Blog: The Light of Aurora

Making the Switch from Public School to Waldorf: A Parent’s Perspective

14:30 PM - February 03, 2023

As I write this, school has just resumed after the winter holiday break. My daughter has been at Aurora Waldorf School (AWS) since September, having switched from public elementary school.

Our daughter has been in “school” since she was a baby. As two full-time working parents without grandparents nearby, we had to rely on daycare. We were so appreciative of the love shown to her by the daycare staff—it made spending time apart from her a little easier. As she grew to preschool age, we noticed that she started bringing home many worksheets. The daycare center was nationally accredited, so we didn’t question them, but it struck me as odd that three and four-year-olds were practicing name writing and math daily.

During the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, our daughter started kindergarten at our local public elementary school. We loved her teacher but questioned the state’s approach to educating young children. She was issued a Chromebook and spent nearly half of the school year learning remotely. She struggled with remote learning to the point where she would call herself “stupid” for being unable to keep up.

By the following year, school was back to in-person. In first grade, she began to bring home stacks of worksheets daily. She had to study for weekly spelling tests and often brought home math worksheets that she was required to finish for homework. Her stress level was high—she frequently cried and trying to complete homework was almost always a fight.

When my frustration reached a boiling point, I suggested AWS to my husband. I had become familiar with Waldorf teaching after reading the book Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne years ago, but my husband hadn’t heard of it and was skeptical about the approach. He agreed to attend an open house at AWS, and he was sold by the end. We knew that sending our child to an independent school would require reprioritizing some items in our household budget, but we felt it would be worth it. Everything about Waldorf—the ample outdoor time, the way art and creativity are woven throughout every activity, the intentional crossover between subject areas—all of it made sense.

The first couple of months at AWS were an adjustment for our daughter. The different structure and rhythm took a little getting used to, as did being the new kid in class. But then we began to notice a change in her. She started coming home from school happy. She didn’t have a pile of homework awaiting her. She excitedly told us about learning to cast on knit stitches and demonstrated her favorite tumbling moves. She told us about the stories she and her new friends made up while playing outside. She proudly counted to ten in German and explained what makes an even number even instead of odd. And just the other day, I noticed a small yet significant change—she stopped biting her nails. She is finally at a school where she can enjoy her childhood rather than focus solely on preparing to be assessed.

Our child’s desire to learn, create, and play has bloomed exponentially since starting at AWS. For any public school parents seeking a more holistic, child-centered alternative to education, I highly recommend you tour Aurora Waldorf School. You won’t regret it