The Social Mission of Waldorf Education: Independent, Privately Funded, Accessible to All

by Gary Lamb

This book contains a succinct presentation of the history of educational reform in the United States from the "Nation at Risk" document in the 1980s to the "No Child Left Behind Act" of the early 2000s. Also, the book provides a clear summary of Rudolf Steiner's ideal Threefold Social Organism which places education in the sphere of cultural/spiritual activity. In this realm, all efforts would be free from any governmental or commercial control. This is a distinct opposite view of contemporary practice with the federal government taking increasing control with powerful economic influence through business-funded foundations and direct corporate investments in pharmaceuticals, textbooks, curriculum programs, food industries, testing, and, most influential, the technology industry. The book is a brief and powerful education in what is and what could be on behalf of children in America.

133 pages, Paperback

Published August 13, 2017

About the author

Gary Lamb has worked in several occupations over the years, including building construction, farming, carpentry, high school teaching, manufacturing, fundraising, magazine publishing, and more. He cofounded and edited of The Threefold Review, an independent magazine for the study of social issues in the light of Anthroposophy. He is currently co-director of the Center for Social Research (CSR) in Hawthorne Valley, New York. He does research through the Ethical Technology Initiative.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for those who are interested in why education is the way it is in America at this time in 2012. It is also deeply moving in it's foundational statement of the need for freedom in education. A concluding statement from this book helps to sum the social mission of Waldorf Education movement, is that Waldorf schools would be (and are to some degree):

"- Independent with educators free to teach according to the unique needs of each and every child.

- Privately Funded to the degree that teachers can earn a decent living and students can have proper facilities, and

- Acessible to all families regardless of their economic, cultural, or racial backgrounds.

There is no more important social endeavor at this time."

AHHHHHHH!!! I think this is a huge, profound statement. Gary Lamb has done a truly great service in the writing of this book.

I read it this past week (it is short at about 120 pages) at the tail end of my teacher training at Antioch University New England, where I have been studying Waldorf Education and Integrated Learning teaching methods. I just finished a 15 week internship in a public school in Vermont. I visited eight Independent Waldorf schools in the past year, and one Waldorf charter school in California, seeking to find the right place to teach. I have been wrestling with the question of where the most socially responsible place to teach would be, and wondering is the burgeoning of charter schools in California and elsewhere a healthy movement? What is a public school at this time in America? Where did the social form come from? What is a private school? What could the future of education look like? As a future educator these questions are very important to me, However I believe the social questions of education are important for everyone to consider. If you are interested in a revolutionary approach to education and it's place in society, this is a good book to further your investigation.

Kind Regards,

Andrew