Anyone who started and left Waldorf? Should I be getting cold feet about Anthropophosty?

[Anonymous]

My daughter went to Waldorf through 8th grade. Great experience! Was not perfection, but such a wonderful education! It has impacted everything she's done since! Went from there to one of the most academically elite high schools in the city (as did several of her chums)...and now is in a student in one of our country's foremost colleges. Just sayin'

[Anonymous]

For me, the Waldorf web site made sense in terms of curriculum because it looks like the kids learn directly from the teacher every day for 1.5 hours in a long "lesson." My kid, a product of Montessori, loves learning like that. But the deal breaker for me is the note on special needs-- they basically aren't interested at all in supporting anything beyond the most mild of special needs. I don't fault them for it, and at least they just say it outright instead of pretending and then rejecting the child later, but my kid will need some support so I took it off the list.

[Anonymous]

Steiner adapted his brand of nonsense into a form of education that was later called the Waldorf method (after his first school for children of workers at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory). One of his first schools was the Goetheanum, The School of Spiritual Science. Steiner believed that humans experience reincarnation over several lives, the lowest of which are the colored races; the highest, of course, the white race. He also said that humans pass through seven spiritual stages (which he lifted from the seven shakras), and that education should be compatible with these stages.


YOU HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO ALLOW YOUR KIDS TO BE PART OF THIS NONSENSE....!!!

[Anonymous]

i'm currently in a Waldorf High school and i absolutely love it! I cannot imagine going anywhere else. the whole "cult" thing, it utter BS. One time when my class was walking down the street we heard these two other teenagers talking about us. One of them said "hey, isn't that the waldorf school? i heard they were a cult?"
i'm sorry, but i don't even find it offensive, it just makes me laugh whenever i think about it.
yes, it's true waldorf may not be for everyone, i support that, but it's definitely not a cult, and in most cases it works out.

[Anonymous]

Well, were we not prepared for the cultish secrecy at our small, gossipy Santa Cruz Waldorf. Inept and dysfunctional. They really wounded my son deeply. I don't think we could ever go back--iit would have to me the best, since Waldorf Schools vary GREATLY, as do the teachers with their three years of schooling.

Rescue remedy is not the cure--just stop insisting that what you ate saying is channeled from your heart. La, la, la. It should work out fine if your child is a mild one. Oh, didn't You know? Waldorf is alright if you are a girl, but not for boy, our 6 year old boy told us. We didn't get it right away, but we got it now.

[Outland]

Nice pieces on WTOP today about the Washington Waldorf School!

http://www.wtop.com/41/3178760/Waldorf-schools-focus-on-distraction-free-education-

[Anonymous]

My dd is in the Arlington Waldorf k class. It is beautiful and wonderful and magical. The teachers are inspirational and the community richly diverse with families from many ethnicities and backgrounds. The class is multi age and every day the children play outside in spite of the weather. They eat organic foods at snacktime and wash their dishes after. There is an emphasis on appreciating those things in life that cannot be purchased. But it is also only several hours a week and I as parent can suppplement the approach at home as I see fit. For example I disagree with the lack of academic instruction in Waldorf and teach her reading and math. I think of it as if I am a family of one denomination sending my child to a school with another faith. It feels comfortable to me to take from the Waldorf experience what it has to offer. Shame on any parent for allowing their child to get behind in reading and then blaming the school. Many Waldorf children are above grade level in reading. I see it as our responsibility as parents to make sure our children are flourishing in their classroom settings. Some kids will do fantastic at Waldorf and some not. But that is true of all private... and public schools. If the culture of a private school makes you uncomfortable then I would not recommend sending your child there. But I have been surprised at how truly mainstream the families and community is that makes up the school.

[Anonymous]

I realize this post is OLD, but figured I'd put my thoughts into the conversation rather than starting a new one.

We are running--as fast as we can--away from our Waldorf school.

I was duped by the beautiful aesthetics, the no-tech classroom, the lovely outdoor space, the idea of holistic education. I knew that there was some "woo" going in, but figured we'd take it with a grain of salt and reap the benefits of more play-based learning, time in nature, etc.

Unfortunately, the "grain" of salt was more the size of a boulder.

What we really got was a lot of under-trained teachers, a heavy dose of parental judgement, and wackadoo philosophy that is not grounded in science or modern life. Our kid, who has always been curious and outgoing and popular, is now shamed for his interests and made to feel that he shouldn't be interested in the things he likes. I'm having to try extra hard at home to let him know his interests are normal and good, nothing to be ashamed about. And these are not wild interests--I'm talking about things like wearing black and listening to heavy metal music (the color black and recorded music are STEALING HIS LIFE FORCE!).

There are literally NO BOOKS ALLOWED in the early childhood classrooms. Kids can't even TALK about interests that go beyond fairy tales (forget talking about Ukraine or Transformers or anything that a kid might be exposed to outside of school... kids will be SHAMED for that). If a kid tries to write, they are discouraged.

The whole environment is cultish--former students are now teachers, parents quit their jobs to work at the school, families end up volunteering nearly 20 hours a week in some cases. There is Board drama and parent drama and faculty drama and the families who have joined this "peaceful" school are actually some of the most evil, hypocritical, judgmental people I've ever met. Not to mention the entire student body is white and blonde, in the middle of a very racially and culturally diverse city.

Happily trotting off to public school in the fall, and can't wait for my kid to be surrounded by a more diverse group of kids who are encouraged to have their own interests and whose parents are not brainwashed by the cult of Waldorf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having kids for many years at a Waldorf, I have never found an education with so much reverence for other religions, races and beliefs. The children are taught to be racially blind and to appreciate those with handicaps or learning differences.

Talk about statements that don't age well. This school system sounds absolutely nutty.

And what IS "anthropophosty," did anyone ever say?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having kids for many years at a Waldorf, I have never found an education with so much reverence for other religions, races and beliefs. The children are taught to be racially blind and to appreciate those with handicaps or learning differences.

Talk about statements that don't age well. This school system sounds absolutely nutty.

And what IS "anthropophosty," did anyone ever say?

OP misspelled it. It's anthroposophy, a made-up word describing the Waldorf philosophy. Here's more: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/waldorf-schools-are-inherently-racist-cults-91193d1fbef6

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realize this post is OLD, but figured I'd put my thoughts into the conversation rather than starting a new one.

We are running--as fast as we can--away from our Waldorf school.

I was duped by the beautiful aesthetics, the no-tech classroom, the lovely outdoor space, the idea of holistic education. I knew that there was some "woo" going in, but figured we'd take it with a grain of salt and reap the benefits of more play-based learning, time in nature, etc.

Unfortunately, the "grain" of salt was more the size of a boulder.

What we really got was a lot of under-trained teachers, a heavy dose of parental judgement, and wackadoo philosophy that is not grounded in science or modern life. Our kid, who has always been curious and outgoing and popular, is now shamed for his interests and made to feel that he shouldn't be interested in the things he likes. I'm having to try extra hard at home to let him know his interests are normal and good, nothing to be ashamed about. And these are not wild interests--I'm talking about things like wearing black and listening to heavy metal music (the color black and recorded music are STEALING HIS LIFE FORCE!).

There are literally NO BOOKS ALLOWED in the early childhood classrooms. Kids can't even TALK about interests that go beyond fairy tales (forget talking about Ukraine or Transformers or anything that a kid might be exposed to outside of school... kids will be SHAMED for that). If a kid tries to write, they are discouraged.

The whole environment is cultish--former students are now teachers, parents quit their jobs to work at the school, families end up volunteering nearly 20 hours a week in some cases. There is Board drama and parent drama and faculty drama and the families who have joined this "peaceful" school are actually some of the most evil, hypocritical, judgmental people I've ever met. Not to mention the entire student body is white and blonde, in the middle of a very racially and culturally diverse city.

Happily trotting off to public school in the fall, and can't wait for my kid to be surrounded by a more diverse group of kids who are encouraged to have their own interests and whose parents are not brainwashed by the cult of Waldorf.

Is this Washington Waldorf or another school?

[Anonymous]

My child had a terrible experience at the Waldorf and not because of the occult or anything like that. While they are very big on outdoor time and nature, the actual teaching is very rigid and conformist.

I should have realized that when I walked down the halls and saw all thee beautiful pictures done but the kids that were almost identical. You are taught how to copy the etcher exactly. The same goes for cursive writing. The result is gorgeous but you get that by copying over and over and over,

My child has dysgraphia and is a lefty and simply could not do that kind of precision work and was always told he wasn't good enough, go back and do it again, and I understand from their perspective that was true but it was just awful for my kid,.

He's back in public school and yes, on screens (forbidden at Waldorf) and getting A's and loving writing again b/c he can do it on a computer.

So juts be aware that they have ONE model. And it your kid doesn't fit, they do not bend the rules. Also, your child will have the same teacher every year so it better be a good fit!

[Anonymous]

I believe there are (or were) a number of older threads that cautioned about the school's willingness to litigate with families that left. Probably worth tracking those down.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry for those that had negative experiences at their Waldorf schools. As with any “system,” I think I can really vary depending on the individual school. We have loved our two years at Waldorf, especially during the pandemic. The kids are outside a lot and there is a nice emphasis on music, movement and art in the curriculum, along with appropriate work on fine and gross motor skills which are still important in the early elementary years (skills that many students lost during the pandemic).

Waldorf has been the perfect alternative to being stuck with more than a year of online virtual learning. I do agree that the curriculum follows a particular formula so anyone considering it should be sure to look into that before committing. We have found the community to be welcoming, nurturing, and non-judgemental. The student body is very diverse with a lot of international families and the school makes a conscious effort to celebrate and acknowledge various of cultures and traditions. They recently had a fundraiser for Ukraine and so many other things to be stewards of the environment and community.

My child has really blossomed and the teacher is so loving and experienced, she truly adores the kids and nurtures their full potential. My child loves and excels in math and has been sufficiently challenged academically too. We find it’s a nice balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child had a terrible experience at the Waldorf and not because of the occult or anything like that. While they are very big on outdoor time and nature, the actual teaching is very rigid and conformist.

I should have realized that when I walked down the halls and saw all thee beautiful pictures done but the kids that were almost identical. You are taught how to copy the etcher exactly. The same goes for cursive writing. The result is gorgeous but you get that by copying over and over and over,

My child has dysgraphia and is a lefty and simply could not do that kind of precision work and was always told he wasn't good enough, go back and do it again, and I understand from their perspective that was true but it was just awful for my kid,.

He's back in public school and yes, on screens (forbidden at Waldorf) and getting A's and loving writing again b/c he can do it on a computer.

So juts be aware that they have ONE model. And it your kid doesn't fit, they do not bend the rules. Also, your child will have the same teacher every year so it better be a good fit!

YES! They put on a nice show about honoring creativity, the arts, and individualism, and then force everyone to do things one specific way. The "arts" that they do look beautiful, but there's something weird to me about the conformity and uniformity of the work they do. No room for individualism.

I am sure it's a great program for the right kid / family. Just be sure to ask A LOT of questions if you're considering Waldorf. You really have to buy all in to their philosophy if you're going to stay for the grades.