A Picture of Public Waldorf Education in the United States
Waldorf education for all social classes: Since 1991, there have been publicly funded Waldorf inspired schools in the United States. Read the summary of an article by Liz Beaven here.
The first independent Waldorf school in the USA was opened in New York in 1928. For a long time, Waldorf education then developed exclusively in independent private schools.
63 years later, integration into the public school system began. In 1991, the first public Waldorf school was founded in Milwaukee. The school in the centre of the USA pursued social justice goals in order to make Waldorf education accessible to disadvantaged groups of pupils.
Charter schools
In 1992, charter legislation paved the way for publicly funded Waldorf inspired schools. Charter schools are exempt from important state or local regulations regarding operation and administration, but are subject to the regulations for public schools. For example, charter schools may not charge tuition or be affiliated with a religious institution.
As a result, the first Waldorf inspired charter school opened in California in 1994. As a result, tensions arose between independent Waldorf schools and the new public schools, based on real and perceived as competition, and concerns over charter restrictions on school freedom and compromises.
There were also legal challenges, such as the lawsuit filed by PLANS (Organisation People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools). The organisation classified anthroposophy as a religion and therefore considered Waldorf education to be a religious education. Their lawsuit dragged on for 13 years and was finally dismissed in 2012.
The Alliance for Public Waldorf Education, based in California, supports charter schools by advocating for their rights within the public education system and the Waldorf movement.
Today there are 61 Alliance for Public Waldorf Education member public/ charter Waldorf schools with a total of around 16,000 pupils. As in private independent Waldorf schools, there is also a shortage of teachers in the public Waldorf schoolsmovement. The balancing act between Waldorf principles and state requirements is a major challenge.
The strengths of 30 years of public Waldorf education lie in the increased accessibility and visibility of Waldorf education. Strong innovations in curricula and school culture as well as the inclusion of diversity and social justice characterise the development of the public Waldorf movement.
Liz Beaven
Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education