Walker Upper Elementary School

There are so many things that this school does that is not measured in evaluation. They meaning the teachers and staff see the bright side of all students. They work so hard at keeping children engaged and emotionally healthy. What a gift the teachers are for the children in this school. There is no doubt that teachers should rule the world

As other parents noted, I'm disappointed to see Greenbrier's low Great Schools rating. It's a fantastic school with caring, supportive educators. Due to my husband's job, we were able to request admission to any Charlottesville City School. Greenbrier has such a good reputation in town that it was an easy decision even though it means 20-25 minute drive one-way to get the kids to school. Both my Kindergartener and 2nd grader have had excellent experiences.

The Waldorf School has been an incredible experience for our family. What stands out most is the genuine care for each child—not just in terms of schedule and directed learning, but as a whole person. There is a strong emphasis on human connection, creativity, and meaningful interaction, which feels increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world. I deeply appreciate how the school encourages children to step away from “machine life” and instead develop a true sense of self. Rather than focusing solely on productivity or outcomes, the approach nurtures curiosity, imagination, and emotional growth. While inspired by Waldorf principles, the school does not promote any specific ideology of Steiner, but instead captures the essence of holistic childhood development in a thoughtful and inclusive way.Equally wonderful is the sense of community and support among teachers, students, and families. It’s a warm, thoughtful environment where children are truly seen and valued. We couldn’t be happier.

I have children of different ages in this school and while the teaching styles vary widely from one teacher to another, overall I believe they’re receiving very high quality education and performing better than they were in their prior schools. The school also offers a lot of side activities and events (many of them with a religious theme) which keep the day-to-day of the school more interesting in my pov. I think the management team works very hard to make sure everyone is learning, happy and safe. I occasionally dislike some of the rigidity and lack of outdoor learning opportunities, but aside from this, we have been impressed. Also the community around the school is very supportive and often meets outside of school as well.

Read all of the other one star reviews of this place. I couldn’t agree more. In all my years here, I didn’t learn a single thing. All of the clubs are useless, along with the teachers. There is no diversity and there is a clear divide between the minority kids and the white Americans. The school is very cliquey and hard to find friends as it is very small. So many classmates throughout high school left to go to public school because of how much they hated it here. Do your research and don’t send your kid here. It is a waste of time and money!