HIGHLAND HALL Waldorf school Reviews by Parents

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us

seems many Waldorf schools and charters start off with a beautiful dream but in reality, the success of the school is really depends on the ethical and emotional maturity of the Administration & teachers. Highly subjective whether or not you are blessed with one of the Great teachers or someone who hasn't worked out their issues and you're supposed to 'trust' and 'let go...' we had a very rude awakening... Public school seems so stable and healthy now after the dysfunction we encountered. Can NOT recommend.

ex-waldorfmom added: 05/09/2012

http://www.greatschools.org/school/parentReviews.page?id=8952&state=CA&sortBy=dd&page=4#revPagination

Posted September 16, 2010
Waldorf education can be an amazing thing, but Highland Hall is a very poor
example of a Waldorf school. There are very real reasons this school is
under-enrolled, has no waiting lists, and often turns over 20% of its children a
year. There is no functioning leadership. Teacher quality is uneven. Most
crucially, Highland Hall lacks integrity, their mission statement a hollow
promise gutted by fear and money. Look elsewhere. —Submitted by a parent

Posted June 16, 2010
My 3 children did not feel they learned any basic curriculum. Knitting, art and
woodworking are great, but math, science, english, history are weak. Many of
their high school students don't get into college. We left because our children
were bored. —Submitted by a parent

Posted May 15, 2009
My daughter attended HH for a year and enjoyed what they had to offer at the
preschool age. However, she would come home and need to run and jump all over
the place. Some kids just need to run. I like the Waldorf philosophy but I also
feel times are changing and in order to keep a realistic perspective on our
world, the media is a huge part of it. And being a psych major, I have learned
that children feel safe when they can understand parts of their environment. Not
keeping them in a bubble right smack in the middle of a thriving city. Plus
parents have an imperialistic attitude at HH. The love and respect for nature
and life should be given to all, not just those who can afford it. —Submitted by
a parent

Posted April 21, 2009
My son was there for a year and didn't learn a thing. We changed schools the
following year to an more challenging academic setting. He had a lot of remedial
work that he had to do the following year just to catch up to his peers. The
teachers at Highland Hall are very nurturing and loving, however, the kids need
more mental stimulation. I don't agree with their philosophy (actually Rudolf
Steiner's) of delaying academics till the late elementary/jr. high years. My
feeling is that either you're a Waldorf person or you're not, there's no middle
ground. It turned out that my son had dyslexia, which had gone undetected as his
class was not performing at grade level in reading or writing. He did benefit
however, from having such a caring, wonderful teacher. The campus has an
expansive park-like feel to it and is beautiful. —Submitted by a parent

June 27, 2008
My child loved her kindergarten teachers but by 2nd grade became frustrated with
the repetition of form drawing and the weirdness of the eurythmy class. She is
now in a charter school that is equally relaxed (no grades, no tests, no
homework) but is more academically stimulating and inspiring. At Waldorf, every
child works at the same pace, which is usually dictated by the children who
struggle the most.
—Submitted by a parent

Posted July 25, 2007
If your child has any learning difficulties, this school is ideal for allowing
them to work without enormous pressure. If your child is academically gifted,
this school will not be a good fit. There is a strong anti-intellectualism from
First thru 12th grade.
—Submitted by Anna J., a parent

Posted June 25, 2007
Adjusting to a traditional school revealed that my child was performing in every
area below grade level. It took her a year to catch up, and we regret having not
pulled her out before First grade. Although the campus appears serene and
attractive, the lack of transparency in the curriculum is a serious problem.
—Submitted by Dorothy, a parent

Posted October 14, 2006
Excellent kindergarten with our particular teacher; however, we had the very
opposite experience in middle school; and we were so unimpressed by the time our
child reached 8th grade that our child begged us to allow her to switch to a
more traditional high school.
—Submitted by Judy, a parent

Posted October 13, 2006
Three children attended; the oldest had a great experience from k-8; our second
child had a series of terrible teachers. The youngest child had a great
kindergarten experience. The school has no ability to constructively address
parents concerns —Submitted by a parent

Posted October 13, 2006
In spite of the beautifuyl appearance, it feels like a cult. There are no
academics standards. —Submitted by a former STUDENT

Posted March 11, 2006
As the name states, this is a Waldorf school, which is a very definite thing.
For some, it is perfect, for some not such a good fit. That is the first thing a
prospective parent needs to research. One distinctive aspect of Waldorf schools
is there is not a 'principal'. In the event of a problem, this can be an issue.
We often felt we had no one to turn to for action on our concerns. Academically,
we found Highland Hall on a very different page than other private schools in
the area. Our children left with way above average vocabularies, and below level
skills in concrete areas such as spelling and basic math facts. —Submitted by a
parent

Posted February 28, 2005
The campus of Highland Hall Waldorf school is beautiful - there are big
playgrounds separate for the kindergarten, grades 1-3, and then 3-6. The
curriculum is very soul based, not academic - at least not academic enough for
my children. My 2nd grader got 'bored' there, and wanted to go to a 'real'
school - so we switched her to a public charter school. —Submitted by a parent

Anush ‎ - Jan 25, 2011
This place is a joke 4 years like bob says unless you start in 1st grade forget
it,you will always be an outsider,a bunch of spoiled rich kids who also infuse
the place with drugs ,you may be better of at another school ,save your money .

Paolo ‎ - Oct 23, 2010
Went here for 3 years of my life. Unless you're in the Waldorf system from 1st
grade up you will not integrate well into their education system. A bogus
education belief based on creating your own books, if you're child isn't an
artist, or is coming in from public school. Forget it, spend your 14000
somewhere else

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-171\
00-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us#

Our 3 children attended over 12 years and despite the beauty of the campus - the
school has no transparent system for problem solving serious issues. Teachers
seem defensive and intolerant of parents asking questions. The teachers police
each other and there is no advocate for the parents or students who might have a
legitimate concern about a teacher's conduct. Students can be expelled, without
any warning, if the teacher does not like their parent, even if the student has
never done anything wrong. This is not written down anywhere, but it has
happened several times in the last few years. Each time a perfectly cooperative
child is expelled or not allowed to re-enroll because the teacher didn't like
the child's parents, it sends a frightening message to the entire community to
not question the teacher's authority or your child will be punished.

Parents are not allowed to question the teacher's decisions in the elementary
grades. Discipline is inconsistent - often the teachers seem excessively
punitive. This education appeals to students/families who prefer an
anti-intellectual curriculum, with a spiritual agenda inspired by Rudolph
Steiner. There is no geniune open forum to express concern about classroom
issues, bullying, etc., or to question the unusual methods used to teach. - A.
Scemema (student)

http://phoenix.arizonahighways.com/biz/highland-hall-inc/northridge/ca/91325/10898931
Anush - Wednesday, October 14, 2009
nice campus everthing else lacking ‎
After spending 4+ years there ,I will say this ,first the teachers for the most part lack any formal education ,and yes that means little or no college ,second I saw more drugs and alcohol there than any public school kids sniffing ''dust off'', coming to school high on LSD, stoned students AND often teachers ,drinking off campus at lunch ,etc etc ,subject matter substandard [computers are banned by Waldorf] also don't let them fool you with their college acceptance claims ,yes the students will get accepted but in most cases the drop out after 1 to 2 years ,out of the hundred plus people who graduated over my time there most (I say this with total certainty ) did nothing and often have a list of drug and alcohol related mishaps on their record, DUIs etc ,it is my opinion that it would be best to send you children elsewhere,the damage that can be inflicted can take years to fix ,its a very unhealthy place, outside it seems great, but just ask them about kids who ...

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us

Cam E - 09/06/2009
Hello all! I am currently a senior at HH. I have attended HH my entire life and all I can say is that I feel blessed and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to learn in the environment this school provides. I have developed a love and inspiration for the world around me and its endless mysteries that, all "corruption" set aside, is as real and true to me as anything can be. You can't fake a curriculum like ours, or the relationship we have with our teachers. I have seen my share of drama in the community and one thing I have observed every time is that it is almost always instigated by a parent who takes it upon themselves to make everybody feel the repercussions of their less-than-desirable experiences at the school. If anybody reading this forum is considering a Waldorf education for their children, know that I am and accomplished student, artist, and musician, as well as a "lifer" at HH, and I couldn't name anything in my life that I have ever appreciated my parents for more than finding this school and sending me here. Please just come for a tour or our school and talk to some of the "lifers." You will realize that people who have gone to HH are talented, upright, high quality individuals.

Cam, unfortunately, didn't graduate Highland Hall - despite being a "lifer".  Only weeks before graduating, Highland Hall, in their typical, unthoughtful manner, expelled Cam.  I'm told Cam is doing well in college.

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us
Tucker H
Our 3 children attended over 12 years and despite the beauty of the campus - the school has no transparent system for problem solving serious issues. Teachers seem defensive and intolerant of parents asking questions. The teachers police each other and there is no advocate for the parents or students who might have a legitimate concern about a teacher's conduct. Students can be expelled, without any warning, if the teacher does not like their parent, even if the student has never done anything wrong. This is not written down anywhere, but it has happened several times in the last few years. Each time a perfectly cooperative child is expelled or not allowed to re-enroll because the teacher didn't like the child's parents, it sends a frightening message to the entire community to not question the teacher's authority or your child will be punished.

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us
A. Scemema
Parents are not allowed to question the teacher's decisions in the elementary grades. Discipline is inconsistent - often the teachers seem excessively punitive. This education appeals to students/families who prefer an anti-intellectual curriculum, with a spiritual agenda inspired by Rudolph Steiner. There is no geniune open forum to express concern about classroom issues, bullying, etc., or to question the unusual methods used to teach.

Margaret Sachs
http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us
Our two children attended for a total of about 13 years between them. I was one of those enthusiastic mothers who for many years couldn't say enough good things about the school. Gradually, however, my husband and I began to form the opinion that while the curriculum appeared on paper to be impressive, in practice it neither matched the hype we were hearing nor met the expectations we had for our children's education. Nonetheless, because I still thought the social environment of the school was healthy, I continued to vigorously defend it against criticism by families that left dissatisfied or in anger. That stopped when scandals occurred that, for us, crossed a line. I then began researching Waldorf and Anthroposophy and was stunned to find myself going through a deprogramming process. It finally dawned on me that I had become brainwashed by what I consider to be a slick PR program. I strongly recommend that anyone considering a Waldorf school research the many American and international English language Web sites critical of Waldorf. The documentation at some of those sites is truly enlightening. I recommend you don't accept at face value arguments that Steiner quotations are being taken out of context. Instead, ask how the context affects the meaning of the quotations. I also suggest that if someone tells you that Steiner quotes provided by critics have been mistranslated you have an independent, non-Waldorf German speaker translate some of them for you and compare your translations to those by both Waldorf supporters and critics.

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&xhr=t&cp=30&pq=waldorf+schools&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1920&bih=927&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=highland+hall+waldorf+school+reviews&fb=1&gl=us&hq=highland+hall+waldorf+school&hnear=0x80e82e6c5b563301:0xf4e0598e94d3434d,Simi+Valley,+CA&cid=4886768699789273591&ei=RC4RTuSpOcPeiALA352FDg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=placepage-link&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCIQ4gkwAA

Anush ‎ - Jan 25, 2011
This place is a joke 4 years like bob says unless you start in 1st grade forget it,you will always be an outsider,a bunch of spoiled rich kids who also infuse the place with drugs ,you may be better of at another school ,save your money .

Paolo ‎ - Oct 23, 2010
Bob Went here for 3 years of my life. Unless you're in the Waldorf system from 1st grade up you will not integrate well into their education system. A bogus education belief based on creating your own books, if you're child isn't an artist, or is coming in from public school. Forget it, spend your 14000 somewhere else

http://www.scorecard.greatschools.net/school/parentReviews.page?id=8952&state=CA&sortBy=dd&page=2#revPagination

Posted September 16, 2010
Waldorf education can be an amazing thing, but Highland Hall is a very poor example of a Waldorf school. There are very real reasons this school is under-enrolled, has no waiting lists, and often turns over 20% of its children a year. There is no functioning leadership. Teacher quality is uneven. Most crucially, Highland Hall lacks integrity, their mission statement a hollow promise gutted by fear and money. Look elsewhere. —Submitted by a parent

My 3 children did not feel they learned any basic curriculum. Knitting, art and woodworking are great, but math, science, english, history are weak. Many of their high school students don't get into college. We left because our children were bored. —Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended HH for a year and enjoyed what they had to offer at the preschool age. However, she would come home and need to run and jump all over the place. Some kids just need to run. I like the Waldorf philosophy but I also feel times are changing and in order to keep a realistic perspective on our world, the media is a huge part of it. And being a psych major, I have learned that children feel safe when they can understand parts of their environment. Not keeping them in a bubble right smack in the middle of a thriving city. Plus parents have an imperialistic attitude at HH. The love and respect for nature and life should be given to all, not just those who can afford it. —Submitted by a parent

My son was there for a year and didn't learn a thing. We changed schools the following year to an more challenging academic setting. He had a lot of remedial work that he had to do the following year just to catch up to his peers. The teachers at Highland Hall are very nurturing and loving, however, the kids need more mental stimulation. I don't agree with their philosophy (actually Rudolf Steiner's) of delaying academics till the late elementary/jr. high years. My feeling is that either you're a Waldorf person or you're not, there's no middle ground. It turned out that my son had dyslexia, which had gone undetected as his class was not performing at grade level in reading or writing. He did benefit however, from having such a caring, wonderful teacher. The campus has an expansive park-like feel to it and is beautiful. —Submitted by a parent

My child loved her kindergarten teachers but by 2nd grade became frustrated with the repetition of form drawing and the weirdness of the eurythmy class. She is now in a charter school that is equally relaxed (no grades, no tests, no homework) but is more academically stimulating and inspiring. At Waldorf, every child works at the same pace, which is usually dictated by the children who struggle the most. —Submitted by a parent

If your child has any learning difficulties, this school is ideal for allowing them to work without enormous pressure. If your child is academically gifted, this school will not be a good fit. There is a strong anti-intellectualism from First thru 12th grade. —Submitted by Anna J., a parent

Adjusting to a traditional school revealed that my child was performing in every area below grade level. It took her a year to catch up, and we regret having not pulled her out before First grade. Although the campus appears serene and attractive, the lack of transparency in the curriculum is a serious problem.
—Submitted by Dorothy, a parent

Excellent kindergarten with our particular teacher; however, we had the very opposite experience in middle school; and we were so unimpressed by the time our child reached 8th grade that our child begged us to allow her to switch to a more traditional high school. —Submitted by Judy, a parent

Three children attended; the oldest had a great experience from k-8; our second child had a series of terrible teachers. The youngest child had a great kindergarten experience. The school has no ability to constructively address parents concerns —Submitted by a parent

In spite of the beautifuyl appearance, it feels like a cult. There are no academics standards. —Submitted by a former student

As the name states, this is a Waldorf school, which is a very definite thing. For some, it is perfect, for some not such a good fit. That is the first thing a prospective parent needs to research. One distinctive aspect of Waldorf schools is there is not a 'principal'. In the event of a problem, this can be an issue. We often felt we had no one to turn to for action on our concerns. Academically, we found Highland Hall on a very different page than other private schools in the area. Our children left with way above average vocabularies, and below level skills in concrete areas such as spelling and basic math facts. —Submitted by a parent

Teacher Close-up - Jim Ortlieb
01/11/07 Should burn in hell. Kicking soccor balls at kids in wheel chairs is not a good way to get kids to like you. I wasnt in his class but if i was....

Teacher Close-up - Christine Meyer
Christine Meyer, on many occasions, was viewed as being rude to other faculty members. She tried to have this " oh I am your friend approach" but honestly, she's too old for that. She has no Charisma as a teacher, she is rude to staff, students, and parents. Please rid Highland Hall of this réluctance.

Teacher Close-up - Lynn Rappaport
07/19/11 Can't answer simple questions. Teaches the same basic concepts each year so I don't feel like I've learnt anything. Hope I don't have to take chemistry in college because I know I'm not prepared!

04/21/08 She really cant teach. I feel as if I now know LESS about chemistry then when I started in 9th grade. Terrible.

06/26/06 She is smart, but she is not a good teacher. She cannot make everything clear enough. I did not learn as much as I would have if she had been more clear. I don't really like her.

Teacher Close-up - Stephen Craddock
07/29/10 I wish i could say something nice.
01/14/10 Simply is not clear on what he is grading you on, not clear on tests, says that all he can do is tell us, and it's too bad if we don't get it.
01/11/07 i dislike his classes just because he doesnt teach it too well, and doesnt help us understand it. but, he sings sometimes which makes it all better (not)

Teacher Close-up - Merrily Lovell
The first review is from me so I won't reprint it here.
08/17/11 Based on the standards of a Waldorf School, Merrily Lovell may be considered a decent science teacher but in terms of actual science she was definitely ill informed. Beyond that, she was more concerne