This letter went public when it was sent to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools,
and is posted with the permission of the author. — Dan
∞
To The Parents Desert Sky Community School and the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools:
My name is Rachael Colley and I recently resigned from Desert Sky Community School. [1] I am writing to inform you of the reason for my untimely departure. I resigned from my position as grade 3/4 teacher because I was unaware that I had been employed by what is, in my opinion, a religious cult [2] and cannot in good conscience continue, despite my love of the children and my sincere desire to give them the best education.
I love that Waldorf education has a rhythm [3], that there is a large block in the morning for children to really get into the lesson and that true unstructured play is encouraged. However, I cannot work in a place where lighting candles at a staff meeting and chanting a childs name (without the parents knowledge), as well as reading from the “Calendar of the Soul” [4] is done and is seen as normal, and even called a “child study”.
I cannot work in a place where the children are told to walk on the outside of the circle because the director is afraid they will “break the chalice”. [5] Or where children say verses (prayers) to “spirit”. [6] I am a spiritual person, but it should not be required of children in a publicly funded school. When this was brought up to my superiors, I was told that they “cannot imagine how I think religion is there”. [7] Yet I was told that the chicken coop must be built in a certain way because it, “brings the childrens souls to the earth”. [8]
If you have not already looked up anthroposophy, please do. It underpins everything that is said and done at Desert Sky. Understand that you will be lied to [9], and some people at Desert Sky believe that they know more about your child and what is best for him/her than you do. [10] Many (parents) are referred to in negative terms behind their backs, and your children are saying prayers with words that they do not know the meaning of.
There are good people at Desert Sky, people who love your children and also want the best for them. However, someone needed to stand up and be the voice of what really happens and what is really expected. Sadly, that task seems to have fallen onto me.
To all of the families, especially those with children in grades three and four I wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Rachael Colley
Source: https://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/why-she-quit
