By Mechelle Lindsey
This paper is an attempt to demonstrate concrete examples of how Waldorf schools can operate tuition free. First, the history is given of the first Waldorf School and the benefactor Emil Molt. Then an overview is provided on how private and charter Waldorf schools are traditionally funded. Next the challenge for private schools- such as high costs of tuition and possible disparity is examined. In addition, the limits of government run charter schools- secular curriculum, standardized testing and corporate sponsorships are discussed. As a solution biodynamic farming is introduced as the foundation for funding a tuition free school. Therefore, it is proposed the school becomes more than a place of education for children, but also a vital source of employment and economic resource for parents and the greater community. Furthermore, four other levels of funding are outlined to enhance the school's budget and workforce which include, but are not limited to, micro-businesses, a large summer festival, classes and workshops, and exploring traditional avenues such as grants and giving campaigns. The spiritual and economic incentives are introduced as to why biodynamic farming is a viable alternative for funding schools. This includes examples of different and often unknown methods of securing initial capital required for purchasing or leasing farmland. The author attempts to thread throughout the paper the essence of Dr. Steiner's quote “The Waldorf School is an organism complete and whole in itself, and if it is not thought of as such, many of its educational principles may be misunderstood.”
I began my teacher training at Rudolph Steiner College (RSC) in Fair Oaks, California the year after I enrolled my daughter in kindergarten at the Yuba River Charter School (YRCS), one of the first Waldorf public charter schools. Thrilled to begin my journey as a Waldorf teacher, and parent, I still remember the first lecture given to my class at RSC. The director of our program began his talk by relaying to us that the Waldorf movement was not following Dr. Steiner's impulse for the funding of Waldorf schools. I was stunned to hear our instructor's claim that Dr. Steiner said tuition tainted the children's souls. He felt this was a very important issue to face and hoped perhaps one of us would come up with answers for funding schools that was more in line with Dr. Steiner's original ideals. He raised the challenge to us all to find a solution to this dilemma. I was immediately drawn to this cause and have spent many years contemplating and meditating on this very important question. How can we sustain and grow the Waldorf educational movement while bringing it more in line with Dr. Steiner's original vision of funding?
The first Waldorf school began in 1919 after a lecture was given by Dr. Steiner to the factory workers of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory. Emil Molt, the owner of the factory, informed his Board of Directors a new school would be formed for the children of the factory workers with Dr. Steiner as the pedagogical consultant. (Hemleben). Given an independent institution license by the local government, the school was granted the special privilege of not having certain restraints. Dr. Steiner stipulated four conditions for the school and they were: first, an open enrollment for all children not just those of the factory workers. Secondly, the children would be taught in a coed environment. The third stipulation was the school should be unified into a 12 year program. The final condition was the teachers involved with the students would determine the pedagogy without influence from government or other sources of revenue. (Hemleben). Therefore, the schools teaching and policies would not be dictated by the whims of those who held the purse strings. According to my instructor, Dr. Steiner did not want the government to fund the schools, concerned that the pedagogy would be interfered with. Dr. Steiner thought it best to have an enlightened benefactor, such as the owner of the factory, Emil Molt. Thus the schools would not be undesirably influenced by whom the benefactor was.
In America most Waldorf schools are funded by either tuition or government funds provided in the form of charter schools. If one wishes to start a Waldorf school, the formula as I have witnessed, is to start with a kindergarten and then slowly add the grades, one each year, until the eighth year is reached. Funding for a private Waldorf school is provided mainly by tuition, supplemented with various fundraising events throughout the year; with perhaps a grant awarded now and then and in some cases loans issued. Charter schools receive their funding primarily through the government and generally have more access to grants and/or special loans than the private sector. Fundraising is actively pursued by the Charters throughout the year mirroring the private schools. The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) recommends how to start a private school, but offers no suggestions for funding it. They propose one should begin with $40,000 to $50,000 and/or the first two years of expenditures. AWSNA warns that a weak school with a budget deficit "is not a healthy environment for children." (AWSNA).
This brings us back to the question, is the funding of Waldorf schools something we should try and change? After all, is it not better to have Waldorf schools, even if they are not funded in the manner that Dr. Steiner envisioned? I personally have been involved with both public and private Waldorf schools and have had many more positive experiences and feelings than those I would consider negative. Still, I feel the situation deserves some investigation and so I will attempt to show by personal observations some influences that could perhaps contribute to the tainting of a child's soul. I cannot provide "scientific proof" that tuition taints the children's souls. For those who cannot see into the supersensible it becomes a matter of trusting Dr. Steiner's word. However, there are some material aspects we can look at, such as how the burden of tuition costs for a private school can be on a typical family. For half of Americans, I believe private tuition costs are simply not possible or they present a great strain at this present economic moment. The Social Security Administration reported in 2013, 50% of all working Americans earned less than $28,000 a year with 39% earning less than $20,000. (Synder). The average private Waldorf education across America can cost $10,104 a year for first grade, not counting any other additional fees such as materials or field trips. (Lindsey).
Disparity can also arise during certain situations for children receiving scholarships, grants, or reduced tuition. For instance, my daughter (attending a private Waldorf school at the time) came home one day and handed me back the money I had given her that morning to purchase a cushion. When I inquired why she had not bought the pillow, she burst into tears and told me her desk mate could not afford the cushion being sold to counter the hardness of their wooden chairs. My daughter was upset because her friend had felt humiliated for not having the money to purchase a cushion and therefore stood out from the majority of the class who could afford it. She had decided to not buy the cushion hoping her desk mate would feel better about the situation. Disparity and bullying can happen no matter the circumstances, but if the root cause is in any way related to tuition, should we consider another route for funding our schools?
As for charter Waldorf schools, they do not have the issue of tuition. However, they do have certain aspects Dr. Steiner was not a fan of and this is government influence. The most obvious example, in my opinion, is once government funds are accepted spirituality cannot be included into the curriculum. Verses and lessons are altered to accommodate the secular dictum. This was certainly true for YRCS when I was there. They were in the thick of a lawsuit which claimed they were a religion and thus should not receive public funds. This case went all the way to the Federal courts and although YRCS won, it came at a great cost; ten years of litigation with close to a half a million dollars in fees. (Yuba River Charter School).
When receiving government funds, certain Waldorf curriculum fundamentals become harder to adhere to. When YRCS first began, standard state testing was optional for the individual child. As the years past, the federal and state governments attached the testing to funding- making it virtually impossible for a parent to opt out their child. This testing can make it more challenging for the teacher to follow basic Waldorf curriculum such as postponing early reading. The teachers do their very best to help the children feel nurtured and prepared on test day, but many children are affected in a negative way. One girl who is very connected to the nature spirits looked shell shocked after her testing session. She went outside after it was over and began rolling around in the dirt. She claimed she was trying to clean herself from the energy of the test. Although this might not be considered physical evidence that this sort of testing taints the child's soul, for me it spoke volumes and gave me pause. This particular girl mentioned above is not alone. Educational experts are beginning to record and report various stressed behaviors children are exhibiting from having to take standardized tests. Tim Urdan, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, has documented younger student's behaviors during standardized testing such as crying, throwing temper tantrums, wetting themselves, and vomiting. (Urdan) In fact, test anxiety has become such a major problem it has prompted the State of California to print instructions for teachers on what to do if the student vomits on the actual test! (Evans)
Again one could argue these are minor issues compared to not having any sort of Waldorf education- why make mountains out of molehills? I believe both private and public Waldorf schools provide an excellent education for the families involved and I in no way want to insinuate their model should be replaced. I trust there is room for all funding models to exist. I could see the private Waldorf schools phasing out their tuition policies, if a more viable alternative was proven. As for the charter schools, I think they too would persevere, providing a Waldorf based education for the secular population. Personally, I am torn; no system is perfect- there will always be trials no matter what model is followed. Yet still, I cannot forget when my instructor threw down the gauntlet. I cannot help but to wonder if we could fund schools the way Dr. Steiner prescribed. What would it look like? How would it be different? Personally, I have faith it would bring out the best parts I admired and experienced in both private and public Waldorf schools: keeping the Waldorf curriculum intact, no government standardized testing, as well as not having to pay tuition!
As I began to ponder this dilemma of funding, the first thought that crossed my mind was to look closer at who funded the first Waldorf school. Emil Molt was born in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Kingdom of Württemberg in 1876. (Grosse). He was orphaned at the age of 14 and later apprenticed under Emil Georgii where he learned a great deal about business. He ended up director and part owner of the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Company, and was described as a "sensitive and progressive" sort of manager. Molt became a member of the theosophical society in the year 1906. He and other Anthroposophists tried to implement Dr. Steiner's threefold social order, but they were unsuccessful. Molt had earlier tried to offer his adult workers classes but he soon realized it was the children he should open a school for. With Dr. Steiner onboard as the schools pedagogical consultant, "Molt earmarked a substantial sum from the company profits to pay for the school. The school was opened within six months." Later a charitable foundation was formed which owned and ran the school. (Hindes).
In our present day, most CEOs cannot act alone earmarking funds for their pet projects as Molt did. A board of directors, in most situations, has the final vote for the monies spent on charitable activities. Although, there are examples of companies funding certain aspects of schools, I could not find an example run exclusively like Molt and the original Waldorf School in modern times. Conflicts of interest can arise when one accepts monies from corporations that have a certain agenda. For example, companies like Monsanto, grant funds to schools to purchase science curriculum. (Frost). This science curriculum is laced throughout with very pro positions towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It is not just the biology and chemistry books that glorify the techniques of GMO farming, this philosophy bleeds even into the history textbooks, such as Modern World History Patterns of Interaction- a textbook used in the tenth grade of certain California high schools. In the epilogue entitled Feeding a Growing Population, the only two solutions given for feeding the world are hybrid crops or GMOs. They admit hybrid crops require a lot of water, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and therefore, genetic alterations of plants that use less water, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are touted as the best hope for the future. (McDougal) With the growing mounds of evidence illustrating how harmful GMOs are to our health and environment, contrary to the research presented by Monsanto- one can easily see the biases in our young student's science and history textbooks. (Walia)
So one must be careful in implementing a school using a major conglomerate as benefactor if one wishes to remain faithful to Dr. Steiner's' original vision. Herein lays the dilemma of finding our Emil Molt's. They most likely exist, but I cannot find evidence of their willingness to fund a school. The closest living example I can discover is His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Charles and his Poundbury project. In his book Harmony HRH does a beautiful job of weaving a narrative of what has lead us in the last 200 years to the point we now find ourselves. He believes the only way to restore harmony for ourselves and our environment is to reconnect man with nature. His main focus in rebuilding harmony is tied to organic farming, sacred architecture and preserving the rural environment. (HRH) A Vision of Britain was written by HRH in 1989 in which he shared his thoughts for urban planning and architecture. (Charles) Poundbury is the community HRH has brought into reality with construction beginning in 1993. This 400 acre project consists of mixed-use buildings, built in traditional styles incorporated into the landscape, in a manner that caters to the pedestrian. As of 2012, there were 2,000 residents in Poundbury, operating over 140 individual businesses, demonstrating there can be viable and sustainable alternatives to our modern way of life. (Poundbury) Still this is not exactly the example of what I am hoping to bring forth but it does illustrate that one can put into practice more sustainable ways of living and have it still prosper economically.
So how can we continue if we are waiting for a Mr. Molt? In my meditation I was given the answer, we must all become mini Mr. Molts. What does this mean and how does this translate? When beginning a school, AWSNA recommends the first step is to establish a study group, preferably with a mentor. (AWSNA) I believe this to be a prudent and excellent suggestion. If the school is to be born with an Anthroposophical pulse, than studies pertaining to Anthroposophy should be undertaken. The next step they recommend is a play group for the children whose parents are involved in the study group. From there the school would evolve as mentioned previously starting a preschool or kindergarten adding a grade each year until the school reaches the eighth year. I would keep this model adding and tweaking it a bit. The first change would be to start the funding source before the first class was ever brought to fruition. Next, I would continue with Dr. Steiner's original charter of adding classes until the twelfth year. Last, I would add parent employment as a desired goal.
A funding committee would be the element added from the beginning at the same time the study group is forming. The funding committee would be responsible for securing a farm as well as pursuing four different levels of funding that will be presented below. Why a farm? Dr. Steiner emphasized the two most important factors of a Waldorf curriculum are farming and eurythmy. (Hoven) Just as a biodynamic farm is a closed system compared to an organism, so should the school be thought of as an organism. In fact, Dr. Steiner used these precise words to describe Waldorf schools in his lectures at Oxford- which established the beginning of the Waldorf movement in England. (Steiner) Returning to Oxford the following year in which he was now referring to the schools as a movement Dr. Steiner lectured, “The Waldorf School is an organism complete and whole in itself, and if it is not thought of as such, many of its educational principles may be misunderstood.” (Steiner) Thus the entire school, including the sources of its funding, must be looked at as a complete functioning organism that does not require tuition in order to serve in a healthy manner.
A farm would serve many purposes as the schools funding foundation. The first reason for this is the belief I share with billionaire financial expert Jim Rogers- farming is the economic future. Rogers loves to appear on main stream financial news and taunt the television presenter that they should become farmers. He loves to say, "farmers will one day be driving the Lamborghinis." (Forbes) All kidding aside, there are many economic indicators that point to the expansion of farming; especially for locally grown, organic food. Researchers at the University of California Agricultural Department have predicted that by 2025 alternative farming systems (in which they include organic) will increase by 20 to 60 percent. This rising demand will be motivated by consumer concerns about GMOs, environmental regulations which call for a reduction in pesticides, water quality management, wildlife biodiversity, and perhaps most important soil health. (Swezey) Due to industrial farming practices, the United States spends $45 billion on soil restoration annually. (Pimentel) It seems conventional farming is on the way out. The damage it is causing, environmentally and financially, can no longer be swept under the rug.
At the present time, there are over 5,000 Demeter certified biodynamic farms throughout the world. (Demeter) Of course this number does not take into account those who are practicing biodynamic principles but are not currently certified through Demeter. Obviously there is great room for growth in the biodynamic farming industry. Growing local organic food may be the best path toward economic recovery. It may also be the key to building stronger and healthier communities. Ken Meter spoke in 2010 at the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) held annually in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He stated, "Our [struggling] economy is making a compelling case that we shift toward more local food. The current system fails on all counts and it's very efficient at taking wealth out of our communities." Meter claims community based organic farms contribute in four major ways; first they provide good health and nutrition, second a fairer distribution of wealth for farmers, thirdly a better connection between food and people, and lastly farmers decide what is grown not corporations. Meter sums it up beautifully in line with Dr. Steiner's thoughts when he states, "A community- based system of agriculture is all about relationships, over time, communities will choose organic food...because they know the farmer is taking care of the land." (Bonfiglio)
Discovering growth potential and financials for biodynamic farming can be difficult. There are times I will have to use organic figures, as this is the closest model to biodynamic I can find. In his speech Meter gave concrete examples of farmers making a difference in their community by producing and investing in local organic food. Organic Valley was one of his examples. This is a company that began in 1988 with $0 in sales and is now earning $532 million dollars. He also gives an example of a bakery in Burlington Vermont who partnered with a local school donating half of its bread proceeds to a local school. Orders increased by 2,000 creating a new profit margin for the bakery. Lastly, Meter estimated if the people of southwestern Wisconsin bought just 25% of their food from local sources this would be enough to generate $33 million in new farm income. Meter sees the incredible potential local farming can have on a community declaring, "It is not a trivial thing to source food through local people. That helps fund communities and their schools." (Bonfiglio) I could only find one source of income mentioned for a biodynamic winery in France called Chateau Maris Cru owned and operated by Kevin Parker. Parker, a former Deutche Bank asset head of management, claims there are over 1,500 biodynamic wineries worldwide, a number that could greatly increase over the years. He describes the 21st Century as "the century for sustainability, health and wellness". Parker with his strong business background sees biodynamic farming as the future and has founded a sustainable insight capital management company. Parker too is tightlipped about profits in the biodynamic industry but he did admit to selling 180,000 bottles of wine a year at an average cost of $25 a bottle. That is a staggering 4.5 million dollars a year in sales not including any other products he may offer. Parker claims the green wine industry is in its infancy and is poised to explode. (Fox) Clearly, producing local biodynamic goods is still in its beginnings making the dream of a tuition free school closer to a reality.
In my heart the real impetus for having the farm as the foundation stems from a section of a preface written by Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer;
This can be understood against the background of a conversation I had with Dr. Steiner en route from Stuttgart to Dornach shortly before the agricultural course was given. He had been speaking of the need for a deepening of esoteric life, and in this connection mentioned certain faults typically found in spiritual movements. I then asked, “How can it happen that the spiritual impulse, and especially the inner schooling, for which you are constantly providing stimulus and guidance bear so little fruit? Why do the people concerned give so little evidence of spiritual experience, in spite of all their efforts? Why, worst of all, is the will for action, for the carrying out of these spiritual impulses, so weak?” I was particularly anxious to get an answer to the question as to how one could build a bridge to active participation and the carrying out of spiritual intentions without being pulled off the right path by personal ambition, illusions and petty jealousies; for, these were the negative qualities Rudolf Steiner had named as the main inner hindrances. Then came the thought-provoking and surprising answer: “This is a problem of nutrition. Nutrition as it is to-day does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the spirit in physical life. A bridge can no longer be built from thinking to will and action. Food plants no longer contain the forces people need for this.”
A nutritional problem which, if solved, would enable the spirit to become manifest and realise itself in human beings! With this as a background, one can understand why Dr. Steiner said that “the benefits of the bio-dynamic compost preparations should be made available as quickly as possible to the largest possible areas of the entire earth, for the earth's healing.”
Not only could this save the children's soul from tuition tainting, it could create the necessary requirements to grow ones soul life as well as heal the earth. (Pfeiffer)
The need for spreading Dr. Steiner's compost preparations has never been greater. I have already mentioned the monies the United States alone spends on soil restoration, but what about the soil that is vanishing? In the time it has taken me to write the final draft of this paper 269,618 hectares of the world's soil has been lost to erosion for a total loss of 5,916,518 hectares this year. (Worldometers) Most understand that soil once gone is very difficult if not impossible to regain. Scientists at the University of Sheffield have declared an agriculture crisis is looming for England due to their current soil management and farming practices- claiming they have only 100 harvests left! (Withnall)
No matter if the farm is chosen as the schools economic foundation, Dr. Steiner reminds us we must not look to the farm as just a means for economic gain. Dr. Steiner relates much more than economics is involved, “It is infinitely important that agriculture should be so related to the social life.” (Steiner) The school and farm would be a living system as Dr. Steiner envisioned complete and whole within itself never forgetting the essential need to maintain human relations at its core. How the farm is acquired will be part of the uniqueness for each school. There are only so many options on how one can secure a farm, but this will be part of the "social life" that comes out of the committees formed. If there is not a space of land that can be donated for the farm the committee must look to other sources. One idea is to discover if it is possible for the group to loan the money for the farm based on what they would have paid for tuition. This can bring further incentive and commitment to the group knowing there is the possibility of regaining their monies with a modest return. Money pooling is popular in many cultures especially among immigrants who may not have the required credit scores, etc., to secure a traditional loan. Latino's call this cundina which means "doing a circle." This is an appropriate description of how these communities should be thought of- a circle, complete and whole within themselves. Other cultures participate in this type of funding as well- Jamaicans and Africans call it susus, Chinese huis and Koreans refer to it as kyes. Carlos Vélez-Ibáñez, director of Arizona State University’s School of Transborder Studies, who has written two books on the subject, claims it is a rational approach to raising monies economically, but more importantly he says, "it pays attention to social relationships as being of high value. The obligations are based on reciprocity and confianza – a system of mutual trust that children learn early on.” (Haden) Motivation can build as the group realizes the potential not only for the school they are building for their children, but the gainful employment they will be creating for themselves as well as for others in their community. The ultimate goal is to stop the mentality of being given a fish for a day (tuition) rather than knowing how to fish for life.
Once the farm was up and running it would be at this juncture a playgroup could be formed, preferably with a trained Waldorf teacher. As the farm grows so would the school and as the school grows another level of funding should be introduced. This is what I call the secondary level of businesses. (Please note, one must speak of the funding in a linear fashion, but the ideas presented are meant to be fluid and adaptable to each unique situation. If a group felt they could begin all levels of funding at once I believe that is possible as well). It is not that the businesses would be lesser than the farm in producing income. They may very well succeed in producing more revenue than the farm, but they are to be introduced after the farm because the farm, in my opinion, really should be viewed as the heart and soul of the school. However, if it is discovered that the secondary business(es) have the greater potential of helping to procure the farm, then that path could be followed.
For secondary businesses the sky is the limit. This is a great time, if it has not been done before, to discover the gifts and talents of the parent/teacher population. For example at YRCS the last classroom to be added was the preschool. The teacher was given a very sparse budget in which to create her classroom both inside and out. The outside was literally a dustbowl. She really wanted grass for the children to play outside on, but the budget did not allow for it. I knew of a family starting a landscape business whose children attended the school. I inquired if he could save any grass remnants he might have leftover from another job. He immediately saw the benefit the attention would create for his new business and beautifully created the grassy space the teacher wanted so desperately. The children had a charming space crafted for them and visitors wanted to know who had done the landscaping. A struggling new business received the boost it needed to carry on even to this day. This is the sort of networking that can work for the school's businesses rather than just the individual. For instance, using the above example, perhaps a parent possesses the necessary skills to work as a landscaper but does not have the resources nor desire to own a company. The parents or whomever is interested in working at the school, farm or businesses could establish a money pool to create a landscape business. Perhaps the best place to start is to discover a void in ones community that could be filled by a secondary business. For instance, does the town lack in a bakery? Do the parents involved have any special skills to run a bakery? What about a toy/book store, co-op, a bank that lends micro loans? There is really no limit to what can be accomplished, but the business(es) should be in tune with the whole of the organism and the group skills.
The third level of funding occurs during the summer and could be implemented in the beginning to help secure the farm. One large festival should be the focus of summertime. Waldorf is well suited to creating a storytelling festival, a children's festival or a Renaissance faire. Again the festival should speak to the soul life of the group. The faire should also be attractive to those outside the community bringing in revenue from far reaching places. It is difficult to discover the exact amount a Renaissance faire would garner, but Michael Dempsey claims he has festivals that net over $50,000 in a single weekend. (Dempsey) The California Renaissance festival has attendance of over 200,000 with a single day adult ticket costing $26.00 and a child's $13.00. The Texas Renaissance Festival boasts a half a million attendees with the cost of a single day child's ticket at $13.00, an adult's at $27.00. (My) One can easily see the earning potential if a festival is run correctly.
A fourth level of income has its origins in the teacher body. As the school begins to grow into completion and a faculty of teachers is built up, one need look no further. There is no greater source of talent than can be found in the staff who teach at Waldorf schools. Handworkers, artists, storytellers, bakers, jugglers, puppet masters, eurythmists, farmers…the list goes on. Utilizing this group's talent serves two purposes; the first is that it becomes a fourth level of funding for the community and second it acts as a recruiting tool for future students and parents. Classes should be offered to the greater community as an outreach and source of revenue. The workshops offered could be taught by parents as well as teachers. One should take care to not overwork the teachers, but rather utilize parents/workers to assist in setup, cleanup and other arrangements. It is important no one feel overwhelmed in their working lives. This could even branch into a teacher training college. Visiting faculty and speakers can also be utilized so the brunt of teaching does not fall squarely on the shoulders of the teaching staff.
Other sources of revenue sought in more traditional ways could be pursued. Grants are an excellent source of funding. If a school wishes to pursue grants however, they should institute a giving campaign. Matching fund campaigns are very popular and grant reviewers will want to see what your own community is donating. Even if the school is not asking for matching funds, showing the grant reviewers your school's giving campaign reassures them your community is committed. (Adams). The bigger picture may be to secure grants, but the real benefit of a giving campaign is to bring the school community together serving the social life.
Perhaps my hypothesis for running a private Waldorf tuition free school is naïve and untested when compared to modern day standards. However, as students of Anthroposophy we must consider why Dr. Steiner emphatically stated his system is "complete" if followed accordingly. It is clear therefore, despite the ubiquitous transformation Waldorf education has brought to the world, it still falls short of Dr. Steiner's original vision. Truly all it takes is readjusting our perspective of how schools are operated and why it is important to understand schools are not only centers of education but places of employment and opportunity for both parents and community members. Students subsequently become living examples of synthesizing work and education as Dr. Steiner envisioned. In this model disconnect of tangible results is non-existent, as the school community is united in their quest to provide sustenance that goes beyond individual scope, giving its attention to the needs of the community at large. The Greater Reality in turn is instilled much more "completely" into the child's soul and this imprint creates an impetus later in their life to serve others in the same manner. In other words, the feeling of gratefulness and humility will be fostered in the soul as it now comprehends the necessity to serve rather than be served. Living by example, is no doubt the best form of education we can give our children and by expanding our awareness to the needs of our community, we can demonstrate to the future generations what it means to be human.
Works Cited
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Hoven, Cynthia. Lecture at Rudolph Steiner College. 2001.
HRH The Prince of Wales, Charles. Harmony A New Way of Looking at Our World. 2010. pp. 3-5.
Lindsey, Mechelle. An average Waldorf tuition cost could not be found. I took twenty schools and averaged their maximum cost of tuition for grade one -not including extra fees. The ten schools were randomly selected from both rural and city locations. 1. Life Oak Waldorf School, Meadow Vista, Ca. $8,962. 2. Rudolph Steiner School, New York, NY. $38,500. 3. Upper Valley Waldorf School, Quechee, VT. $12,515. 4. Waldorf School of Bend, Bend, Or. $5,500. 5. Sacramento Waldorf School, Sacramento, Ca. $10,955. 6. The Siskiyou School, Ashland, Or. $7,800. 7. Sandpoint Waldorf School, Sandpoint, Id. $5,625. 8. Austin Waldorf School, Austin Tx. $12,342. 9. Haleakala Waldorf School, Kula, Hi. $12,890. 10. Alabama Waldorf School, Birmingham, Al. $8,578. 11. The City School, Lake Balboa, Ca. $9,350. 12. The Whatcom Hills Waldorf School, Bellingham, Wa. $9,200. 13. The Hartsbrook School, Hadley Ma. $13, 988. 14. Susquehanna Waldorf School, Marietta, Pa. $7,500. 15. White Mountain Waldorf School, Albany, Nh. $8,305. 16. Urban Oak, Cleveland Heights Oh. $8,700. 17. Santa Fe Waldorf, Santa Fe, Nm. $12,075. 18. Greenwood School, Mill Valley, Ca. $19,945. 19. Waldorf Sarasota, Sarasota, Fl. $5,550. 20. Azalea Mountain School, Asheville, Nc. $7,600. The average cost came to $12,266.7 rounded to $12,267. If one discards the highest tuition and the lowest the average becomes $10,104.
McDougal Littell. Modern World History Patterns of Interaction. 1999. pp. 596-597.
My Renaissance Festival. http://www.mrf.info/
Pimentel, David. Environmental, Energetic, and Economic Comparisons of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems. BioScience 55, no. 7. July 1, 2005. pp. 573–582.
Pfeiffer, Ehrenfried Dr. (HON). The Agriculture Course. Agriculture Course: Preface. 1958. http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA327/English/BDA1958/Ag1958_preface.html
Poundbury. http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/focus/poundbury.
Steiner, Rudolph. Spiritual Ground of Education: Nine Lectures given at Manchester College, Oxford. 1922. pp. 89-90.
Steiner, Rudolph. Education and Modern Spiritual Life: Twelve Lectures given at IIkley, Yorkshire. 1923. pp. 201-202.
Steiner, Rudolf. Agriculture Course: The Birth of the Biodynamic Method: Eight Lectures Given in Koberwitz, Silesia. 1924. pp. 149.
Synder, Michael. 50 Percent Of American Workers Make Less Than 28,031 Dollars A Year. October 23, 2014. Web. http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/50-percent-of-american-workers-make-less-than-28031-dollars-a-year.
Swezey, Sean L. Growth predicted in biologically integrated and organic farming. California Agriculture. University of California. July/August 2000. http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.edu/landingpage.cfm?article=ca.v054n04p26&fulltext=yes
Urdan, T. C. & Paris, S. G. (1994). Teachers’ Perceptions of Standardized Achievement Tests. Educational Policy, 8, pp.137-156.
Walia, Arjun. 10 Scientific Studies Proving GMOs Can Be Harmful To Human Health. Collective Evolution. April 8, 2014. http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/04/08/10-scientific-studies-proving-gmos-can-be-harmful-to-human-health/
Withnall, Adam. Britain has only 100 harvests left in its farm soil as scientists warn of growing 'agricultural crisis'. The Independent. October 20, 2014. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britain-facing-agricultural-crisis-as-scientists-warn-there-are-only-100-harvests-left-in-our-farm-soil-9806353.html
Worldometers. As of October 22, 2014 10:41 a.m. 5,646,900 hectares of soil have been lost to erosion. As of November 5, 2014 11:03 a.m. 5,916,518 hectares of soil have been lost to erosion. From October 22 until November 5- 269,618 hectares of soil was destroyed. http://www.worldometers.info/
Yuba River Charter School 2009-2012 Capital Campaign. Web. http://yubariverschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Case-Statement-reduced.pdf. pp.4.
This paper is an attempt to demonstrate concrete examples of how Waldorf schools can operate tuition free. First, the history is given of the first Waldorf School and the benefactor Emil Molt. Then an overview is provided on how private and charter Waldorf schools are traditionally funded. Next the challenge for private schools- such as high costs of tuition and possible disparity is examined. In addition, the limits of government run charter schools- secular curriculum, standardized testing and corporate sponsorships are discussed. As a solution biodynamic farming is introduced as the foundation for funding a tuition free school. Therefore, it is proposed the school becomes more than a place of education for children, but also a vital source of employment and economic resource for parents and the greater community. Furthermore, four other levels of funding are outlined to enhance the school's budget and workforce which include, but are not limited to, micro-businesses, a large summer festival, classes and workshops, and exploring traditional avenues such as grants and giving campaigns. The spiritual and economic incentives are introduced as to why biodynamic farming is a viable alternative for funding schools. This includes examples of different and often unknown methods of securing initial capital required for purchasing or leasing farmland. The author attempts to thread throughout the paper the essence of Dr. Steiner's quote “The Waldorf School is an organism complete and whole in itself, and if it is not thought of as such, many of its educational principles may be misunderstood.”
I began my teacher training at Rudolph Steiner College (RSC) in Fair Oaks, California the year after I enrolled my daughter in kindergarten at the Yuba River Charter School (YRCS), one of the first Waldorf public charter schools. Thrilled to begin my journey as a Waldorf teacher, and parent, I still remember the first lecture given to my class at RSC. The director of our program began his talk by relaying to us that the Waldorf movement was not following Dr. Steiner's impulse for the funding of Waldorf schools. I was stunned to hear our instructor's claim that Dr. Steiner said tuition tainted the children's souls. He felt this was a very important issue to face and hoped perhaps one of us would come up with answers for funding schools that was more in line with Dr. Steiner's original ideals. He raised the challenge to us all to find a solution to this dilemma. I was immediately drawn to this cause and have spent many years contemplating and meditating on this very important question. How can we sustain and grow the Waldorf educational movement while bringing it more in line with Dr. Steiner's original vision of funding?
The first Waldorf school began in 1919 after a lecture was given by Dr. Steiner to the factory workers of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory. Emil Molt, the owner of the factory, informed his Board of Directors a new school would be formed for the children of the factory workers with Dr. Steiner as the pedagogical consultant. (Hemleben). Given an independent institution license by the local government, the school was granted the special privilege of not having certain restraints. Dr. Steiner stipulated four conditions for the school and they were: first, an open enrollment for all children not just those of the factory workers. Secondly, the children would be taught in a coed environment. The third stipulation was the school should be unified into a 12 year program. The final condition was the teachers involved with the students would determine the pedagogy without influence from government or other sources of revenue. (Hemleben). Therefore, the schools teaching and policies would not be dictated by the whims of those who held the purse strings. According to my instructor, Dr. Steiner did not want the government to fund the schools, concerned that the pedagogy would be interfered with. Dr. Steiner thought it best to have an enlightened benefactor, such as the owner of the factory, Emil Molt. Thus the schools would not be undesirably influenced by whom the benefactor was.
In America most Waldorf schools are funded by either tuition or government funds provided in the form of charter schools. If one wishes to start a Waldorf school, the formula as I have witnessed, is to start with a kindergarten and then slowly add the grades, one each year, until the eighth year is reached. Funding for a private Waldorf school is provided mainly by tuition, supplemented with various fundraising events throughout the year; with perhaps a grant awarded now and then and in some cases loans issued. Charter schools receive their funding primarily through the government and generally have more access to grants and/or special loans than the private sector. Fundraising is actively pursued by the Charters throughout the year mirroring the private schools. The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) recommends how to start a private school, but offers no suggestions for funding it. They propose one should begin with $40,000 to $50,000 and/or the first two years of expenditures. AWSNA warns that a weak school with a budget deficit "is not a healthy environment for children." (AWSNA).
This brings us back to the question, is the funding of Waldorf schools something we should try and change? After all, is it not better to have Waldorf schools, even if they are not funded in the manner that Dr. Steiner envisioned? I personally have been involved with both public and private Waldorf schools and have had many more positive experiences and feelings than those I would consider negative. Still, I feel the situation deserves some investigation and so I will attempt to show by personal observations some influences that could perhaps contribute to the tainting of a child's soul. I cannot provide "scientific proof" that tuition taints the children's souls. For those who cannot see into the supersensible it becomes a matter of trusting Dr. Steiner's word. However, there are some material aspects we can look at, such as how the burden of tuition costs for a private school can be on a typical family. For half of Americans, I believe private tuition costs are simply not possible or they present a great strain at this present economic moment. The Social Security Administration reported in 2013, 50% of all working Americans earned less than $28,000 a year with 39% earning less than $20,000. (Synder). The average private Waldorf education across America can cost $10,104 a year for first grade, not counting any other additional fees such as materials or field trips. (Lindsey).
Disparity can also arise during certain situations for children receiving scholarships, grants, or reduced tuition. For instance, my daughter (attending a private Waldorf school at the time) came home one day and handed me back the money I had given her that morning to purchase a cushion. When I inquired why she had not bought the pillow, she burst into tears and told me her desk mate could not afford the cushion being sold to counter the hardness of their wooden chairs. My daughter was upset because her friend had felt humiliated for not having the money to purchase a cushion and therefore stood out from the majority of the class who could afford it. She had decided to not buy the cushion hoping her desk mate would feel better about the situation. Disparity and bullying can happen no matter the circumstances, but if the root cause is in any way related to tuition, should we consider another route for funding our schools?
As for charter Waldorf schools, they do not have the issue of tuition. However, they do have certain aspects Dr. Steiner was not a fan of and this is government influence. The most obvious example, in my opinion, is once government funds are accepted spirituality cannot be included into the curriculum. Verses and lessons are altered to accommodate the secular dictum. This was certainly true for YRCS when I was there. They were in the thick of a lawsuit which claimed they were a religion and thus should not receive public funds. This case went all the way to the Federal courts and although YRCS won, it came at a great cost; ten years of litigation with close to a half a million dollars in fees. (Yuba River Charter School).
When receiving government funds, certain Waldorf curriculum fundamentals become harder to adhere to. When YRCS first began, standard state testing was optional for the individual child. As the years past, the federal and state governments attached the testing to funding- making it virtually impossible for a parent to opt out their child. This testing can make it more challenging for the teacher to follow basic Waldorf curriculum such as postponing early reading. The teachers do their very best to help the children feel nurtured and prepared on test day, but many children are affected in a negative way. One girl who is very connected to the nature spirits looked shell shocked after her testing session. She went outside after it was over and began rolling around in the dirt. She claimed she was trying to clean herself from the energy of the test. Although this might not be considered physical evidence that this sort of testing taints the child's soul, for me it spoke volumes and gave me pause. This particular girl mentioned above is not alone. Educational experts are beginning to record and report various stressed behaviors children are exhibiting from having to take standardized tests. Tim Urdan, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, has documented younger student's behaviors during standardized testing such as crying, throwing temper tantrums, wetting themselves, and vomiting. (Urdan) In fact, test anxiety has become such a major problem it has prompted the State of California to print instructions for teachers on what to do if the student vomits on the actual test! (Evans)
Again one could argue these are minor issues compared to not having any sort of Waldorf education- why make mountains out of molehills? I believe both private and public Waldorf schools provide an excellent education for the families involved and I in no way want to insinuate their model should be replaced. I trust there is room for all funding models to exist. I could see the private Waldorf schools phasing out their tuition policies, if a more viable alternative was proven. As for the charter schools, I think they too would persevere, providing a Waldorf based education for the secular population. Personally, I am torn; no system is perfect- there will always be trials no matter what model is followed. Yet still, I cannot forget when my instructor threw down the gauntlet. I cannot help but to wonder if we could fund schools the way Dr. Steiner prescribed. What would it look like? How would it be different? Personally, I have faith it would bring out the best parts I admired and experienced in both private and public Waldorf schools: keeping the Waldorf curriculum intact, no government standardized testing, as well as not having to pay tuition!
As I began to ponder this dilemma of funding, the first thought that crossed my mind was to look closer at who funded the first Waldorf school. Emil Molt was born in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Kingdom of Württemberg in 1876. (Grosse). He was orphaned at the age of 14 and later apprenticed under Emil Georgii where he learned a great deal about business. He ended up director and part owner of the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Company, and was described as a "sensitive and progressive" sort of manager. Molt became a member of the theosophical society in the year 1906. He and other Anthroposophists tried to implement Dr. Steiner's threefold social order, but they were unsuccessful. Molt had earlier tried to offer his adult workers classes but he soon realized it was the children he should open a school for. With Dr. Steiner onboard as the schools pedagogical consultant, "Molt earmarked a substantial sum from the company profits to pay for the school. The school was opened within six months." Later a charitable foundation was formed which owned and ran the school. (Hindes).
In our present day, most CEOs cannot act alone earmarking funds for their pet projects as Molt did. A board of directors, in most situations, has the final vote for the monies spent on charitable activities. Although, there are examples of companies funding certain aspects of schools, I could not find an example run exclusively like Molt and the original Waldorf School in modern times. Conflicts of interest can arise when one accepts monies from corporations that have a certain agenda. For example, companies like Monsanto, grant funds to schools to purchase science curriculum. (Frost). This science curriculum is laced throughout with very pro positions towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It is not just the biology and chemistry books that glorify the techniques of GMO farming, this philosophy bleeds even into the history textbooks, such as Modern World History Patterns of Interaction- a textbook used in the tenth grade of certain California high schools. In the epilogue entitled Feeding a Growing Population, the only two solutions given for feeding the world are hybrid crops or GMOs. They admit hybrid crops require a lot of water, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and therefore, genetic alterations of plants that use less water, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are touted as the best hope for the future. (McDougal) With the growing mounds of evidence illustrating how harmful GMOs are to our health and environment, contrary to the research presented by Monsanto- one can easily see the biases in our young student's science and history textbooks. (Walia)
So one must be careful in implementing a school using a major conglomerate as benefactor if one wishes to remain faithful to Dr. Steiner's' original vision. Herein lays the dilemma of finding our Emil Molt's. They most likely exist, but I cannot find evidence of their willingness to fund a school. The closest living example I can discover is His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Charles and his Poundbury project. In his book Harmony HRH does a beautiful job of weaving a narrative of what has lead us in the last 200 years to the point we now find ourselves. He believes the only way to restore harmony for ourselves and our environment is to reconnect man with nature. His main focus in rebuilding harmony is tied to organic farming, sacred architecture and preserving the rural environment. (HRH) A Vision of Britain was written by HRH in 1989 in which he shared his thoughts for urban planning and architecture. (Charles) Poundbury is the community HRH has brought into reality with construction beginning in 1993. This 400 acre project consists of mixed-use buildings, built in traditional styles incorporated into the landscape, in a manner that caters to the pedestrian. As of 2012, there were 2,000 residents in Poundbury, operating over 140 individual businesses, demonstrating there can be viable and sustainable alternatives to our modern way of life. (Poundbury) Still this is not exactly the example of what I am hoping to bring forth but it does illustrate that one can put into practice more sustainable ways of living and have it still prosper economically.
So how can we continue if we are waiting for a Mr. Molt? In my meditation I was given the answer, we must all become mini Mr. Molts. What does this mean and how does this translate? When beginning a school, AWSNA recommends the first step is to establish a study group, preferably with a mentor. (AWSNA) I believe this to be a prudent and excellent suggestion. If the school is to be born with an Anthroposophical pulse, than studies pertaining to Anthroposophy should be undertaken. The next step they recommend is a play group for the children whose parents are involved in the study group. From there the school would evolve as mentioned previously starting a preschool or kindergarten adding a grade each year until the school reaches the eighth year. I would keep this model adding and tweaking it a bit. The first change would be to start the funding source before the first class was ever brought to fruition. Next, I would continue with Dr. Steiner's original charter of adding classes until the twelfth year. Last, I would add parent employment as a desired goal.
A funding committee would be the element added from the beginning at the same time the study group is forming. The funding committee would be responsible for securing a farm as well as pursuing four different levels of funding that will be presented below. Why a farm? Dr. Steiner emphasized the two most important factors of a Waldorf curriculum are farming and eurythmy. (Hoven) Just as a biodynamic farm is a closed system compared to an organism, so should the school be thought of as an organism. In fact, Dr. Steiner used these precise words to describe Waldorf schools in his lectures at Oxford- which established the beginning of the Waldorf movement in England. (Steiner) Returning to Oxford the following year in which he was now referring to the schools as a movement Dr. Steiner lectured, “The Waldorf School is an organism complete and whole in itself, and if it is not thought of as such, many of its educational principles may be misunderstood.” (Steiner) Thus the entire school, including the sources of its funding, must be looked at as a complete functioning organism that does not require tuition in order to serve in a healthy manner.
A farm would serve many purposes as the schools funding foundation. The first reason for this is the belief I share with billionaire financial expert Jim Rogers- farming is the economic future. Rogers loves to appear on main stream financial news and taunt the television presenter that they should become farmers. He loves to say, "farmers will one day be driving the Lamborghinis." (Forbes) All kidding aside, there are many economic indicators that point to the expansion of farming; especially for locally grown, organic food. Researchers at the University of California Agricultural Department have predicted that by 2025 alternative farming systems (in which they include organic) will increase by 20 to 60 percent. This rising demand will be motivated by consumer concerns about GMOs, environmental regulations which call for a reduction in pesticides, water quality management, wildlife biodiversity, and perhaps most important soil health. (Swezey) Due to industrial farming practices, the United States spends $45 billion on soil restoration annually. (Pimentel) It seems conventional farming is on the way out. The damage it is causing, environmentally and financially, can no longer be swept under the rug.
At the present time, there are over 5,000 Demeter certified biodynamic farms throughout the world. (Demeter) Of course this number does not take into account those who are practicing biodynamic principles but are not currently certified through Demeter. Obviously there is great room for growth in the biodynamic farming industry. Growing local organic food may be the best path toward economic recovery. It may also be the key to building stronger and healthier communities. Ken Meter spoke in 2010 at the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) held annually in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He stated, "Our [struggling] economy is making a compelling case that we shift toward more local food. The current system fails on all counts and it's very efficient at taking wealth out of our communities." Meter claims community based organic farms contribute in four major ways; first they provide good health and nutrition, second a fairer distribution of wealth for farmers, thirdly a better connection between food and people, and lastly farmers decide what is grown not corporations. Meter sums it up beautifully in line with Dr. Steiner's thoughts when he states, "A community- based system of agriculture is all about relationships, over time, communities will choose organic food...because they know the farmer is taking care of the land." (Bonfiglio)
Discovering growth potential and financials for biodynamic farming can be difficult. There are times I will have to use organic figures, as this is the closest model to biodynamic I can find. In his speech Meter gave concrete examples of farmers making a difference in their community by producing and investing in local organic food. Organic Valley was one of his examples. This is a company that began in 1988 with $0 in sales and is now earning $532 million dollars. He also gives an example of a bakery in Burlington Vermont who partnered with a local school donating half of its bread proceeds to a local school. Orders increased by 2,000 creating a new profit margin for the bakery. Lastly, Meter estimated if the people of southwestern Wisconsin bought just 25% of their food from local sources this would be enough to generate $33 million in new farm income. Meter sees the incredible potential local farming can have on a community declaring, "It is not a trivial thing to source food through local people. That helps fund communities and their schools." (Bonfiglio) I could only find one source of income mentioned for a biodynamic winery in France called Chateau Maris Cru owned and operated by Kevin Parker. Parker, a former Deutche Bank asset head of management, claims there are over 1,500 biodynamic wineries worldwide, a number that could greatly increase over the years. He describes the 21st Century as "the century for sustainability, health and wellness". Parker with his strong business background sees biodynamic farming as the future and has founded a sustainable insight capital management company. Parker too is tightlipped about profits in the biodynamic industry but he did admit to selling 180,000 bottles of wine a year at an average cost of $25 a bottle. That is a staggering 4.5 million dollars a year in sales not including any other products he may offer. Parker claims the green wine industry is in its infancy and is poised to explode. (Fox) Clearly, producing local biodynamic goods is still in its beginnings making the dream of a tuition free school closer to a reality.
In my heart the real impetus for having the farm as the foundation stems from a section of a preface written by Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer;
This can be understood against the background of a conversation I had with Dr. Steiner en route from Stuttgart to Dornach shortly before the agricultural course was given. He had been speaking of the need for a deepening of esoteric life, and in this connection mentioned certain faults typically found in spiritual movements. I then asked, “How can it happen that the spiritual impulse, and especially the inner schooling, for which you are constantly providing stimulus and guidance bear so little fruit? Why do the people concerned give so little evidence of spiritual experience, in spite of all their efforts? Why, worst of all, is the will for action, for the carrying out of these spiritual impulses, so weak?” I was particularly anxious to get an answer to the question as to how one could build a bridge to active participation and the carrying out of spiritual intentions without being pulled off the right path by personal ambition, illusions and petty jealousies; for, these were the negative qualities Rudolf Steiner had named as the main inner hindrances. Then came the thought-provoking and surprising answer: “This is a problem of nutrition. Nutrition as it is to-day does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the spirit in physical life. A bridge can no longer be built from thinking to will and action. Food plants no longer contain the forces people need for this.”
A nutritional problem which, if solved, would enable the spirit to become manifest and realise itself in human beings! With this as a background, one can understand why Dr. Steiner said that “the benefits of the bio-dynamic compost preparations should be made available as quickly as possible to the largest possible areas of the entire earth, for the earth's healing.”
Not only could this save the children's soul from tuition tainting, it could create the necessary requirements to grow ones soul life as well as heal the earth. (Pfeiffer)
The need for spreading Dr. Steiner's compost preparations has never been greater. I have already mentioned the monies the United States alone spends on soil restoration, but what about the soil that is vanishing? In the time it has taken me to write the final draft of this paper 269,618 hectares of the world's soil has been lost to erosion for a total loss of 5,916,518 hectares this year. (Worldometers) Most understand that soil once gone is very difficult if not impossible to regain. Scientists at the University of Sheffield have declared an agriculture crisis is looming for England due to their current soil management and farming practices- claiming they have only 100 harvests left! (Withnall)
No matter if the farm is chosen as the schools economic foundation, Dr. Steiner reminds us we must not look to the farm as just a means for economic gain. Dr. Steiner relates much more than economics is involved, “It is infinitely important that agriculture should be so related to the social life.” (Steiner) The school and farm would be a living system as Dr. Steiner envisioned complete and whole within itself never forgetting the essential need to maintain human relations at its core. How the farm is acquired will be part of the uniqueness for each school. There are only so many options on how one can secure a farm, but this will be part of the "social life" that comes out of the committees formed. If there is not a space of land that can be donated for the farm the committee must look to other sources. One idea is to discover if it is possible for the group to loan the money for the farm based on what they would have paid for tuition. This can bring further incentive and commitment to the group knowing there is the possibility of regaining their monies with a modest return. Money pooling is popular in many cultures especially among immigrants who may not have the required credit scores, etc., to secure a traditional loan. Latino's call this cundina which means "doing a circle." This is an appropriate description of how these communities should be thought of- a circle, complete and whole within themselves. Other cultures participate in this type of funding as well- Jamaicans and Africans call it susus, Chinese huis and Koreans refer to it as kyes. Carlos Vélez-Ibáñez, director of Arizona State University’s School of Transborder Studies, who has written two books on the subject, claims it is a rational approach to raising monies economically, but more importantly he says, "it pays attention to social relationships as being of high value. The obligations are based on reciprocity and confianza – a system of mutual trust that children learn early on.” (Haden) Motivation can build as the group realizes the potential not only for the school they are building for their children, but the gainful employment they will be creating for themselves as well as for others in their community. The ultimate goal is to stop the mentality of being given a fish for a day (tuition) rather than knowing how to fish for life.
Once the farm was up and running it would be at this juncture a playgroup could be formed, preferably with a trained Waldorf teacher. As the farm grows so would the school and as the school grows another level of funding should be introduced. This is what I call the secondary level of businesses. (Please note, one must speak of the funding in a linear fashion, but the ideas presented are meant to be fluid and adaptable to each unique situation. If a group felt they could begin all levels of funding at once I believe that is possible as well). It is not that the businesses would be lesser than the farm in producing income. They may very well succeed in producing more revenue than the farm, but they are to be introduced after the farm because the farm, in my opinion, really should be viewed as the heart and soul of the school. However, if it is discovered that the secondary business(es) have the greater potential of helping to procure the farm, then that path could be followed.
For secondary businesses the sky is the limit. This is a great time, if it has not been done before, to discover the gifts and talents of the parent/teacher population. For example at YRCS the last classroom to be added was the preschool. The teacher was given a very sparse budget in which to create her classroom both inside and out. The outside was literally a dustbowl. She really wanted grass for the children to play outside on, but the budget did not allow for it. I knew of a family starting a landscape business whose children attended the school. I inquired if he could save any grass remnants he might have leftover from another job. He immediately saw the benefit the attention would create for his new business and beautifully created the grassy space the teacher wanted so desperately. The children had a charming space crafted for them and visitors wanted to know who had done the landscaping. A struggling new business received the boost it needed to carry on even to this day. This is the sort of networking that can work for the school's businesses rather than just the individual. For instance, using the above example, perhaps a parent possesses the necessary skills to work as a landscaper but does not have the resources nor desire to own a company. The parents or whomever is interested in working at the school, farm or businesses could establish a money pool to create a landscape business. Perhaps the best place to start is to discover a void in ones community that could be filled by a secondary business. For instance, does the town lack in a bakery? Do the parents involved have any special skills to run a bakery? What about a toy/book store, co-op, a bank that lends micro loans? There is really no limit to what can be accomplished, but the business(es) should be in tune with the whole of the organism and the group skills.
The third level of funding occurs during the summer and could be implemented in the beginning to help secure the farm. One large festival should be the focus of summertime. Waldorf is well suited to creating a storytelling festival, a children's festival or a Renaissance faire. Again the festival should speak to the soul life of the group. The faire should also be attractive to those outside the community bringing in revenue from far reaching places. It is difficult to discover the exact amount a Renaissance faire would garner, but Michael Dempsey claims he has festivals that net over $50,000 in a single weekend. (Dempsey) The California Renaissance festival has attendance of over 200,000 with a single day adult ticket costing $26.00 and a child's $13.00. The Texas Renaissance Festival boasts a half a million attendees with the cost of a single day child's ticket at $13.00, an adult's at $27.00. (My) One can easily see the earning potential if a festival is run correctly.
A fourth level of income has its origins in the teacher body. As the school begins to grow into completion and a faculty of teachers is built up, one need look no further. There is no greater source of talent than can be found in the staff who teach at Waldorf schools. Handworkers, artists, storytellers, bakers, jugglers, puppet masters, eurythmists, farmers…the list goes on. Utilizing this group's talent serves two purposes; the first is that it becomes a fourth level of funding for the community and second it acts as a recruiting tool for future students and parents. Classes should be offered to the greater community as an outreach and source of revenue. The workshops offered could be taught by parents as well as teachers. One should take care to not overwork the teachers, but rather utilize parents/workers to assist in setup, cleanup and other arrangements. It is important no one feel overwhelmed in their working lives. This could even branch into a teacher training college. Visiting faculty and speakers can also be utilized so the brunt of teaching does not fall squarely on the shoulders of the teaching staff.
Other sources of revenue sought in more traditional ways could be pursued. Grants are an excellent source of funding. If a school wishes to pursue grants however, they should institute a giving campaign. Matching fund campaigns are very popular and grant reviewers will want to see what your own community is donating. Even if the school is not asking for matching funds, showing the grant reviewers your school's giving campaign reassures them your community is committed. (Adams). The bigger picture may be to secure grants, but the real benefit of a giving campaign is to bring the school community together serving the social life.
Perhaps my hypothesis for running a private Waldorf tuition free school is naïve and untested when compared to modern day standards. However, as students of Anthroposophy we must consider why Dr. Steiner emphatically stated his system is "complete" if followed accordingly. It is clear therefore, despite the ubiquitous transformation Waldorf education has brought to the world, it still falls short of Dr. Steiner's original vision. Truly all it takes is readjusting our perspective of how schools are operated and why it is important to understand schools are not only centers of education but places of employment and opportunity for both parents and community members. Students subsequently become living examples of synthesizing work and education as Dr. Steiner envisioned. In this model disconnect of tangible results is non-existent, as the school community is united in their quest to provide sustenance that goes beyond individual scope, giving its attention to the needs of the community at large. The Greater Reality in turn is instilled much more "completely" into the child's soul and this imprint creates an impetus later in their life to serve others in the same manner. In other words, the feeling of gratefulness and humility will be fostered in the soul as it now comprehends the necessity to serve rather than be served. Living by example, is no doubt the best form of education we can give our children and by expanding our awareness to the needs of our community, we can demonstrate to the future generations what it means to be human.
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