupted by my littlest too many times to think straight.

Third poster:
I am glad you found us. I agree that focusing on your child's strengths is a
good place to start. Without trying to sound tacky, I felt my leaving the
Waldorf was very similar to leaving a cult. I was shunned and lost everything.

I was literally in a daze and humiliated. Maybe those feelings are stronger than
what you are going thru, but in any event, it helps to know how others dealt.

I cannot state strongly enough that my son blossomed after leaving Waldorf.
Quite frankly, he never looked back. At 12 years old he still talks about how
unhappy he was there, even when he looked like he was having fun.

Parent Dodges Bullet - Avoids Waldorf School

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/683104/life-after-waldorf-a-support-group/1\
60

"OH how relieved I am. For weeks and weeks, I have felt SOOO alone in my
disturbing disapproval of Waldorf. For me, our wounds, tho fresh, are VERY small
compared to the other blessed mothers here.. My DS was "considered for
admission" into our local WS. We attended the "teacher evaluation" and
"observation" with great hopes that he would be a good fit for the school. Boy
were we wrong. First off, I was met with GREAT disapproval that I did not bring
my husband along on the interview. He works a FULL week and we could not afford
for him to miss any time. When I mentioned my younger son being at home with a
neighbor, the teacher seemed put off that he also was not included in the
interview. I was shocked to hear this, seeing as how I expected the interview to
focus mainly on my son. Oh how wrong I was. The teacher gave me a pitiful tour
of the school and then sat me down for what turned into a 90 minute
interrogation into our family life. She asked me personal questions I would
never have imagined to be asked at a school interview. She paid little attention
to my son and seemed totally uninterested in his questions and conversation.
Immediately the questions about his "TV time" began. She asked me how much he
watched.. I felt shamed to admit that he watched about three hours a week. She
grilled me about his diet, my diet, our home, our spiritual practices, the
festivals/holidays we observe. She went on an on for over an hour and a half. I
felt violated and shamed for every answer I gave.. I can't even explain it.

At the end of the interview, she showed me her classroom and then walked away..
She gave no formal goodbye or anything. So odd. I was flabbergasted. Yet, I
still believed and went home struggling with my pain."

"My horizons have broadened so. What bothers me so deeply about the school and
the anthro lifestyle is how "sneaky" it all felt to me. sure, the facade of the
Waldorf education is lovely and covered in silk (haha) but inside of it, there
is so much that is shrouded in mystery and quiet. this bothers me. I, myself
have survived several "religious" groups. I am recovering still from those. the
idea of the anthro lifestyle is exciting, but the reality sends chills to my
bones and echoes past pain..

to continue my story..

after my interview, my DH and I decided to give it a try. we'd see if the school
was a good fit for DS despite what we felt in our guts. we were so in love with
the idea of him being in what we considered to be such a wholesome environment
that we began making preparations to make HUGE financial sacrifices to send him
to the school. our initial ouput was just under a thousand US to enroll him. we
liquidated part of a 401K and drained our savings. we were totally ready to
front the money to the school..

then DH went to see the school.

let me say up front I have only ever seen two diff. W schools. this one and
another one (both fledgling schools at best)... neither of them were really
impressive to be honest. but DH was appalled at the school. the school is held
in a church as they have no proper land/building of their own. the rooms are
borrowed. in short, the facility was far below acceptable for what we would have
been paying to send DS to this school.

going home that night Dh and I had what I call a "come to Jesus" moment about
the school. we both admitted our "addiction to crunchiness" and our deep hope
our son would grow in such a hippie dippie school. but as we added up the costs,
we started to grow weary. no TV, no juice boxes, no more teaching him to read
(something we had been doing very well with).. limited time with "outsiders"..
new 'holidays' and festivals. new ideals we were squeamish to integrate into our
son's mind.

we prayed for guidance. going to my knees begging God to help me either let go
completely or jump in. still the next day I felt no peace. ironically, we got a
phone call two days after DH had toured the school from another preschool we had
considered for our DS saying he had a spot if he wanted it and they were excited
to meet us. in contrast, the initial financial output for that school was only
about 200 bucks.. a stark contrast to the thousand we were about to hand over..

not long after that, we got our "accepatance pack" complete with HUGE piles of
paperwork about "media" agreements, nutritional guidelines, a massive calendar
of meetings/fests/parent groups.. all of which were to be part of our
"experience" with the W community.

DH drew the line in the sand, saying he completely disagreed with the W
philosophies (thank GOD!) and did not want DS enrolled there. I was at a loss,
but sent letter to them declining our acceptance.

Following that, I received an email from the director stating that our son was
to be "integrated in" to the current student population and they were sad to
have lost the opportunity to school him. I returned her email thanking her,
though bewildered that my son would be "integrated" at all.

What followed was a series of strange emails with pushy questions about why we
were "walking away from such a great chance" and "rejecting this opportunity.."
I stopped replying and decided enough was enough..

A few weeks ago (about two months since my last email with the director) I ran
into a mom at yoga whom I knew had her son enrolled at the school. I casually
mentioned our initial interest and how we declined the acceptance. I watched as
tears filled her eyes. She told me of how she had pulled her son from the school
due to bullying, strange teacher behavior and mounting doubts over the stability
of the school. She was uncomfortable with the amount of time her son was made to
stay outside, even in inclement weather. She was weary of the stringent
nutritional guidelines and was tired of forcing her child to bed at such early
hours. She went on to reveal how much money they had sacrificed and lost to send
him to school only two half days a week because he could not "adjust" to the
full week. We talked for over an hour. I felt so sad for her.. It's not the only
story I have heard..

So, in short, though my wounds are fresh. I still have nothing in compare to the
pain many of you have experienced. I consider myself to have truly "dodged a
bullet". My son is now enrolled in another school and we are excited to send him
to school with a juice box."

Waldorf Teacher Abusive to Child

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/683104/life-after-waldorf-a-support-group/1\
00



"As we walked across the grocery store parking lot that first humid day of
summer, I said to my son, "Tell me what happened. Show me what she did. Pretend
you are Miss X. and show me what happened to you."

Sam immediately took on the persona of his teacher. He grabbed my wrist, two
fingernails digging into my skin.

"Come here!" he scowled in a stage whisper.

I looked around at the people eating lunch in the outdoor café. They were seated
in the shade at the wrought iron tables, under large green umbrellas. I knew
some of them thought they were witnessing a real incident, a child grabbing his
mother's arm in anger.

I didn't care.

I needed to feel what he had felt. I needed, from my primal mothering
soul-level, to be there with him in that moment that has haunted us both for
over five years.

Next, Sam told me Miss X. dragged him up the stairwell, into a nook between the
first and second floors. "Stop acting crazy!" she hissed. Sam had fire in his
eyes as he looked at me, taking on her persona.

"Stop it!" he cried… and... SLAP!

My wrist ached as it bent to an unnatural angle in his young hand. An impression
of pink remained on the back of my hand. His "beloved" teacher had smacked him
on the hand with the powerful force of an adult: projecting what felt like adult
emotions onto the back of his small, white hand.

That pink mark would eventually fade, but it's spiritual sting would remain. The
pink stinging sensation colored much of what Sam and I did for years to come.
The pink would bleed into all of our relationships: school, work, play, church,
and home.

There was no escape.

And to think... that same shade of pink was what had first drawn me to the
school."

Waldorf Teacher Assistant Speaks Out

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/368640/a-safe-healthy-haven-waldorf-questio\
ners-concerns-thread/60

"There is much to provoke thought and discussion in your post. I can understand
where you are coming from with your questions having had two children go through
KG and also worked as an assistant. Anyway I have just highlighted this part to
answer for now.

When I was working as an assistant a very lovely woman was the teacher and I
liked her a lot. She had a really natural ability to work with children which
was separate from her waldorf ways. However, I was always concerned about the
way that she never seemed to tell the parents when they came to collect their
children if they had either been hurt or had caused hurt to others physically.
The events seemed not to be recorded at all either. Certainly I was not asked to
countersign anything which bearing in mind I was a witness I would have
expected.
My children were in a different KG and I got so fed up with them having to tell
me at home what had happened to them, we are talking bruises and bites here,
that I phoned the teacher and insisted that I was informed directly by her about
these incidents. In the first KG we tried I was once mortified by another parent
coming to tell me that my son had attacked her child. The teacher had said
nothing when I collected him but I had noticed he seemed very upset. As I was
doing work around the school I caught up with the teacher a couple of hours
later to find out about the incident. Turned out he had been hit by another
child, retaliated and then been chastised by the older boy whom he then hit out
at. My question was then as now, why did a child step in rather than a teacher?
This was the only time my son has ever hit out at anyone other than his sibling.
The teacher merely said that she had been planning to speak to me about it
sometime!
My feeling is that it creates a strange relationship between parent and child if
these events are effectively kept secret. As an assistant I was told that I was
not to converse with the parents about the children. I later learned as we were
going up the grades that the teachers there did not like the parents to
interfere with the discipline and that that was why we were not told if there
were problems. My children were very open though and tended to own up to me
about their misdemeanours anyway. The teachers did not appear to be very happy
that I knew so much whenever I approached them to get their view.
Sorry I have rambled on a bit. I did eventually have to withdraw my children
from their WS because I had so little faith that their basic safety needs were
being taken care of. I am not talking about rough and tumble stuff as my
children physically are bold in the outdoor life and very competent in their
bodies. However, I do expect to be told if my child has been injured or had an
accident or behaved seriously innappropriately. I am just not happy with an
environment that doesn't communicate these things to parents."

Parent Trusts Waldorf - Finds Incarnation Problems

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/368640/a-safe-healthy-haven-waldorf-questio\
ners-concerns-thread/60

"My son started a Waldorf Kindergarten at age 3 ½ (at this particular school
they had the preschool and Kindergarten in one class). Because we moved he went
to another Waldorf school when he was 5 and ½.
When it was time to go to first grade, at age 6 and ½ he was unable to focus in
the classroom of 20 children. He had difficulty following the teacher's
instructions and had a hard time sitting still. Also his drawing was not the
same level as most of his peers. After a month he was deemed to be too"
immature" to stay in first grade and was sent back in Kindergarten. At the time
I did not question the decision. I trusted them.
Staying back in Kindergarten was a big mistake. My son became very unruly,
disruptive and refused to participate in the activities. In particular he hated
all the circle games and eurhythmy. All this only made the Waldorf teachers even
more convinced that my son was still not ready for first grade.
We finally got outside help and took my son to see an occupational therapist who
confirmed that he had both fine and gross motor skill delays known as dyspraxia
resulting from sensory integration problems. Sensory over stimulation also
explained why my son could not focus in the first grade classroom. It was not
because he was too immature, but because there was too much stimulation in the
Waldorf classrooms. The set up, which is rows of desks with the teacher in the
front and lots of copying from the blackboard, is not an idea setting for allot
of children.
It was one of kindergarten teachers who first suggested that my son see an
Occupational therapist. However once he started going to one she disapproved of
what the occupational therapist did. The OT usually liked to visit the schools
of the children she was treating to see how they were doing and then give the
teachers advise, but my son's teachers refused to even allow her to visit the
class room! Anyway just a few weeks before my son's 7th birthday some so called
Waldorf "expert" on children with learning problems saw him and maintained that
my son STILL was not ready to go to first grade! She (the "expert") even made
fun of the OTs report saying, "what is dyspraxia? I can't even pronounce it!"
Her only advice was that he was not incarnating properly into his body and he
would have to go to a Waldorf school for children with special needs This was
the final straw for me. I never took our son back to that kindergarten again.
We put our him in a Montessori School instead. He continued seeing the
Occupational therapist. My son made wonderful improvements. To my great relief
the Montessori teachers have had no problem getting him to learn and to follow
and do the work. Within a few months he learned to read and write, do basic
addition and subtraction. And he loved it! Everyone who knew him commented on
how much happier my son seemed after I pulled him out of the Waldorf school.
His Montessori teachers all shook their heads in disbelief over the fact that he
was held back in Kindergarten another year for they felt he was so ready to
learn!
It has been 6 months now. My son is thriving in his new school and all his
behaviour problems are improving. I am still getting used to him not being
considered a "problem" anymore! I look back and it is so clear that Waldorf was
so, so wrong for him. I see he was bored in Kindergarten and angry for being
sent back there. I see it never suited his personality."

Waldorf Student Shares Sad Story

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/368640/a-safe-healthy-haven-waldorf-questio\
ners-concerns-thread

"I guess I will share my experience with Waldorf here in case it helps anyone
looking for more information. Of course every Waldorf school is unique and my
experience is unique as well.

I attended Waldorf in grade 6. My family had just moved out to BC and heard bad
things about the local public schools and I was all set to enroll in one year
into a private Baha'i school so we just had one year until then.

Because I had gone through years in the public school system and was learning
reading with my mom at home even before we started it at school, I was very
shocked at suddenly being immersed in such a different style of learning.

We had no books, we never read in class or for homework. A class usually
consisted of the teacher giving a lecture and we could draw pictures or write
what he or she said. 2 kids in my class of 9 could not read at all, they were
the 2 who had gone through Waldorf from kindergarden age. Math class was drawing
shapes in our sketchbooks and also one time I remember nailing little nails into
a sheet of plywood and wrapping yarn around them to make it look like a star.

It was very hard to learn French and German because we couldn't practice reading
from a text at school or at home. Our teacher would say words and we'd repeat
them. That's it.

By the time I finished the year and went on to the next school, I was so far
behind in my Math that it took me almost the entire seventh grade spent in
after-school tutorials to catch up. Luckily I loved reading and had been reading
books at home even though it wasn't part of my school work at Waldorf, so that
didn't suffer. We didn't learn any science or geography or social studies at
all, so I was behind on all of those too.

I'm so glad that I only went there for one year, other wise I know it would have
taken me longer to catch up and Math has always been a challenge for me.

After that experience, I know I will never send any child of mine to Waldorf. I
loved learning to read when I did - reading was a very special part of my
childhood and I hope it will be for my children too. Also I want them to be
prepared well for university, and I know that if I'd stayed on at Waldorf for
all of high school, I'd never manage with college/university courses.

My younger sister unfortunately struggled with these same issues, since she also
attended Waldorf that year. She was in grade 3. After that year, my parents took
her out and put her in another school since we had moved to another area with a
better public school. She almost had to repeat grade 3 because of Waldorf, but
luckily the new teacher she had was willing to help her out after school if
needed with her reading etc.



Thanks for letting me share my experience, and very glad this thread is here for
those who need it."

Waldorf Teacher and Her Child Abused

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/368640/a-safe-healthy-haven-waldorf-questio\
ners-concerns-thread

Okay, here is part of my story. I will add more later, when I feel up to it.
I'm sure you all can understand the draining qualities of recounting abusive
experiences. Again, I am sharing here to encourage the bravery of others, and to
establish a safe place to talk and get support for what we have each been
through.

Please also reference posts numbers 164-166 later in this thread.

When my child was one year old, I heard about Waldorf Education from a friend.
Since I was in graduate school for Elementary Education, I was naturally
intrigued. I was drawn by the normal influences: the color, the softness, the
natural toys, the stories, the slow pace of the learning. It was pretty much the
opposite of what I was being taught in college.

I attended initial meetings for founding a school in my area (probably five
people at most) and did a lot of the grunt work to get the school going,
including using our truck to haul desks and blackboards from another school an
hour away.

Naturally, the people I was spending so much time with became my new community,
now that I was a new mother. My friends that still had no children and I grew
apart, and I let that happen. The common thread with my new friends was the
Waldorf school, and Waldorf Ed. Unfortunately, I didn't attempt to find any
other community. I felt like those I was with were the best of the best, and we
really knew what was best for our kids, and for kids in general. We were also
"mentored" by other schools and teachers, and so their opinion was that Waldorf
was superior, and they stated constantly how and why. Not good.

The Kindergartens became established, and one grade. After spending years to
help found the school, joining the local Anthroposophical study group, I became
a substitute, then Kindergarten Assistant, then French teacher. I eventually I
became a grades teacher at the school. They sent me, all expenses paid, to
Rudolf Steiner College where I studied for thirteen hours a day, five days a
week, in the summer.

After completing my foundation year of studies, my son was four and in
Kindergarten. Another child started putting his hands down the kids' pants and
grabbing them in front and in back. It took three meetings with the teacher to
get her to do anything. My son was switched by the teachers into another class,
and lost all of the friends he had ever known. The teachers said to me, very
rudely, that there was no switching him back. Period. Then they refused to
consider him for first grade although he met the age limit. He began a blinking
habit, and pooping in his pants "on accident".

No one at the school called Social Services, which is the law, despite my many
conversations about my concerns. I was told by the faculty chair that she
thought the school had to call S.S. and that a parent (like me) could not. I
believed her.

My son started acting out in class. He bit a child because he said the other
kids were too "baby" and messed up his inventions made in class. (He should have
been in first grade). He also said the teacher wasn't even looking most of the
time. Other kids got injured during playtime because the teachers were around
the corner, behind a bush, talking and not watching the kids. Other parents
complained. I was one. I pulled my child out of the school.

No other teachers ever did anything in general to hold others to the carpet. It
all fell on me, and I was overly stressed at that point because of everyone
else's habit of ignoring elephants under the carpet.

Because I was a teacher there, too, I was "punished" (the term the faculty
chose). I was required to write a six page apology letter to the Kindergarten
teachers, and it was closely edited and reworded by the new faculty chair (they
switched mid-crisis since the old faculty chair they considered to be too "on my
side") which took nearly the entire school year! I was soooo exhausted. People
also spoke to me regularly as if I was a child who was behaving badly-and I
wouldn't even speak to my own child in such an abusive tone as they were using!

I was required to write the Anthroposophical doctor they required me to see for
my son. In the letter I was to tell him I should not have told him about the
very reasons I was there to see him and why my son was having a problem, because
I could have ruined the Kindergarten teacher's career! It was assumed that I
told him about our situation because I was trying to win something at the
school, like I am a bad person, or mean with anger issues. I have since come to
understand that people see each other with their "own eyes" and that they saw me
in the way they, themselves, lived. They could not see outside of that.

I am a good, caring person and my concern was for my child-of course! It seems
silly to even have to say that, but they were so dysfunctional IMO that it can
mess with your head when you are feeling low for a moment.

I was also told by the school that my child could not come back the next year
for first grade and rejoin his lifelong friends with a new teacher.

My son's Kindergarten teacher had beers every Thursday night with the Board of
Trustees Chair (Head). The teacher admitted this in a fit of anger at a faculty
meeting. The BOT Chair , after a special meeting on "the crisis" asked her in
front of everyone if she still wanted to go to "Joe's" and have a beer since it
was Thursday. She said "Yeah". Nobodyelse responded! I brought it up the next
day and the new faculty chair said she would "think about it" noncomittally.
WTH? How unprofessional (and illegal with the EEOC) is that?

The BOT Head and this KG teacher discussed confidential things they should not
have. No one questioned this. This type of unprofessional behavior was
commonplace and anyone who spoke out was punished.

The former faculty chair told me that one parent was taken off of every
committee and her children threatened to be kicked out, if she "said one more
thing".

Additionally, the first faculty chair told me to look in the files to see if the
teacher had documented my son's behavior (since it was suddenly so "negative").
There was nothing. The faculty chair got the files out herself. Later, I was
told that because I looked in the file cabinet, and was also a paorent as well
as teacher in the school, then I would have to be on probation since looking in
the files was unprofessional. I said the faculty chair suggested it and was
present. They switched faculty chairs a few weeks before this statement and the
new one said that what the old one did was irrelevant: I looked in the files and
she (the new faculty chair) didn't like it, so the punishment would remain or
I'd lose my job. I was so dumbfounded. It was like the twilight zone! Completely
twisted.

There is much more to this, but I need to pace myself. Bottom line, when I said
they were going too far by also punishing my son (not allowed to return), they
said they were considering that statement to be my resignation. When I said it
wasn't, they said they didn't care, they were still considering it a
resignation, and released a memo to the school and parent community saying I
quit due to family difficulties. They also held a meeting with the parents of my
class without me. They couldn't even say the words, "fired", which is what they
were doing. I was given one more paycheck, and then my family had no more
income, not even through the summer.

After all the exhaustion and abuse, I had to look for another job as well as
grieve and recover. I can't even believe I stayed through as much as I did, but
at the time I viewed it as fighting for the school and stubbornly refusing to be
bossed around. I lost the battle, but I feel like I won the war, because we are
soooo much happier and healthier now. The school will never be much with such
karma behind them. I still hear all the stories of the same behavior, and that
makes me feel like they have learned nothing.

Too bad. But I just don't care anymore, except to help others who feel abused.
It took me three years to even realize how abused I felt. I walked around
embarassed, with my head down. But no more. Those people are the ones who
embarassed themselves. Shame on them.

My family and I are great now, though we do have "flashbacks". We are working on
baby number three, and I teach homeschoolers and enjoy being a family woman.

Sorry this is a bit disjointed, but as you know, I feel spent after talking
about it all.

Waldorf Vindictive to Parents who Ask Questions

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/683104/life-after-waldorf-a-support-group/4\
80

The vindictiveness that can be unleashed when one even questions the party line
is very worrisome to me. We are considering *not* sending our dd to high school
there- every time I asked a question at the meeting for 8th grade parents I was
met with dissembling worthy of the Catholic recusants in the Jacobean age. But I
am really worried that asking teachers to write recommendations will not be a
wise thing to do- and how to put this concern across to the new school we'd be
applying to?

My child has not learned one thing in two years there- grades seven and eight,
when they assure you (when you're in kindergarten heaven) that your child will
eventually embark on a rigorous curriculum. When I've complained that she's
bored they say she doesn't pay attention (yeah, no duh, because she's
B-O-R-E-D), and that she is already so "in her head" that she should focus more
on gym (though the gym teacher is SO awful and rude I would pull her out of
school on that principle alone). And if she's so bored, they say, why can't she
finish her work or put more effort into it? That's what she "needs to struggle
with." -sigh-

I can't get anyone to answer a straightforward question about the science
curriculum, for instance- my daughter misses textbooks (she was homeschooled
with Calvert, which was wonderful!) and loathes the block system. I asked if
there are science classes in "extra main," ie when there's no English block they
have a few periods per week in English, when there's no math block they have
extra math, etc. They answered that their kids get more science than public
schools (not true; I checked), and that since "math is the language of science,"
their math and history and art includes plenty of science. So that means the
math problem about the shadow and the building and the Pythagorean theorem,
that's enough science for a month? I'm an adult and I forget things from my
science classes earlier in the *semester.*

I know the stats they provide show that their kids do go to college, and most
are not doctors or lawyers or scientists. That's ok for my daughter; she's into
art anyway. But the lack of substance, and worse, the absence of a standard for
excellence and achievement (everything I've seen is mediocre or worse, even on
the high school level), has me very depressed. Especially since if my daughter
is going to be an artist or a writer, I want her to absorb enough information to
be a well-educated person, with a firm grounding in all the subjects she is
*not* drawn to.

And how to ask them to write a good recommendation so we can get the hell out?"

"Yes, I'm learning that where we live, saying your children are at the Waldorf
school is actually something to be embarrassed about, or to be followed by an
explanation that you're not really one of those people- we watch television and
believe in Evolution and the Scientific Method, and we don't talk in a singsongy
voice all day long. I meet people everywhere who've left the school for one
reason or another; many are reluctant to speak frankly about why they left.

People at the school, whether faculty or parents, seem to have so little contact
with the "outside" (the school's term, not mine!) that they have no clue. They
imagine they are envied and admired. Even C-students at the community college
have a low opinion of the Waldorf school!

My daughter's teacher is a god at this school- everyone talks about what a
wonderful class it is (no credit to us families!), so any complaint would fall
on deaf ears. Even other parents in the class get involved when they don't have
a complaint, so concerned are they that we - or others - are "troublemakers;"
I'm sick of that attitude and would rather she go to public school with its
out-on-paper protocols of accountability and privacy than remain here. She
refuses to attend the public school, however, so it's either a more expensive
private school or homeschooling for high school, which I never wanted to do.

I even consider leaving her where she is for social reasons- if they'll keep her
for high school after our "troublemaking-" except then I think of the PE
teacher, or what could be learned during the time wasted on Eurythmy..."

"She has visited our local school for a day, and the experience was so awful her
eye doctor, that afternoon for a regular visit, could not measure her eyes, they
were twitching so badly. That particular school is unfortunately known for
having pretty rough kids- the middle school girls' basketball team from that
school actually started punching our girls' team members during a game recently!
But more importantly, even at the middle school level when she visited, they
were doing work she had done years before as a homeschooler. Being behind is not
going to be a problem wherever she goes.

You make a good point about the public school bigotry at Waldorf schools. My
daughter does not like that either- in fact she was in tears one day last year
(gr 7) when she and another girl got into an argument about public vs Waldorf
schools! My daughter dared to point out that contrary to the belief that art is
better at Waldorf, in her opinion the art on display at county events from the
public schools is better than that from ours.

Also, if one more comment is made in my presence about "people from outside," or
"at the public schools," I will blow my stack. I do intend to say something if
it happens again. There is one parent in particular, a founder of the school
actually (the school is 35 or so years old), who does this at every meeting, in
every conversation, and I am sick of it. For one thing, we're all there for
whatever reason. For another, both my and my husband's PUBLIC high schools are
ALWAYS listed on WSJ's or US News/World Report's lists of best schools in the
country, or WSJ's "How to Get Into Harvard." So I just don't want to hear it. I
haven't seen a school that can touch my high school in any area, including
socially, and I do live in the world- the way the teachers speak as though they
are privy to some terrible dangers of "outside" is also getting on my nerves.

Speaking of socially, more than one friend has said they are unhappy with lots
of things at the school (ie even with tutoring their children cannot do basic
math), but they are so sure their kids will get beaten up at the public schools
they feel they have no choice (we are all in different districts, or we could
send them together!). They have ALSO said that as far as applying to any of the
other private schools here (as well as the grotesque expense), they are quite
sure their kids, knowing no math or writing skills, could not even get into
another school.

Our local Sylvan learning center joked with one friend of mine that she was very
early (grade four or five); "we don't usually see students from ----- until
tenth grade when they can't pass the PSAT!" : Meanwhile the school boasts that
they have a finalist or two every couple of years- this is proof their (tiny)
classes do comparably well?

PS- Has anyone read the study that's being flaunted all over the place about how
Waldorf students do after high school? Has anyone else noticed any elementary
statistics class gives enough info to render that study useless? Or that even if
their stats were reliable, the results are alarming rather than reassuring?

More Waldorf Bullying

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/368640/a-safe-healthy-haven-waldorf-questio\
ners-concerns-thread/40

Hello~ I have recently enrolled my dd in the Sugar Pea program at a Waldorf
School. I had my ds enrolled for sweetpeas for a complete series of sessions a
couple years ago. Upon entering the building I immediately felt a sense of
comfort and desire to "belong" to this community. I delved a little into the
antroposohopy and attended some meetings based on this belief. Not enough, to
truly make me an expert I just skimmed the surface. Two experiences led me to
withdrawl my son from futhering his education there. 1. There was another child
in our class that continuously displayed VERY aggressive behavior. He would
lunge across tables and bite, grab toys, hit scream etc. He was never removed or
really even redirected and my son became so fearful that he would cringe when
this child came near him. The mother was so immeresed in the handwork or
whatever that she completely ignored his behavior. At one point it was almost
comical as the teacher goes about singing and this child literally keeps
antagonizing the other children to the point of tears. I did discuss this with
the teacher and she noted this has been a problem but kinda gave me the what are
you going to do attitude. We broke off our relationship with the school and I
happen to run into a friend whose children were enrolled and attending same
school. She told me they were thinking of leaving due to some issues and through
the conversation I learned it was because of a similar experience and it
happened to be with the same child. This is years later. I was amazed. She
seemed to feel that the reason nothing was done had to do with the childs
parents financial contribution to the school. The elephant under the rug. The
second reason was the anthroposphy~it just seemed a little sneaky the way ,
unless you ask or investigate about it it is never really mentioned yet it is
what the schools philosophy is based on. As was mentioned earlier, it is
definately not child led~ they are being molded to the Waldorf Way. In fact my
partner almost feels like it is cultish. While I feel SugarPeas and Sweetpeas
are harmless and the fact that I will be with our dd at all times helps, we
definately are not going to continue past that point, and if our experience is
anything less then enriching we will discontinue immediately. I am a BIG fan of
John Holt and upon reading his literature feel this is the direction for our
family. We have been looking into the Circle School or Homeschooling for dd.

Parent Sorry for Trusting Waldorf

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/368640/a-safe-healthy-haven-waldorf-questio\
ners-concerns-thread/60

I have posted about some of our experiences in this forum before so I have been
hesitating writing about them again. Just in case there are some who have not
read them, I will try to describe as quickly as I can what happened to us. Just
to save time I have pasted parts of my old posts, so sorry for the repetion for
those of you who have read my them before.
So here I go………….
My son started a Waldorf Kindergarten at age 3 ½ (at this particular school they
had the preschool and Kindergarten in one class). Because we moved he went to
another Waldorf school when he was 5 and ½.
When it was time to go to first grade, at age 6 and ½ he was unable to focus in
the classroom of 20 children. He had difficulty following the teacher's
instructions and had a hard time sitting still. Also his drawing was not the
same level as most of his peers. After a month he was deemed to be too"
immature" to stay in first grade and was sent back in Kindergarten. At the time
I did not question the decision. I trusted them.
Staying back in Kindergarten was a big mistake. My son became very unruly,
disruptive and refused to participate in the activities. In particular he hated
all the circle games and eurhythmy. All this only made the Waldorf teachers even
more convinced that my son was still not ready for first grade.
We finally got outside help and took my son to see an occupational therapist who
confirmed that he had both fine and gross motor skill delays known as dyspraxia
resulting from sensory integration problems. Sensory over stimulation also
explained why my son could not focus in the first grade classroom. It was not
because he was too immature, but because there was too much stimulation in the
Waldorf classrooms. The set up, which is rows of desks with the teacher in the
front and lots of copying from the blackboard, is not an idea setting for allot
of children.
It was one of kindergarten teachers who first suggested that my son see an
Occupational therapist. However once he started going to one she disapproved of
what the occupational therapist did. The OT usually liked to visit the schools
of the children she was treating to see how they were doing and then give the
teachers advise, but my son's teachers refused to even allow her to visit the
class room! Anyway just a few weeks before my son's 7th birthday some so called
Waldorf "expert" on children with learning problems saw him and maintained that
my son STILL was not ready to go to first grade! She (the "expert") even made
fun of the OTs report saying, "what is dyspraxia? I can't even pronounce it!"
Her only advice was that he was not incarnating properly into his body and he
would have to go to a Waldorf school for children with special needs This was
the final straw for me. I never took our son back to that kindergarten again.
We put our him in a Montessori School instead. He continued seeing the
Occupational therapist. My son made wonderful improvements. To my great relief
the Montessori teachers have had no problem getting him to learn and to follow
and do the work. Within a few months he learned to read and write, do basic
addition and subtraction. And he loved it! Everyone who knew him commented on
how much happier my son seemed after I pulled him out of the Waldorf school.
His Montessori teachers all shook their heads in disbelief over the fact that he
was held back in Kindergarten another year for they felt he was so ready to
learn!
It has been 6 months now. My son is thriving in his new school and all his
behaviour problems are improving. I am still getting used to him not being
considered a "problem" anymore! I look back and it is so clear that Waldorf was
so, so wrong for him. I see he was bored in Kindergarten and angry for being
sent back there. I see it never suited his personality.
In both the Waldorf Kindergartens and the 1st grade there was allot of
unstructured free play with not enough supervision. This was a problem for allot
of children not just my son. From the beginning now I remember parents
complaining about all the bullying going on, kids hitting and getting hit, with
the teachers either saying they were not aware of it or acting like it was not a
problem. I did not want to see it at the time, but it was always there. Waldorf
definitely brought out the "wildness" in my son and I experienced allot of
another children mostly little boys who had difficulties there as well.

So we try to move on and for the most part we have moved on. But I guess I still
keep coming back to this forum because even though everything is getting better,
I still feel anger, sadness and pain.
I feel angry with the teachers for sending my son back to Kindergarten. I feel
angry with my self for going along with it! The move back to Kindergarten really
hurt my son's self esteem and it will be a while before he will catch up
academically. This makes me sad. The Waldorf teachers really made me feel like
the worst mother in the world, like it was my entire fault he was acting up in
the classroom. That really hurt. It really hurts to have people say such
horrible things about your child.
What also hurt is that none of the other parents even bothered to call us when
we left. Afterwards when I ran into any of the parents of my son's former
Waldorf classmates they did not even want to know any thing about my son, that
the child who was once a "problem" was no longer a problem and was now thriving!

Anyway sorry for going on for so long but I really needed to get this out.
Thanks for giving me the chance to vent!