Sacramento, CA
6/6/2013I am the product of the public school system in California. I am highly educated in my university education as well, including pedagogy research, and am happy with the education I have received. I understand that some people think the public school system is flawed and can find a better education for their children in the private sector. I say "Go for it if you can afford it!", but I would NEVER recommend Mulberry Farm School.
A child in my neighborhood attends Mulberry Farm. This child is very intelligent, uses advanced words in conversation, is outgoing, does not have a learning disability (or any disability for that matter), and would probably thrive in a non-Waldorf school. At Mulberry Farm, this child is in the 3rd grade and enjoys the animals and the art projects. However, this child STILL DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO READ. Why does this child not read? Because the child doesn't want to learn and is not being encouraged to do so because the school says the child "may not be ready". HUH? I believe the child may be the only one in the 3rd grade that does not read, but still. Where is the fundamental education??? I do believe the parents are playing a role in this failure, but the school is doing nothing to help.
It's one thing to provide students with activities and giving them options in their educational process, but I believe Mulberry Farm has failed the child I know and I would NEVER EVER send a child there. I cringe at what the future of this child may be if reading does not become a priority...and soon.
There are schools for different children. My daughter is 11 years old and has been attending a regular school since kindergarten. She has a processing issue (can't read, can't remember visually even simple site words) she is very smart, has an amazing vocabulary but has high anxiety. We put her into the Mulberry School in March because she was having melt downs (its tough when you are in the 4th grade and you can't read) and had been suspended 3 times. Her school was great, her teacher amazing and nice but for her - the pressure was too great. We had her on meds to help stabilize her mood. It was too much for her. We took her off the meds, put her into Mulberry and just between March - June she learned how to relax herself and get herself calm, she came home and wanted to read, slowly is getting better at writing and reading - it doesn't all make sense but she is "trying" and confident that she will not be judged or reprimanded. She has relaxed. She is healthy and happy. Does that work for every child? Possibly not. My daughter is not having melt downs and feeling bad about herself - even her "real" school said because of the emotional outbursts they needed to figure out how to stabilize that before they could deal with the learning disability. I am the mother of 3 children. She is my youngest. My oldest was a straight A student until he hit 9th grade. Then - he chose not to apply himself (he has ADHD as well so we have had to work with him). My middle son is smart, a little lazy but intelligent. My daughter may not be a road scholar in the future but I believe by attending this school she will learn to give herself grace, love herself and grow up to be a good person. Would I like her to be a book worm - yes...but that is not as important as loving herself. Know your child and decide what you think is best. It's all we can do. And hope it is the right decision.
ReplyDelete