Plans Outlined For Proposed Waldorf-Method Charter School

A standing-room-only group of parents turned out last week to hear Phil Arnold spell out his dream of establishing the "Circle of Seasons" Waldorf-method charter school in South Whitehall in fall 2012. 

Arnold, a social worker with Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Pediatric Center in Bethlehem and a former administrator at Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus, plans to operate the school on a five-acre portion of the 60-acre Manito Farm and Equestrian Center off North Cedar Crest Boulevard.

The school would be the first charter school utilizing the Waldorf method in Pennsylvania.

 The presentation at Lehigh Carbon Community College on Wednesday night began with an overview of the Waldorf method.

“What do you take with you when you go somewhere with your children?” Waldorf teacher/consultant Eugene Schwartz asked attendees.  

“Food and crayons!” replied a parent seated in the first row. And so started a dialogue about how the Waldorf method’s strong arts component is used to stimulate a child’s creativity and imagination.

Schwartz explained the importance of allowing creativity to flow, and went on to say that something as simple as drawing swirls leads to children forming letters and numbers in their handwriting. 

He said the Waldorf method does not use conventional textbooks, but rather reinforces what children learned by having them draw a picture about the lesson. At the end of the school year, students have a journal, or workbook, chronicling each lesson.

Schwartz produced workbooks that illustrated the progression students have made from primary grades, where pictures are simple (such as stick figures) to higher grades, where drawings integrate geometry, anatomy, science and history. 

Another emphasis is the importance of play. Schwartz said children are more open to learning after playtime. He cited a Waldorf school in Scandinavia where students are outside all day, even at naptime for the younger ones.

Parents’ questions covered a lot of areas, including whether the school would utilize existing buildings at the farm/equestrian center and how children would be selected to attend.

Arnold said a new “green” building would be constructed on the site in keeping with Waldorf’s philosophy of environmental awareness. He said a private investor would provide financing.

South Whitehall Township Manager Jon Hammer said no development plans have yet been submitted to the township.

Arnold said he chose the location at Manito because it's ideal for outside play and nature studies, and because the township is interested in green initiatives.

Arnold said students who live within the boundaries of the Parkland School District would get “first dibs” on the charter school; after that, the school would be open to children from other districts. He said he hopes to draw students from urban, suburban and rural areas.

Arnold met with district administration about a week ago about his proposal, district spokeswoman Nicole McGalla has said. Arnold would have to submit an application to both the state and district to operate the charter school, which he plans to do in the fall. The school board would approve or deny the application, according to the district's charter school policy.

Currently there are no charter schools operating within the district's boundaries, though there are several in the Lehigh Valley.

Will Circle of Seasons accept students with special needs, someone in attendance at the information session asked? Answer: It will.

A parent who has three children enrolled in a charter school elsewhere inquired what other state mandates besides Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) testing would be imposed on the school. 

Arnold said that PSSA tests, annual reports, a yearly audit and an annual review by the home school district are required. 

Charter schools are largely operated with state and local taxpayer money, funneled through the school districts where they are located. Allocations are based on what officials say is the cost-per-child to educate.

With public funding of Waldorf schools, controversy and court challenges have followed elsewhere. Critics say the schools, founded by Rudolf Steiner, are based on a New Age religion and therefore taxpayer money should not be used, according to published Web reports. 

“There are always groups who think traditional education is the only way to teach, and they try to paint (charter) schools in a different light," said Arnold, adding that lawsuits in San Franscisco have been dismissed. "Believe me, if Waldorf schools were religion-based, they wouldn’t survive scrutiny.”

For information about the school, visit  www.circleofseasons.org or email info@circleofseasons.org.