Ralph E. Hawes Elementary School

Before enrolling my child at Waldorf School, I read extensively about the program and was deeply impressed. I believed I had chosen the best educational approach for my child's early years, and he had wonderful experiences especially during Playgroup to PreK. I remain grateful for the teachers we encountered during that time, as they brought warmth and positivity to our lives.However, my perspective began to shift during the elementary school years. By the time we reached seventh grade, I felt compelled to withdraw my child, even though it meant paying an additional half-year's tuition. One major concern was related to my child's homework. It was unsettling to receive an email from head teacher stating my child had not submitted homework for three months. I was surprised, as I believed weekly assignments were graded. If this was the case, why was there no communication until so much time had passed? I struggled to understand how this situation could unfold. My child went to study hall every Tuesday to do his homework under this head teacher. What was he doing there?Additionally, I experienced a couple of concerning incidents involving behavior from faculty. One well-regarded teacher, repeatedly pressured him to confess to something he had not done. It seemed the teacher approached the situation with a bias without gathering the necessary context. In this same instance, the other child kicked my son's private part but that was not mentioned in the report.Lastly, I had a bit of a parking problem at school. I got a school message saying I couldn’t park my pickup-sized truck in the lot because it’s too big. I was a bit confused, since I’ve been here for almost ten years and never had any incident with my old car or this new truck since last year. Apparently, someone complained that they’re worried about the size of my truck and don’t want to get hurt. Can you believe that?In summary, while I appreciate the positive experiences from my child's early education, my overall journey through the school transitioned into a series of frustrations that ultimately led to our departure.

Decent school, curriculum is high-level, yet only class that truly impacted me was English. I am an alumnus. Personally, I did not have the best experience, but I think it would be a good school for certain types of people.