My son has been accepted into a Waldorf based charter school, a 45 minute drive each way, consider the cost of a private Waldorf school, I am considering that it would be worth it. Can anyone of Waldorf backgrounds answer that question?
Thank you, everyone, for your responses. I decided upon a charter immersion program. It has a grandiose reputation as it has a huge waiting list. But for my child, he was assigned to the worst kindergarten teacher that I have ever seen. (and I subbed for Kindergarten classes in far worst districts) She was totally adherent to structure and order, and had little time to deal with children as children. I observed a few other teachers, who embraced them more as children. All the Kindergarten classes were full, so I could not have transferred to a nicer teacher. I regret not driving the extra length for Waldorf. I will reapply for next year.
We transferred to a smaller immersion school. I found a smaller immersion school, which carries a completely different culture of its own. It is not even a charter school, but a school within a school. There are the academics, but students are encouraged to have fun and enjoy their education. The over head lights are covered with sheer color fabric (like Waldorf) and the rooms are circularly oriented, with bathrooms that are sized for kindergarten students. The principle even dresses up as children's book characters, and the office has works of children on the wall, as well being far more festive in appearance. The location is in a low income neighborhood, but the student population are composed of white, black, asian, middle eastern, and hispanic students who socialize in positive learning. And their parents have chosen that school for a reason, a multi-cultural education and has very secure campus. I actually feel that my child is safer there than the previous immersion campus. Just because a school has a outwardly attractive reputation, inwardly, it can be disastrous for your child. Do not go with looking at scores, look at the teaching values and methods. Most gifted children do not fit the cookie cutter mold in our current public education system. So, most importantly, investigate on how your child's unique intelligence will be embraced.
I have a friend that is doing exactly this because she believes this is the best format for her son.
It sounds like you've already made a decision, but....
All three of my children went to the Novato Charter School, and it was fantastic for them. My oldest is now a freshman in college (and started at NCS the first day it opened), my middle child is a freshman in high school, and my youngest is in 7th grade at NCS.
The comparison between what the kids get at this school and what they would have gotten at a regular school is - um, no comparison!
It's been interesting to see my high school freshman (in public school) compare this year's education to her charter school education - and this is a kid who was dying to go to a public school. She's now thanking me profusely for keeping her at NCS. She's amazed at how little the kids in high school care, how little the teachers care, and how little learning there is in her classes. She can't believe how disrespectful the kids are and how they get away with everything from coming to class stoned to texting in class.
The richness of the education is amazing. Just the field trips alone are worth going to the school. In 3rd grade they do a 3 day field trip to a farm, in 4th grade they do a 4 day gold-mining field trip (in costume and character), in 5th grade they spend five days in Yosemite studying botany, in 6th grade they spend 5 days at Mt. Lassen studying geology, in 7th grade they make a 5 day trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, and in 8th grade they do whatever field trip they've managed to fundraise for (sailing ships, scuba diving, Washington, D.C., river rafting are some of the field trips from past years). In addition to all of those, they also participate in an actual Greek Pentathalon with other Waldorf Schools in 5th grade and Medieval Games in 6th grade. Can you imagine learning about Greek civilization by actually participating in a pentathalon?
I could go on and on, but basically, my answer is yes! The drive is worth it. Lots of people drive that far to attend NCS, and they stay through 8th grade, so they must think it's worth it.
Good luck!
Ummmm, pack some snacks momma and drive!!!! My cousins kids go to a Waldorf Charter and she said she'd drive all the way in reverse the schools are that awesome.
I have my teaching degree and this was my fav school I studied about. If you feel it would be great for your child to go to this school and can drive it than do so. I drove little over half an hour one way to take my children to a better school here till we decided to home school.
My personal opinion is that the *right* school makes a lot of otherwise intolerable things more than worth the hassle.
A few years ago, we had the choice between driving 30-45 minutes (traffic awful, not really that far distance wise) for an AMAZING school. I was more than willing to do the drive. In the end, we chose to homeschool, but it was a "we can spend 1/4 of what we would on wunder-school, and if it doesn't work out then we can bite the bullet for the pricetag". (We've so fallen in love with HS'ing we're in our 3rd year). Whatever the "right" educational choice for your child is, I've noticed, takes all the hassles or problems and makes them just not weigh very much. Because no matter WHAT the choice is, there are hassles.
Currently, 4 months a year we drive 2 hours each way to go snowboarding 4-5 days a week. SO worth it. And the drive itself has become super fun. We talk. We listen to books on tape. Kiddo is fully dressed but has his sleeping bag and pillow so he can sleep to or from. We eat breakfast and dinner in the car (car-pic-nics). We listen to music. We just generally have a really good time 4 hours a day. But I know many people who would find this ridiculous. We don't, because it's the right choice for our family.
My daughter was in a public school near our house and we moved her to a private Montessori school about 15 mins from our house when she was in the 3rd grade. We thought it would be a great experience to have such a small, intimate setting. She hated it. She loved the structure of public school and did not function well in the individually directed environment of Montessori. My other daughter, however, loves Montessori. So just because a school is fabulous doesn't mean it's the right fit for every child. Good-luck.
I don't have any experience with Waldorf schools first hand, but I found one in North Carolina that I thought sounded awesome. It's definitely something I will look into if we move that way.
But wow, one for free....I say go for it! The Waldorf concepts seem amazing. I will keep checking back to see what others say. I'm interested in Waldorf as well.
Only you can know if it's crazy or not. Make a list of advantages to doing so and a list of disadvantages. Determine if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Are you thinking of a Waldorf charter school because you've compared their philosophy and curriculum with the same for other schools? That is an important first step. Once you've decided that you prefer the Waldorf school, and you can do that with a list of advantages and disadvantages too, then you can do the lists for this particular school.
Stonebridge Charter School in Napa is great.
i drive about 30 min each way for our parochial school. i do a total of 4 30 min drive 5 days a week, then i go volunteer about 2-3 times a week. another 30 min each way.
for us it's so worth it
we have the option of allowing kids to take the bus to go to parochial school but my inner crazy me won't do it.
i say it's so worth it.
and if your son is getting a free ride? and i mean free? hell yeah
