Charter Waldorf?

[thefragile7393]

I've done a lot of research and I come away still pretty confused on this topic.  I know every school and teacher is different so it is hard to give specifics, but in general how do charters compare with the private schools?  Is it possible to have a Waldorf-inspired school while having to throw in aspects of public schools (standardized testing for example)?  How about transitioning?  The school in my area currently only goes up to 5th grade and I was wondering how easy (or hard) it could be for my son to transition from a charter waldorf to a non-Waldorf school.  Could it be easier then it would be if he was in a private Waldorf maybe?  I've read so many experiences and yet I'm just still feel like I'm needing more insights from ones who have been there already.

[JudiAU]

Charters operate outside of the district's authority but still have to meet state standards. So, it usually tends to be Waldorf-y rather than strict Waldorf because they have to meet the overall goals even if they get there a very different way. Monessori tends to be closer to the original in the charter schools because it translates more easily.

As for funding, they usually get the same funding as local public schools. For a philosophy with high value materials like Montessori or Waldorf, they need to meet significant additional start up costs. The big difference is housing. Regular schools "get it free" and charter schools need to rent it, either from the school district if available or though the private sector often from defunct Catholic schools. So, a charter school always starts at a cost disadvantage and almost always needs a third party source of funding from grants.

http://www.oceancharterschool.org/ Here is a local school's explanation.

[thefragile7393]

This makes sense.....they are having to rent space from a church and can't expand K-8 because there is no room, so they are K-5 instead.  They do have to do standardized testing but they don't teach to the test, according to the administrator.  I am glad it wouldn't be too Waldorf-y, as I am not sure that my son would do well in that sort of environment, but I do wonder how he will do once he leaves...if he would be behind or what.  Hard to say, as all kids are diff of course.  And wow that Ocean Charter School looks really neat!!  Too bad I'm not in CA.

[July09Mama]

Bump because I'm curious too!

We really have our fingers crossed for our local charter Waldorf school, but it's a lottery so we won't know until the spring before DD would start school. From what I've read about ours, it does seem like a cross between real Waldorf and more traditional public school, but I also think that will be perfect for my dd. We're not quite "Waldorf-y" enough for real Waldorf, but we're too weird for regular school! I love that they have restrictions on media, junk food, and the kids' dress that other public schools wouldn't, so that's the main appeal for me. I do know that students at the Waldorf charter score lower than similar but non-Waldorf public schools in the area during the early grades, but they catch up and exceed expectations by the later grades. They do teach reading and math earlier than a private Waldorf, but it seems they don't focus on it as much as a traditional school (aka, they don't just teach to the test, whoo-hoo!). I'm hoping that would make the transition to a regular public school easier when the time comes (5th grade), although I'm nervous about our local middle and high schools. 

Anyway, I'm not sure if that's any help since we're not there yet either and I'm just going off what I've read/heard, but I find the concept of charter Waldorf schools awesome! 

[thefragile7393]

Originally Posted by July09Mama 

Bump because I'm curious too!

We really have our fingers crossed for our local charter Waldorf school, but it's a lottery so we won't know until the spring before DD would start school. From what I've read about ours, it does seem like a cross between real Waldorf and more traditional public school, but I also think that will be perfect for my dd. We're not quite "Waldorf-y" enough for real Waldorf, but we're too weird for regular school! I love that they have restrictions on media, junk food, and the kids' dress that other public schools wouldn't, so that's the main appeal for me. I do know that students at the Waldorf charter score lower than similar but non-Waldorf public schools in the area during the early grades, but they catch up and exceed expectations by the later grades. They do teach reading and math earlier than a private Waldorf, but it seems they don't focus on it as much as a traditional school (aka, they don't just teach to the test, whoo-hoo!). I'm hoping that would make the transition to a regular public school easier when the time comes (5th grade), although I'm nervous about our local middle and high schools. 

Anyway, I'm not sure if that's any help since we're not there yet either and I'm just going off what I've read/heard, but I find the concept of charter Waldorf schools awesome! 

I think this would fit in with us, as we aren't "Waldorf-y" enough anyway.  I like the restrictions on media and junk food too, and definitely like not teaching to the test.  I'm still nervous about the transition to regular school but that's something that would have to be deal with when it happens; there's no way to know how ds will do.  STill good food for thought.

[Katia]

I wanted to bump this thread up again. Does anyone else have experience already in a Waldorf charter?