The Story of Waldorf Education in the United States: Past, Present, and Future

Representing more than a decade of research, this book is the first account of the history and development of Waldorf education in America. Looking at the past and present with an eye to how the understanding of the term Waldorf education has changed over time, the author identifies key trends in education, both Waldorf and general education, to imagine the direction in which Waldorf education may move in the future.

Part one shows how the number of Waldorf schools grew slowly and steadily and how they have evolved through four generations, changing gradually from "experiments" to "alternatives" and, in the process, forging and re-forging Waldorf education itself.

Part two examines the methods and myths of Waldorf education, showing what is essential and what is extraneous. Peeling away layers of convention and even misunderstanding, the author reveals Waldorf education as what many believe Rudolf Steiner, its founder, intended it to be: a living method of education that may be employed by any teacher or any school.

As Waldorf education comes increasingly into public view and into public schools, primarily through charter schools, questions about what Waldorf education is (and is not) are becoming increasingly relevant.

The author concludes that Waldorf education is not a method that can be packaged and sold, but a living method that depends on insight for continual renewal.

The Story of Waldorf Education in America is a fresh, insightful, analytical, and valuable resource for parents, teachers, and educators who would like to know more about Waldorf education--whether they have extensive experience in the Waldorf education or have only just heard of it.

Author: Stephen Keith Sagarin
Publisher: Steiner Books
Published: 10/01/2011
Pages: 220
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.72lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780880106566

About the Author
Sagarin, Stephen: - Stephen Keith Sagarin, PhD, is faculty chair, a cofounder, and a teacher at the Great Barrington Waldorf High School in western Massachusetts, where he teaches history and life science. He is also a former teacher and administrator at the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School and the Waldorf School of Garden City, New York, the high school from which he graduated. Dr. Sagarin writes, lectures, mentors teachers, and consults with Waldorf schools on teaching and administration. He is an associate professor and former director of the M.S. education program in Waldorf teacher education at Sunbridge Institute, New York. He is the former editor of the Research Bulletin of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education and has taught history of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City; human development at the City University of New York; and U.S. and world history at Berkshire Community College, Massachusetts. Dr. Sagarin has a Ph.D. in history from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Columbia University, and a bachelor's degree in art history, with a certificate of proficiency in fine art, from Princeton University. He is married and the father of two children, Andrew and Kathleen. His wife, Janis Martinson, is Chief Advancement Officer at Miss Hall's School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.