Dear Colleagues,

This past weekend, the Alliance Board gathered for our annual Fall retreat, a chance to reflect and plan. We met in the Sacramento area to allow us to have two joint sessions with the Board of AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America). These shared meetings were held at Meristem, the former home of Rudolf Steiner College. This was the site for many years for our January conferences. It was a bittersweet experience for many of us to be back on a campus where so much of our work took shape: the conferences and the many leaders and participants who contributed to them, workshops, the Public School Institute, and teacher education for many of our teachers. It was truly a creative seedbed for our work. 

The boards and leadership of the Alliance, AWSNA, and WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America) had last met together in January, 2020 with plans for continued collaborative work across the three associations to strengthen the impulse and impact of Waldorf education in this country. March 2020 happened and life as we knew it and the plans we held were all overturned by a global pandemic. Work among the three associations continued through a smaller group, but in many ways, last weekend’s joint meeting picked up where we left off over four years ago. We focused on getting to know one another again, giving history and context for our organizations, our work, and our goals, and looking at the possibility of greater collaboration and the issues that still challenge us. Through all of this, it was a great pleasure to build a picture of the vitality, adaptability, and creativity that has been built by each one of you in our 61 initiatives and schools across the country. Thank you for everything you do every day to create this vibrant landscape in service of children and their families. 

Our Alliance Board of Directors meetings focused on business reports and a more detailed look at what we are seeing in our member schools (tremendous innovation to meet the students of today, great care, and the reality that, across the board, needs have increased but resources have not). We looked in detail at our self-study/peer review process and our ongoing work with AWSNA on sub-licensing of the service mark. We will be introducing refinements in that process in early November, which we believe will make the process more accessible and achievable. Related to this, we reviewed Core Principle #3, Social Change Through Education. The original version stated that Public Waldorf education exists to serve both the individual and society, but only one part of that task was described, our member schools undoubtedly essential work in supporting all students in their development so they can go on to participate meaningfully in society. The reality is Public Waldorf schools are in themselves intended to be agents of social change. This has been part of the mission of Waldorf education since the first school was founded in Stuttgart in 1919 for the purpose of nothing less than social change. We can argue that, ultimately, only individuals can create change, but each school creates the space and community for inspiring students to be social agents. Through each school’s culture, their shared values, how individuals treat one another, whose voices are heard, and what is prioritized, our member schools are change agents. Each school provides opportunities for meaningful work and service, for the cultivation of empathy, and for connection with the earth and a sense of responsibility. 

Does this accurately reflect your school’s values and work? Please reach out Carly Fedor and let us know what you think at carlyf@allianceforpublicwaldorfeducation.org, we’d love to hear from you! 

Our revised version is coincidentally timely as we approach a national election with many of us able to exercise our right to vote. We know that this Principle is active as many school communities are ensuring their families are informed about how to register to vote and our older students are actively engaged in real-time civics lessons and discussion. Thank you for the work you do to support healthy community life and civic engagement.

Liz Beaven

Executive Director

Annual Alliance Conference

Our conference will focus on the crucial role of story in our lives, our classrooms, our schools, and our communities. We will examine this from three perspectives: I - who is the storyteller, what is the storyteller's perspective?; you - whose story are we telling? How are we listening and receiving to our stories?; and we - how can we use the power of story to build strong communities and connections?

Registration will be opening soon.

Upcoming Professional Development

and Teacher Preparation

Kairos Institute- Emergency Pedagogy

Starting Oct. 11, 2024: Online

https://centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/kairos-institute/kairos-institute-emergency-pedagogy/

Tomorrow River Community Charter School- Waldorf Teacher Preparation For The Public School Teacher

Fall 2024 through Spring 2025: Online and In-Person

TRCCS Teacher Preparation Flyer, Fall 2024

Kairos Institute- Healing in a World of Need

Fall 2024 and Spring 2025: Online and In-Person

https://centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/kairos-institute/kairos-institute-emergency-pedagogy/

Sunbridge Institute - EC Insights

Fall 2024 - Spring 2025: Series of workshops- Online

www.sunbridge.edu/event/ec-insights-2/

Center for Anthroposophy- Mentor Training Program- Virtual Open House

Oct. 30, 2024: Online

For more information: click here

Center for Anthroposophy- Starlight Rays in Darkened Times: Seminars on Contemporary Topics

Fall 2024-Feb. 25: Online, Saturdays 3-4:30 pm ET

centerforanthroposophy.org/starlight/

Leading with Spirit: Inspiring Professional Development Opportunities for Trustees, Administrators and School Leaders

Oct 2024.-Feb. 2025: Online

leadingwithspirit.org/

Sunbridge Institute - Courses, Workshops & Events

Fall 2024: Online

sunbridge.edu/courses-workshops-events/

Sunbridge Institute - Demystifying Class Plays: Middle School and High School Pedagogical Theatre

Five Saturdays, starting Nov. 2, 2024: Online

demystifying-class-plays-middle-school-and-high-school-pedagogical-theatre

Sophia's Hearth: Including Children's Voices: Working with Stories through Persona Dolls

Nov. 2, 2024: Online

sophiashearth.org/teworkshops/persona

Northern California and Nevada Regional Conference for Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher : Becoming Revolutionaries of Tenderness

Nov. 8 & 9 2024: In-Person, San Rafael, CA

bacwtt/becoming-revolutionaries-of-tenderness

Sophia's Hearth: Helping Children Meet the World Through Their Sense of Touch

Nov. 15 & 16, 2024: In-Person, Keene, NH

sophiashearth.org/teachers/b3conference

Waldorf Handwork Educators: International Handwork Teacher Development Programs

Jan. 2025: 2-year program: Synchronous Program, Online (live attendance)

Jan. 2025: 2-year program: Hybrid Program, Online (video recordings & live discussions)

waldorfhandwork.org/teacher-development

Center for Anthroposophy- Mentor Training, Professional Preparation for Seasoned Teachers 

Jan. - Nov. 2025: Online & In-Person

https://centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/mentor-training/

Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program

Class of 2027 enrolls this summer, July 2025. Online & In-Person

https://centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/waldorf-high-school-teacher-education/whistep/

Gradalis Understanding Waldorf Education (UWE) Program

Sept. 2025-April 2026: Online

gradalis.edu/uwe-mentorship,/

Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl: Renewal of Literacy

On-demand support courses for literacy and language arts in the grades; access for 6 months or 1 year, Online

renewalofliteracy.teachable.com/

Ashley Radaz Consulting: Comprehensive support for educators and school communities

On demand In-Person or Online sessions & workshops

radzatconsulting.com/school-services

Alliance Zoom Collaborations Meetings

Please visit our website to find out about job postings at our member schools.

https://www.publicwaldorf.org/job-postings

For more information:

Liz Beaven, Executive Director 

Carly Fedor, Administrative Assistant

Alliance for Public Waldorf Education

1000 River Rock Drive, Suite 218

Folsom, CA 95630

Public Waldorf is a service mark of the Association of Waldorf Schools

of North America and is used pursuant to a license.

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