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June 21, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 1, 2004 Waldorf school is a city treasure worth keeping I read a recent article on the Waldorf school community losing out on classroom space in the public schools in Ashland. I must say, I am particularly vexed by this. Unfortunately for all, the Waldorfers are not the only ones to lose; we all are. it is unseemly to me that our district has empty classrooms gathering dust, one beloved historical school shut down and the next on the chopping block, teaching positions being cut due to lack of funding, while negotiations with Waldorf slam to a screeching halt because teachers are opposed to "privatization" in the public schools. If Waldorf were truly a private school, they would not be in our school system presently via the homeschooling program. I understand and fully support our teachers wanting their colleagues to hold certifications equivalent of their own hard-earned degrees, but I know that several of the Waldorf teachers are certified and the others could and would obtain their certifications if required. My children do not attend Waldorf, though once upon a time we did. The curriculum is rich, the teachers competent, and the community desirous of a working relationship with our public school system. My kids now attend Helman (formerly Briscoe) and we are very happy where we are. But we do not understand why some sort of compromise cannot be reached when we are talking about over one hundred families being forced to leave our public school system. The best I can figure, that is about $500,000.00 walking out the door. Why not allow the Waldorf students to use space in Briscoe? Half the building is empty and we (yes, you taxpayers) are paying to heat those empty classrooms. If we can keep over one hundred families in our system without compromising the integrity of our teachers, can't we try to find a way? Waldorf education has been successfully married to public schools in several different places. It is difficult for some of us who support public education to watch our class sizes grow and our schools close, when we could enrich our district's options with alternative choices, and thereby potentially keep people from bailing to the private sector. I would like to encourage our Superintendent and the School Board to continue their exploration of this opportunity. I believe that there must be a way to offer up unused space to a part of our public school community who are being given no choice but to leave, while honoring our teachers, all at the same time. A vision of different styles, all under the same roof, is not a bad thing. Kathleen Petersen Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams