Rudolph Steiner School

Private school, grades K-12, follows the Waldorf Education philosophies, which, according to the website means, quote:

The curriculum is developmental. In each grade, the activities and lessons are tailored to the childâ€™s changing sense of self and relationship to the world and others. The curriculum recognizes that one must address different aspects of the childâ€™s nature at different ages.
The class teacher ideally stays with the same class for eight years, and thus comes to know the students intimately. Moving with the class from grade to grade provides the teacher with a unique opportunity to integrate the entire main lesson curriculum. Waldorf class teachers specialize not in a subject or a grade, but rather in a specific group of students.
Subjects are taught in a "block" method in which several weeks of intensive study are devoted to a single subject.
Academics, the arts, and practical skills are all equally important in the Waldorf curriculum.
There are no electives in the lower school, and few in the high school. We feel that all children benefit from studying a variety of subjects. We see it as our job to help all students develop their multiple intelligences and capabilities.
Traditional textbooks are rarely used because much of the material studied is presented orally by the teacher. Students create their own "textbooks" in most subjects by synthesizing the material presented in class. As the students grow older, reference books, classic literature and original source material increasingly supplement the class teacherâ€™s oral presentations.

[edit] Controversies About Waldorf Education

Waldorf education has its critics, and its defenders. The controversy centers largely upon

1. The influences of Rudolf Steiner's mystical philosophy (Anthroposophy) on what is actually taught in Waldorf schools: are children being taught mystical thinking? Is this essentially covert religious education?
2. Do the Waldorf philosophies impair education? Do they result in "holding children back" because they "aren't supposed" to be learning certain things yet?
3. Is Steiner's own racism inherent in the Waldorf teachings?

Enough questions can be raised that a careful parent should review all of the available information before making a decision.

Website criticizing Waldorf education: http://www.waldorfcritics.com/

Website defending Waldorf education: http://www.waldorfanswers.org/