Dear Colleagues and Friends of Public Waldorf Education,

We are thinking of all of you who have been dealing with hurricanes, storms, torrential rains, and their catastrophic damage. Our hearts go out to all of you. We know that our schools in Jacksonville and Waldo, Florida and Raleigh, North Carolina are okay overall. The Asheville Waldorf school was impacted as that region sustained heavy damage. Many are now preparing for the impact of another destructive storm - may you be safe! 

As a study in contrast, heat has gripped the western part of the country for an extended period.  Not content with atypical heat in San Francisco, I spent a few days in Arizona last week, where it was seriously hot, visiting a couple of schools and attending a meeting of the Arizona Council for Waldorf Education. This was my fourth trip to Arizona in the past few years, and I have been fortunate to travel most of the length of this remarkable state and to visit most of our schools. The diversity of geography and climate is striking, from pine-forests and mountains in the north to great saguaro cacti marching across the landscape, to unforgiving desert and sharp, craggy mountains in the south (where, the locals told me, they can go sledding in the winter, which was a challenge for the imagination in the searing heat and bright light of summer). One has the sense that resourcefulness, courage, and a pioneering spirit is called on here, plus, in order to truly thrive, willingness to work in harmony with the land as the Indigenous people have done for at least 15,000 years. It is a remarkable place. 

Perhaps it is this striking combination of human culture and geography that gave rise to unique conditions for Waldorf education in this state. There is a long tradition, first of anthroposophical study groups, then an organization, then schools. The Arizona Council for Waldorf Education (ACWE) was founded in September 1991 with a stated intention of providing an umbrella and support for bringing Waldorf education to the children of the state. Notably, it stated that this would be in independent and public schools - a farsighted goal at that time when Public Waldorf was largely an idea and an ideal, a goal that ACWE has continued to actively support to this day, carried by dedicated volunteers. Schools were founded in quick succession: Tucson Waldorf School in 1993, followed by Desert Marigold, Pine Forest, Mountain Oak, Desert Sky, Desert Star, and the newest addition, Desert Sage High School. Several started as independent schools, then migrated to charters. Several additional independent schools opened including Running River and Flower Garden. There is now a micro-school in Phoenix, reflecting a trend we are seeing across the country. Representatives of these schools come together twice a year for ACWE meetings where they engage in professional development and sharing; the school reports give a fascinating picture of shared goals and work and unique strengths and challenges. 

Like many, our Arizona Alliance schools also went through a “right to exist” phase that addressed service mark consideration and questions of what Waldorf education is and is not. To some extent, this remains a lively discussion today. 

A couple of other notable characteristics of Arizona Waldorf: there is a history of teacher education out of an early recognition that this distinctive state would need something local. This has taken various forms; the latest is the Saguaro Center for Teacher Renewal, sponsored by ACWE, based at Desert Marigold in Phoenix, and working hard to more clearly identify what teachers who are new to Waldorf really need. Arizona is also home to two of our seven high schools, both with the ubiquitous desert in their names! Desert Marigold offers K-12 education; Desert Sage, in Tucson, is a new stand-alone high school serving a diverse population of students and building a school culture and interpretation of Waldorf from the ground up. 

This is but a brief glimpse of the state of Waldorf in the state of Arizona - varied, rich, with features common to all of us and many that are unique to the state or to each individual school. 

To all colleagues observing the Jewish High Holy Days, our best wishes. May there be new beginnings, sweetness, and sober reflection ahead for all of us in these troubled, challenging times.

A correction: Our newest initiative member in Santa Fe is named Sun Mountain Charter School. We warmly welcome you to our national network of schools and colleagues.

Liz Beaven

Executive Director

The Power of Story: Igniting Community and Connection. 

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.

Alliance Annual Conference: 

Request for Presenter Proposals

The Alliance for Public Waldorf Education invites you to submit a proposal for our upcoming Conference.

We are seeking:

1. Proposals for 2 workshop sessions that address an aspect of the overall theme;

2. Proposals for 2 arts, crafts, or movement-focused workshops. 

Please submit this form by Monday, October 21 for committee review.

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

Series of workshops, starting Oct. 19, 2024: 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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