Frequently Asked Questions About Waldorf Schools

Is Waldorf Similar to Montessori?

Article by Barbara Shell

Are Waldorf schools religious?

Waldorf schools are non-sectarian and non-denominational. They educate all children, regardless of their cultural or religious backgrounds. The pedagogical method is comprehensive, and, as part of its task, seeks to bring about recognition and understanding of all the world cultures and religions. Waldorf schools are not part of any church. They espouse no particular religious doctrine but are based on a belief that there is a spiritual dimension to the human being and to all of life. Waldorf families come from a broad spectrum of religious traditions and interest.

What is the curriculum like in a Waldorf school?

Waldorf Education approaches all aspects of schooling in a unique and comprehensive way. The curriculum is designed to meet the various stages of child development. Waldorf teachers are dedicated to creating a genuine inner enthusiasm for learning, that is essential for educational success.

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children learn primarily through imitation and imagination. The goal of the kindergarten is to develop a sense of wonder in the young child and reverence for all living things. This creates an eagerness for the academics that follow in the grades.

Kindergarten activities include:

• storytelling, puppetry, creative play;
• singing, eurythmy (movement);
• games and finger plays;
• painting, drawing and beeswax modeling;
• baking and cooking, nature walks;
• foreign language and circle time for festival and seasonal celebrations

Elementary and middle-school children learn through the guidance of a class teacher who stays with the class ideally for eight years.

The curriculum includes:

• English based on world literature, myths, and legends
• history that is chronological and inclusive of the world's great civilizations
• science that surveys geography, astronomy, meteorology, physical and life sciences
• mathematics that develops competence in arithmetic, algebra, and geometry
• foreign languages; physical education; gardening
• arts including music, painting, sculpture, drama, eurythmy, sketching
• handwork such as knitting, weaving, and woodworking

The Waldorf high school is dedicated to helping students develop their full potential as scholars, artists, athletes, and community members. The course of study includes:

• a humanities curriculum that integrates history, literature, and knowledge of world cultures;
• a science curriculum that includes physics, biology, chemistry, geology, and a four-year college preparatory mathematics program;
• an arts and crafts program including calligraphy, drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, weaving, block printing and bookbinding;
• a performing arts program offering orchestra, choir, eurythmy and drama;
• a foreign language program;
• a physical education program.

Does Waldorf education prepare children for the "real" world; and, if so, how does it do it?

It is easy to fall into the error of believing that education must make our children fit into society. Although we are certainly influenced by what the world brings us, the fact is that the world is shaped by people, not people by the world. However, that shaping of the world is possible in a healthy way only if the shapers are themselves in possession of their full nature as human beings.

Education in our materialistic, Western society focuses on the intellectual aspect of the human being and has chosen largely to ignore the several other parts that are essential to our well-being. These include our life of feeling (emotions, aesthetics, and social sensitivity), our willpower (the ability to get things done), and our moral nature (being clear about right and wrong). Without having these developed, we are incomplete-a fact that may become obvious in our later years, when a feeling of emptiness begins to set in. That is why in a Waldorf school, the practical and artistic subjects play as important a role as the full spectrum of traditional academic subjects that the school offers. The practical and artistic are essential in achieving a preparation for life in the "real" world.

Waldorf Education recognizes and honors the full range of human potentialities. It addresses the whole child by striving to awaken and ennoble all the latent capacities. The children learn to read, write, and do math; they study history, geography, and the sciences. In addition, all children learn to sing, play a musical instrument, draw, paint, model clay, carve and work with wood, speak clearly and act in a play, think independently, and work harmoniously and respectfully with others. The development of these various capacities is interrelated. For example, both boys and girls learn to knit in grade one. Acquiring this basic and enjoyable human skill helps them develop a manual dexterity, which after puberty will be transformed into an ability to think clearly and to "knit" their thoughts into a coherent whole.

Preparation for life includes the development of the well-rounded person. Waldorf Education has as its ideal a person who is knowledgeable about the world and human history and culture, who has many varied practical and artistic abilities, who feels a deep reverence for and communion with the natural world, and who can act with initiative and in freedom in the face of economic and political pressures.

There are many Waldorf graduates of all ages who embody this ideal and who are perhaps the best proof of the efficacy of the education.

From Five Frequently Asked Questions by Colin Price from Renewal Magazine, Spring/Summer 2003

Why do Waldorf schools teach reading so late?

There is evidence that normal, healthy children who learn to read relatively late are not disadvantaged by this, but rather are able quickly to catch up with, and may overtake, children who have learned to read early. Additionally, they are much less likely to develop the "tiredness toward reading" that many children taught to read at a very early age experience later on. Instead there is lively interest in reading and learning that continues into adulthood. Some children will, out of themselves, want to learn to read at an early age. This interest can and should be met, as long as it comes in fact from the child. Early imposed formal instruction in reading can be a handicap in later years, when enthusiasm toward reading and learning may begin to falter.

If reading is not pushed, a healthy child will pick it up quite quickly and easily. Some Waldorf parents become anxious if their child is slow to learn to read. Eventually these same parents are overjoyed at seeing their child pick up a book and not put it down and become from that moment a voracious reader. Each child has his or her own optimal time for "taking off." Feelings of anxiety and inferiority may develop in a child who is not reading as well as her peers. Often this anxiety is picked up from parents concerned about the child's progress. It is important that parents should deal with their own and their child's apprehensions.

Human growth and development do not occur in a linear fashion, nor can they be measured. What lives, grows, and has its being in human life can only be grasped with that same human faculty that can grasp the invisible metamorphic laws of living nature.

From Five Frequently Asked Questions by Colin Price from Renewal Magazine, Spring/Summer 2003

Would a child be at a disadvantage if he were transferred from a public school into a Waldorf school, or out of a Waldorf school into a public school?

Children who transfer to a Waldorf school in the first four grades usually are up to grade in reading, math, and basic academic skills. However, they usually have much to learn in bodily coordination skills, posture, artistic and social activities, cursive handwriting, and listening skills. Listening well is particularly important since most of the curricular content is presented orally in the classroom by the teacher. The human relationship between the child and the teacher is the basis for healthy learning, for the acquiring of understanding and knowledge rather than just information. Children who are used to learning from computers and other electronic media will have to adjust.

Those children who enter a Waldorf school in the middle grades often bring much information about the world. This contribution should be recognized and received with interest by the class. However, these children often have to unlearn some social habits, such as the tendency to experience learning as a competitive activity. They have to learn to approach the arts in a more objective way, not simply as a means for personal expression. In contrast, in their study of nature, history, and the world, they need to relate what they learn to their own life and being. The popular ideal of "objectivity" in learning is misguided when applied to elementary school children. At their stage of development, the subjective element is essential for healthy learning. Involvement in what is learned about the world makes the world truly meaningful to them.

Children who transfer out of a Waldorf school into a public school during the earlier grades probably have to upgrade their reading ability and to approach the science lessons differently. Science in a Waldorf school emphasizes the observation of natural phenomena rather than the formulation of abstract concepts and laws. On the other hand, the Waldorf transferees are usually well prepared for social studies, practical and artistic activities, and mathematics.

Children moving during the middle grades should experience no problems. In fact, in most cases, transferring students of this age-group find themselves ahead of their classmates. The departing Waldorf student is likely to take along into the new school a distinguishing individual strength, personal confidence, and love of learning.

From Five Frequently Asked Questions by Colin Price from Renewal Magazine, Spring/Summer 2003

Why do Waldorf schools recommend the limiting of television, videos, and radio for young children?

A central aim of Waldorf Education is to stimulate the healthy development of the child's own imagination. Waldorf teachers are concerned that electronic media hampers the development of the child's imagination. They are concerned about the physical effects of the medium on the developing child as well as the content of much of the programming.

There is more and more research to substantiate these concerns. See Endangered Minds: Why Our Children Don't Think and Failure To Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children's Minds For Better and Worse by Jane Healy; Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander; The Plug-In Drug by Marie Winn; and Evolution's End: Claiming The Potential of Our Intelligence by Joseph Chilton Pearce.

What about computers and Waldorf Education?

Waldorf teachers feel the appropriate age for computer use in the classroom and by students is in high school. We feel it is more important for students to have the opportunity to interact with one another and with teachers in exploring the world of ideas, participating in the creative process, and developing their knowledge, skills, abilities, and inner qualities. Waldorf students have a love of learning, an ongoing curiosity, and interest in life. As older students, they quickly master computer technology, and graduates have successful careers in the computer industry. For additional reading, please see Fools Gold on the Alliance For Childhood's web site, www.allianceforchildhood.org and The Future Does Not Compute by Steven Talbot.

How do Waldorf graduates do after graduation?

Waldorf students have been accepted in and graduated from a broad spectrum of colleges and universities including Stanford, UC Berkeley, Harvard, Yale, Brown, and all of the top universities. Waldorf graduates reflect a wide diversity of professions and occupations including medicine, law, science, engineering, computer technology, the arts, social science, government, and teaching at all levels. Waldorf high schools can provide specific data on the university affiliations, professions, and accomplishments of their graduates. A list of Waldorf high schools is available on the Alumni Information page.

What is Eurythmy?

Eurythmy is the art of movement that attempts to make visible the tone and feeling of music and speech. Eurythmy helps to develop concentration, self-discipline, and a sense of beauty. This training of moving artistically with a group stimulates sensitivity to the other as well as individual mastery. Eurythmy lessons follow the themes of the curriculum, exploring rhyme, meter, story, and geometric forms.

A Waldorf class teacher ideally stays with a group of children through the eight elementary school years. What if my child does not get along with the teacher?

This question often arises because of a parent's experience of public school education. In most public schools, a teacher works with a class for one, maybe two years. It is difficult for teacher and child to develop the deep human relationship that is the basis for healthy learning if change is frequent.

If a teacher has a class for several years, the teacher and the children come to know and understand each other in a deep way. The children, feeling secure in a long-term relationship, are better able to learn. The interaction of teacher and parents also can become more deep and meaningful over time, and they can cooperate in helping the child.

Serious problems between teachers and children, and between teachers and parents, do arise. When this happens, the college of teachers studies the situation, involves the teacher and parents-and, if appropriate, the child-and tries to resolve the conflict. If the differences are irreconcilable, the parents might be asked to withdraw the child, or the teacher might be replaced.

In reality, these measures very rarely need to be taken. A Waldorf class is something like a family. If a mother in a family does not get along with her son during a certain time, she does not consider resigning or replacing him with another child. Rather, she looks at the situation and sees what can be done to improve the relationship. In other words, the adult assumes responsibility and tries to change. This same approach is expected of the Waldorf teacher in a difficult situation. In almost every case she must ask herself: "How can I change so that the relationship becomes more positive?" One cannot expect this of the child. My experience is that with the goodwill and active support of the parents, the teacher concerned can make the necessary changes and restore the relationship to a healthy and productive state.

From Five Frequently Asked Questions by Colin Price from Renewal Magazine, Spring/Summer 2003

How can a Waldorf class teacher teach all the subjects through the eight years of elementary schooling?

The class teacher is not the only teacher the children experience. Each day, specialty subject teachers teach the children eurythmy, handcrafts, a foreign language, instrumental music, and so on.

The class teacher is, however, responsible for the two-hour "main lesson" every morning and usually also for one or two lessons later in the day. In the main lesson, she brings all the main academic subjects to the children, including language arts, the sciences, history, and mathematics, as well as painting, music, clay modeling, and so on. The teacher does in fact deal with a wide range of subjects, and thus the question is a valid one.

A common misconception in our time is that education is merely the transfer of information. From the Waldorf point of view, true education also involves the awakening of capacities-the ability to think clearly and critically, to empathetically experience and understand phenomena in the world, to distinguish what is beautiful, good, and true. The class teacher walks a path of discovery with the children and guides them into an understanding of the world of meaning, rather than the world of cause and effect.

Waldorf class teachers work very hard to master the content of the various subjects that they teach. But the teacher's ultimate success lies in her ability to work with those inner faculties that are still "in the bud," so that they can grow, develop, and open up in a beautiful, balanced, and wholesome way.

Through this approach to teaching, the children will be truly prepared for the real world. They are provided then with the tools to productively shape that world out of a free human spirit.

From Five Frequently Asked Questions by Colin Price from Renewal Magazine, Spring/Summer 2003

What is the tuition at a Waldorf school? Is there financial assistance available?

Enrollment and tuition costs vary from school to school and are comparable to other private schools in the same geographic location that are not subsidized through church affiliations. In the United States, Waldorf schools are independent and are supported by tuition income, fees, and charitable contributions. Each school develops its financial aid assistance policies and determines the amount of tuition assistance it can offer. There is no North American general fund at this time to assist individual children to go to a Waldorf school. For the most current tuition information, you may contact individual schools directly through our Affiliated Schools list.

I've looked in your search engine and can't find a school in my area. Are there any other schools?

If you are looking for a kindergarten, there may be a stand-alone Waldorf kindergarten in your area. Contact the Waldorf Early Childhood Association at www.waldorfearlychildhood.org, email info@waldorfearlychildhood.org.

Are there resources for Waldorf home schooling?

Yes. Waldorfhomeschooling.org offers many resources. Waldorf home schooling conferences are held in California every year, organized by Rahima Baldwin-Dancy, author of You Are Your Child's First Teacher.

Are there any Waldorf schools for developmentally disabled children?

Somerset School in California geared towards children with special needs. Rudolf Steiner worked with developmentally disabled for several years, and there are both schools and adult communities based out of Anthroposophy. Please visit the Camphill Association of North America's website for more information.

Where can I find an international list of Waldorf schools?

For a list of Waldorf schools around the world, click on Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen (Germany). You will then be able to search by country. Other lists and resources may be found in our Links section.

Starting a Waldorf School

Initiative groups follow many different patterns in their development, but in recent years a certain trend has evolved which seems to be helpful to many groups. The initiative groups usually begin study groups for adults, and after a few years start a playgroup for children. After a year or two more they may feel ready to found a kindergarten, and several years later may have grown to the point where a school can be founded. As you can see, it takes time to initiate a school, and it can easily take seven years or longer from the beginning of the first study group to the opening of the first grade. The timing varies from one community to another, but all have found that it is essential to have a strong foundation in Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy if their school is to grow and thrive, and such a foundation is not laid overnight. A Waldorf school is not just an alternative to public schools or another independent school; its curriculum and philosophy proceed from the worldview and the insights into the nature of the child that Rudolf Steiner has given us in Anthroposophy. If there is not a core community surrounding the school initiative that is thoroughly familiar with and committed to that philosophy and pedagogy, then it is unlikely that the initiative will prosper.

Communities also find that while enthusiastic parents are essential for helping to found a school, this same enthusiasm can lead one to decide to found a school too quickly. Just as Waldorf schools are nonprofit organizations that are not created for the financial benefit of any individual, so their founding must also have an element of selflessness rather than being created to benefit certain children and their families. We know this can be a difficult thing to hear, but the pace of development is probably the single greatest factor in determining the future strength or weakness of a school. A weak, hastily built foundation remains with a school for its lifetime, and one sees the effects of it again and again. We all want schools that will flourish and thrive, and it's quite possible to found such schools if one works hard and does not rush.

Many communities have been inventive in meeting their own children's needs in the years before a school is started. They have had regular festival celebrations for families, organized puppet shows, painting classes, or other activities. Some have developed programs for elementary-aged children who are unable to go to Waldorf schools. These programs usually focus on the Waldorf story curriculum, the arts, and festival celebrations. They meet after school or on Saturday mornings. Leaders of such programs do not need to be fully trained Waldorf teachers. Often they are parents who are educating themselves about Waldorf Education through summer courses and other studies.

Returning to the basic pattern, which has evolved in recent years, we'd like to go over the steps one by one, sharing with you some of what the schools themselves have told us.

Establishing Study Groups

A Waldorf study group is usually founded that meets each week or every other week. Books are studied about Waldorf Education and speakers are invited into the community to lecture on the education. Popular books for new study groups include the A.C. Harwood books, or one of the other overviews of Waldorf Education by Francis Edmunds, Rene Querido, or M.C. Richards. Introductory study groups have also enjoyed working with Lifeways; Children at Play; The Incarnating Child; You Are Your Child's First Teacher; and The Young Child: Creative Living With Two to Four Year Olds. Basic books by Rudolf Steiner include Education of the Child in the Light of Anthroposophy (a booklet) and Kingdom of Childhood. Caroline von Heydebrand's Childhood is also a classic among Waldorf books.

Communities serious about starting a Waldorf kindergarten or school also establish anthroposophic study groups. The anthroposophical work in a community is very important because Waldorf Education arises out of the soil of Anthroposophy. It is into this soil that the roots of the school will grow and derive nourishment. Communities that do not have active study groups in Anthroposophy remark that in the long run their schools seem unfed at a deeper level. Some complain that their schools feel "unsheathed," as if they stand too bare in the community. There can be nothing compulsory about the study of Anthroposophy, for it must live in the realm of inner freedom. Nevertheless, schools do best if Anthroposophy is being cultivated in the community around them in a healthy and free manner. The school itself needs to have a healthy fertile relationship with Anthroposophy if it is to grow and thrive as a Waldorf school. For more information about the study of Anthroposophy or to learn of anthroposophical study groups in your area, you may contact the Anthroposophical Society in America.

In establishing study groups, it is good to find a mentor/helper. Even if this person can come only once a year, he or she can add much depth to the study, making suggestions about study materials, answering perplexing questions on content and so forth. The Waldorf Early Childhood Association can suggest mentors to you, as can the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America, as well as the Pedagogical Section Council (PSC). The PSC was founded to help cultivate the educational and spiritual life of Waldorf schools in North America. Antje Ghaznavi is the Chairperson for the PSC and may be reached at ghaznavi@sympatico.ca.

Starting a Playgroup

This is a less official step than founding a kindergarten, and many communities find it is a good starting point in their work with children. Generally, there are not such strict licensing requirements, and the curriculum is less demanding than in a Waldorf kindergarten. These playgroups are led by individuals who are serious in their study of Waldorf Education, but may not yet have a full Waldorf training. Playgroups usually meet in a home and often have four to eight children. The person in charge of the playgroup is usually involved in a part-time Waldorf training program.

Creating a Kindergarten

This is an official step which requires legal incorporation, full licensing through the appropriate government offices, rental of space, and so on. Equally important to all the legal requirements is that it should be led by a fully trained Waldorf kindergarten teacher, who has ideally already had at least three years' experience as a Waldorf kindergarten teacher. As you probably know, there is a critical shortage of such teachers in North America (and worldwide.) It is a good idea to help identify individuals from your community who are interested in getting trained and help make it possible for them to take a training, perhaps lending them money for their training and letting the loan turn to a grant if they return and teach in your school for a certain number of years.

Acquiring this kind of financial support may seem like a large task, but it is important to realize at the outset that establishing any independent school in North America, including a Waldorf school, is a very expensive undertaking. Perhaps in the future there will be a government sponsored voucher system for the support of independent education, or some other means of help, but at the moment communities need to raise relatively large amounts of money to transform the wish for a Waldorf school into a reality.

In the actual establishment of a kindergarten there are individuals who can be called upon for help. It's a good idea to work closely with your nearest Waldorf school and see if there are experienced teachers there who can help you with your steps of development. In addition, the Waldorf Early Childhood Association can help you and can put you in touch with an experienced kindergarten teacher to advise you. At this point, it will be necessary for the initiative to join the Association of Waldorf Schools as a New Initiative Member, a step which will put the initiative in wider contact with the Waldorf movement.

Founding a School

This is a very large step, for once a first grade is founded the school should be able to go on adding a new grade for the next eight years. This requires finding a new class teacher each year, more subject teachers, more classroom space and so on. You can see why a strong foundation is necessary. Without one, you can build for a few years without noticing that the structure is rather wobbly. The larger the structure becomes, however, the more the wobble shows, and cracks begin to develop. In recent years some schools have fallen apart and have had to close, a very painful situation for the school and for the whole of the Waldorf community.

Again, of course, one must also have trained Waldorf teachers. They are in short supply, as evidenced by the fact that each year our training centers do not have enough graduates to fill vacancies in the existing schools, much less new ones. In our meetings to discuss the problem of teacher shortage, one suggestion arises time and time again. That is for each community interested in Waldorf Education to raise money to send one or two of its own members for training, to return to take on the task of working with an experienced teacher in founding the grade school.

As you know, there is an ever increasing interest in the public sector in what Waldorf Education has to offer. If we have weak schools with untrained teachers to represent our education, then we imperil our good name as well as the opportunity of bringing new life into all of education. If all our schools, new and established, strive for the excellence inherent in our philosophy and methods, then we can meet any assessment of our work with confidence. Generally, one should have two or three kindergarten classes with a total of about 50 children before considering opening a first grade. Even then you may not be getting the 20 - 30 children necessary to make a first grade financially, socially, and academically viable. To start with fewer than 20-30 children means you need financially to underwrite the school and the teacher's salary to a large extent. Otherwise, you will pay too low a salary, the teacher may not be able to sustain his or her work without great strain, and you will find yourself with much turnover. Waiting until your classes are big enough, or nearly big enough, is very wise. Some schools start with very small classes (8 or 10 children), but they commonly struggle for years to find enough money to keep going. After a while this is very debilitating for all concerned, and it is questionable whether the children are getting what they need from the situation. There is a general assumption on the part of new initiatives that any Waldorf school is better than none, but our own experience is that this is not necessarily true. A weak school, with too few children, too big a budget deficit, too much strain on the teachers and active parents, is not a healthy environment for children. The school suffers as do the children.

As your group moves forward towards developing a Waldorf kindergarten or school, the Association of Waldorf Schools (AWSNA) or the Waldorf Early Childhood Association (WECAN) will help you make contact with other, more experienced Waldorf educators or schools. We also provide a list of schools and initiatives to facilitate communication. Ask nearby schools to put you on their mailing lists so that you know of lectures, workshops, fairs, and the like. If you are interested in summer courses or weekend workshops, please contact the Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California, Sunbridge College in Spring Valley, New York, as well as other training centers listed in the school list. There is also the Rudolf Steiner (summer) Institute (Carol Petrash, Registrar, PO Box 207 Kensington, MD 20895), which meets for three weeks in Maine each summer.

We hope you will let us know more about your groups and the progress you are making. Do stay in touch. If your group decides to begin the process of starting a school initiative, please contact AWSNA and WECAN to let us know of your progress. We are here to support and serve your needs.

It is important that you be aware of the fact that the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America is the holder of trademark rights for the use of the name "Waldorf" and "Steiner". If you are starting a school or currently a school with a question regarding the use of the terms "Waldorf" and/or "Steiner" please contact the administrative office of AWSNA at: 337 Oak Grove St., Minneapolis, MN 55403 - 612-870-8310 - awsna@awsna.org. This would include the terms "Waldorf inspired" or "Waldorf

Questions for Consideration

The following is meant to help you focus on issues and concerns that should be considered prior to the founding of a new school initiative. Many of these have been raised in the preceding letter.

1. How many people are in your community who are familiar with the philosophy and pedagogy of Waldorf education? a. How many years have they studied together? b. How many are familiar with curriculum requirements?
2. Has your core group defined its goals and objectives? Are they formally written down, in the form of a Mission Statement and a long-range (5-year+) plan?
3. Plans for the present a. Will you consider combined classes? b. What will determine minimum class size? c. What admissions policy will you adopt?
4. Plans for the future a. Preschool/kindergarten for 1-5 years initially? b. When to begin Grade 1, and continue to add a grade yearly c. Have full 8 grades eventually, including staffing: trained class teachers, special teachers (foreign languages, art, music, physical education, etc) d. Physical facilities for expansion
5. Have you investigated state/local requirements for: a. Liability insurance b. Codes: fire, health, building, etc. c. Educational mandates, if they exist d. General requirements for early childhood education e. Certification of teachers
6. Have you incorporated as a 501(c)(3) under IRS ruling? a. Have you a board of trustees? b. Are responsibilities clearly defined in by-laws? c. Are there provisions in by-laws for eventual transfer of pedagogical authority to the faculty?
7. Have you surveyed your possible commuting area to determine available student pool to draw on?
8. What independent school(s) would compete with this pool?
9. What segments of the population do you hope to draw on?
10. What consideration have you given to your publicity and image to attract those segments? (It's hard to overcome a negative or limiting public image once it's created.)
11. Is there someone in your group with knowledge of or access to good advice on publicity matters?
12. Have you surveyed your potential school community for the extent of financial support, over and above tuition?
13. It is estimated by experienced Waldorf consultants that from $40,000 - $50,000 should be in hand before starting a school with a reasonable hope of success. How will you raise this? a. If not this sum, how will you guarantee at least the first two years of operation (rent/mortgage/loans, salaries, benefits, supplies, any necessary alteration of facility used, insurance, safety net for emergencies)?
14. Do the fund-raising activities you envision represent the quality and excellence of Waldorf Education?
15. What opportunities exist for attracting a Waldorf-trained teacher to your community? a. What is the salary offered? b. What is the housing availability for salary offered? c. What are the social opportunities? d. What is the type of school facility : church, community center, own building?
16. Do you have at least one experienced Waldorf teacher committed to starting the school?
17. Will you make plans to send likely candidates from your interested community to a teacher training center for training?
18. What thought has been given to a support staff? Someone in the school office is essential, as is at least a part-time bookkeeper.

In 1977, friends involved in the planning and start-up of the Toronto Waldorf School (now one of the largest Waldorf schools in North America) set down their experiences in a booklet entitled The Infancy of a Waldorf School. While it is now seventeen years since it was written, it is still a valuable publication for those interested in knowing the challenges involved in beginning a new school. Copies of this booklet are available from the AWSNA office for $5.00 plus shipping and handling.

Position Statement

Affiliation with the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and Use of the trademark name "Waldorf" or "Rudolf Steiner" Education

The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) is an association of independent schools working out of the pedagogical indications of Rudolf Steiner. Waldorf Education is devoted to contributing to spiritual, social, and economic renewal. It should be understood by any school or institution seeking affiliation with AWSNA that Waldorf Education is based on Anthroposophy, the philosophy initiated by Rudolf Steiner.

Waldorf is a trademark name in the United States and is reserved for independent schools which meet the membership standards established by AWSNA. Questions regarding schools in Canada need to be addressed to the Waldorf School Association of Ontario (WSAO). Only schools which have been accepted as Sponsored or Full Members of AWSNA may represent themselves as Waldorf schools or use the words "Waldorf" or "Rudolf Steiner" in their names or subtitles.

Guidelines for affiliation with AWSNA are available from the Association.

New Initiative Membership Program

A category of membership for new initiatives has been implemented by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), effective August 1996. This entry-level affiliation with AWSNA is intended to provide new initiatives, which have an intention to begin a Waldorf school, with greater opportunity to establish a living connection with the Waldorf school movement. This is a significant step in the development of AWSNA toward its mission of serving and enhancing the Waldorf impulse in North America. Further, as the organization responsible for the trademark names "Waldorf" and "Rudolf Steiner," AWSNA now requires that any school wishing to use these names to describe itself in its literature, brochures, or public relations materials must be affiliated with AWSNA in the appropriate level of membership, and that schools wishing to use these names as a part of their school name or subtitle must be Sponsored Members or Full Members (see "Steps to Membership" for full descriptions of each level of membership). When an initiative is ready to affiliate with AWSNA, it will register and pay $200 annual dues. An application form will be distributed each fall.

Guidelines for New Initiative Membership are modeled upon the Associate Member status in the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN), with the exception that AWSNA is an association of independent, nonpublic schools. Please note that new school initiatives in Ontario will be expected to work directly with the Waldorf School Association of Ontario (WSAO), and may affiliate with AWSNA when they are eligible to join as a Developing School. Waldorf initiative groups, play groups, kindergartens and related activities which meet the following criteria are eligible:

Demonstrable commitment to the ideals and practices of Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy, the philosophy developed by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925).

Wish to support and contribute to Waldorf Education in North America and the worldwide movement.

An intention to begin an independent, nonpublic Waldorf school (at an appropriate time with sufficient enrollment, sufficient funds, and a Waldorf trained teacher or a teacher willing to pursue Waldorf training) in consultation with the AWSNA Regional Chairs and a Waldorf Early Childhood Association (WECAN) representative.

The responsibility for determining who is eligible to be a New Initiative Member will be primarily in the hands of two people for each of the three Regions: AWSNA's Regional Chair and a person designated by WECAN. In the case of the regional chair, the task of working with New Initiatives will take place in addition to his or her work with Developing, Sponsored and Full Member schools. In the case of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association representatives, it is anticipated that the work will be done on a voluntary basis, alongside their regular jobs. Because of this, most of the administrative work will be handled by the regional chair or the AWSNA office, with the support and involvement of the WECAN office and WECAN representatives. Help will also be available through regional committees and WECAN board members who work with kindergartens on a mini-regional level.

A major part of the team's work will be to help New Initiatives lay strong foundations before founding a grade school. They will also assist in locating mentors who can work with New Initiatives. These may be individuals or nearby schools.

New Initiative Members will receive the following services:

1. Connection to AWSNA regional chairs and WECAN representative.
2. Listing as an AWSNA New Initiative Member in AWSNA Directory and AWSNA web site.
3. Invitation to appropriate AWSNA conferences and workshops in each region.
4. Associate Membership in WECAN with twice yearly newsletter and twice yearly (September and January) mailings to kindergartens.
5. One subscription to Renewal, and eligibility for bulk rates.
6. The AWSNA Newsletter, INFORM, twice yearly
7. AWSNA/WECAN Directory and WECAN information sheets (on request)
8. Catalogue of AWSNA Publications
9. In the first year only, a packet containing AWSNA publications Art of Administration and Administrative Explorations and selected WECAN publications.

I'm interested in becoming a Waldorf teacher. What is the next step?

In North America alone there are 157 Waldorf schools, and numbers worldwide have doubled in the last decade to more than 800 schools. Along with this type of growth is a constant demand for new teachers. The health of a school depends in large part on finding strong teachers who are trained in Waldorf methodology.

Waldorf teacher training is a two-year process if done full-time, three or four years if done during summer intensives. Many institutes also offer weekend programs or part-time options, and some institutes offer university degrees, and if desired, state certification. Please contact the institutes directly for information on specific programs.

While not strictly required by every state government, almost all schools require that teachers have at least a Bachelor's degree.

Financial assistance for teacher training are available through the AWSNA Teacher Training Fund and other programs offered through the institutes.

How can I find a job at a Waldorf school?

Many Waldorf schools post job openings online at waldorfworld.net or anthroposophy.org so that would be your best bet. Also, contacting the schools you're most interested in directly to see about unposted openings. Schools can be found on our affiliated schools list.