What does it mean to be waldorf accredited?
Our Commitment to Waldorf Education
Marin Waldorf School is the only accredited Waldorf program in Marin County. As a member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), our accreditation is a reflection of our school’s deep commitment to educational excellence, to the insights and teachings of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, and to a culture of self-study, peer review, collaboration, and continual improvement within our faculty and staff.
To become a member of AWSNA, schools must complete an extensive evaluation process, which includes observation, interviews, and document review, as well as a self-study. Schools are evaluated for their demonstrated commitment to AWSNA’s seven Principles for Waldorf Schools. These principles reflect the core values of Waldorf education and inform the policies and practices of Waldorf schools in North America.
Below, we share AWSNA’s seven principles and how Marin Waldorf School embodies them.
1. The image of the human being as a spiritual being informs every aspect of the school.
Marin Waldorf School is committed to nourishing the body, soul, and spirit of every child in our school community. From preschool to 8th grade, we promote an experiential, imaginative, and supportive learning environment, which provides ample opportunity for creative expression and social interaction. Our faculty observes and has reverence for each other, for our families, and for the growth of every child as their individuality unfolds through each stage of childhood.
2. Waldorf schools foster social renewal by cultivating human capacities in service to the
individual and society.
Our work as educators is to inspire students to grow into capable, compassionate, and curious adults. We do this in many ways. We place extraordinary value on practical, hands-on work across subjects and grade levels. We promote social-emotional skills and true human connection in and outside the classroom. We teach children to cherish the Earth and their role as its stewards. These values are emphasized at every grade level, and they are augmented by strong programs in social ethics, environmental education, service work, independent projects, and community partnerships in middle school.
3. Anthroposophical understanding of child development guides the educational
program.
It is a priority for our school to hire and maintain a skilled faculty of formally trained Waldorf teachers who understand and value Rudolf Steiner’s vision of child development. Throughout the school year, our teachers frequently participate in professional development activities, giving them the opportunity to reflect, connect with each other, and deepen their commitment to Waldorf education and the work of anthroposophy.
4. Waldorf schools support freedom in teaching within the context of the school’s shared
agreements.
Every class at Marin Waldorf School is unique, led by a teacher who brings their individual ideas, imagination, and experience to the students. At the same time, our faculty is united by shared objectives and agreements, which help ensure the strength and integrity of our programs. Curriculum standards and assessment rubrics, a detailed scope and sequence for the curriculum, faculty mentorship program, articulated policies for parents, students, and employees are among the many shared agreements that provide a framework for our academic programs.
5. The conscious development of human relationships fosters individual and community
health.
Every morning at Marin Waldorf School, the class teacher individually greets their students with a smile and a handshake. Why? Because we know that deep, healthy, enduring relationships are essential to a child’s education and to the well being of our school community.
One of the hallmarks of Waldorf education is looping, in which a teacher stays with the same class for multiple years, fomenting the bond between teacher and student. In the Waldorf classroom, a healthy social life between peers is promoted through activities like singing together in choir, rehearsing for the annual class play, moving together in eurythmy, and discussing current issues with a compassionate mentor in social ethics classes.
Social life extends to our parents and families. Community-building events like the Harvest Fair, Winter Spiral, assemblies, Grandparents Day, and May Faire, in addition to frequent parent evenings and all-school community coffees (our monthly morning social hour) are essential parts of life at school.
6. Spiritual development in support of professional growth is an ongoing activity for the
faculty, staff, and board.
As educators, we believe that our own spiritual development is what allows us to be grounded, clear thinking, inspired, and work out of love as we stand before the children. Our faculty and staff have a rich and diverse set of practices by which they strive to incorporate spiritual activity into their personal development, self-awareness, and work with students, peers and parents. We encourage and invest time and resources into the spiritual growth of our faculty, staff, and leadership, including a robust program of ongoing personal and professional development activities for our teachers. Our school has a particularly close relationship with the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, whose February conference and summer refresher courses are held on our campus and attended by the majority of our teaching staff.
7. Collaboration and shared responsibility provide the foundations of school leadership and governance.
Our school is overseen by three interrelated bodies: the Board of Trustees, the School Director and Administration, and the faculty represented by the College of Teachers. The School Director, the Board of Trustees, and the College of Teachers actively and intentionally seek to work through direct communication, collaboration and inclusivity.