Sarasota Waldorf School They're overpriced with low standards and a bullying problem Sarasota, Florida

I was surprised to hear this story about bullying at Sarasota Waldorf. With class size at 8 or 12 kids, it seems to me that it should be simple to solve the problem: set up a conference with the teacher, the head of school, and the parents of the student causing problems to discuss concerns and develop a plan to address the problem. 

I have a student at Waldorf Sarasota. Last year, we were at another school, where my child was made to feel unwelcome by both teachers and students. We are happy to share that this problem has not arisen this year at Sarasota Waldorf. I feel very confident that if I had to report a problem about bullying (or anything else, for that matter), my child's teacher would address it in a timely and productive manner.  If I were not satisfied with the results, I also feel certain that the head of school would be attentive to our concerns and help us solve the problem.

In regards to the poster's concerns about grades and progress reporting, I agree that the Waldorf program is not similar to most people's experiences in American schools. With an average student to teacher ratio of 10 to 1, however, I think most parents at Waldorf Sarasota could take the time to talk to the teacher, prepared with specific questions, to find out how their child is doing. One-on-one conferences are held throughout the year for just this purpose, but I see informal conversations between parents and teachers going on every day before and after school.  In addition, we have been impressed by the evidence suggesting that, despite the absence of traditional letter grades, most of the graduates of the Waldorf Sarasota program are performing well, even excelling, in other private school as well as public school settings. 

A Waldorf education is not for every child or every family, and every school has its strengths and weaknesses. We are happy with Waldorf Sarasota because it offers a program that honors the developmental needs of our child and it has teachers and administrators who are responsive to our questions and concerns. 

As a parent, you might need to set an example for your child in standing up for him/herself to stop the bullying.

And, as far as the  reading and math skills, you should be working with your own child and getting involved in homework.

It's not the school's fault that your kid is a sissy, and it's not the schools fault you don't get involved in the learning process.

Education STARTS at home.

The school is not responsible for raising your kid, you are.