As our daughters wrap up their 6th and 2nd grade school years, I fondly think back to when my husband and I took our first tentative steps through the front doors of Chicago Waldorf School for a Thursday morning tour in the fall of 2013. We entered into a warm, inviting space and were greeted by friendly faces and a caring energy. What we heard and saw in those couple hours completely changed our view and understanding of what school should be. We came away with a sense of openness, excitement and newness. After experiencing one Waldorf tour and orientation, we knew at a deep level this was what "school" should look like and transferred our daughters mid-year from the school they were attending. The focus on experiential learning paired with the practice of meeting the child with a cirriculum that matches where they are developmentally is paramount to the Waldorf educational philosophy. The parent community is also a huge part of what we have grown to love about the school. It is a vibrant, energitic and fun group of people who call CWS home. My husband and I are incredibly grateful to be a part of it. read more

The Chicago Waldorf School....although I have much to say, I will leave this brief and to the point. The school is poorly ran, they don't know how to accept change, they use people that willingly volunteer their limited free time until the person feels so used they never return to the "community". I happen to think that the philosophical base behind Waldorf education is way ahead of the curve; however, the people running the Chicago school are way behind. Maybe one day everything will click for them and the students can get the education they deserve without the distractions that have constantly plagued the school. - Alum read more

Our son, Henry, started attending CWS 8 years ago with me as part of the Parent-Child program and will be in 3rd grade next year. Our family is so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this special school community and to see our kiddo thrive over the years! It is wonderful to see the unbelievable connection to his teachers and his friends and to see him learning an incredibly diverse amount of subjects and life skills. It's a pretty remarkable thing to have a young child so jazzed both to go to school and to share almost-daily stories at home of his adventures there! read more

My kids (a current 5th grader and 2nd grader) LOVE to go to school. They are happy, healthy and excelling at math, natural sciences, humanities, creative writing and the performing arts. Chicago Waldorf School has an incredibly dedicated and leading faculty and the parent body is similarly actively engaged in school life. These are the benchmarks of a healthy school. Our family has been here for 7 years and we love the school and have watched our kids prosper. The administration is solid in providing leadership for this model of education that is distinct from other schools in Chicago. Being an independent, and to my mind unique model, requires a strong sense of mission to maintain in the face of public expectations, disinformation and some of the myths and critiques that I see in other posts. To find out the truth all you have to do is ask a student about the school or ask the parents how they feel about their school. The community is strong, diverse and dedicated to the school. Its too bad to see some individuals frustrations expressed here, but talk to the active community and you'll see the happiness, approval and dedication that parents, kids and teachers bring to the school. read more

Reading through the existing reviews shows the weakness of Yelp as a tool. You shouldn't complain about a restaurant if you park your car in a no-parking zone outside it and they tow your car. You shouldn't complain if you hate Chinese food and it was a Chinese restaurant. But people do, and they freely give one and two star reviews. YMMV. That being said, Waldorf is a lifestyle. A Waldorf school cannot really be compared to typical education, because the philosophy is different. Children who go through first grade in Waldorf then move to public school can be labelled "behind the curve" because of differing philosophies. Children in public schools are force-fed reading at an extremely early age. They are "taught" using television and graded incessantly, learning that their performance compared to their peers is the most important thing. Waldorf allows the student to learn to enjoy learning at his own pace. Discoveries and knowledge come when the child is ready, not when the chart says it's time. If you are considering a Waldorf school, read up on the philosophy before you visit. Most recent studies show that the philosophy is utilizing the true best practices for children to not only learn, but to live. Steiner: "Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility--these three forces are the very nerve of education." Chicago Waldorf School has long been among the top of the top Waldorf schools in the country. The staff is populated by teachers and staff who love their work and respect their students, and the students seem to really appreciate that they are someplace that values them, rather than somewhere they are forced to spend their days. Having moved to Chicago specifically to have our children attend this particular school (coming from another school out of state) we have been very pleased with the school and the community. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. It's an amazing place. read more

Our business, White Moon Healing Center, was a vendor at the Waldorf Holiday Fair this past Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. Saturday is one of our busiest days at the clinic, so we've only been able to visit the fair briefly on our lunch hour a handful of times over the years. This is the first time we've closed the clinic to participate in the fair. Since our clinic is located directly behind the school, we wanted to let the community know we were here. We've treated several Waldorf families over the years, and have heard what a great holistic community they have. We had such a wonderful time meeting so many like minded people. The festive atmosphere made the day even more enjoyable. Our client's daughter started as a freshman there this year. She came by with her parents to visit our table and told us how much she loved going to school there. She was happier than I've ever seen her, and we could tell she had finally found the school/community that was the right fit for her. We've been in this neighborhood for over 22 years, and we've seen how many good changes have come about since the Waldorf School came to Rogers Park. We've been able to enjoy the beautiful local gardens they have created, full of flowers, vegetables, and medicinal herbs. And we're also so grateful for Newleaf Natural Grocery as well, which was originally started by a Waldorf mom, and is now owned by our good friend Karen, who encouraged us to be a vendor at the fair. read more

I attended Waldorf as a high schooler and loved it. Before I had gone to public schools and never seemed to fit in/learn as much as I could, but with the Waldorf way of learning I found myself extremely happy. Oh- it is NOT a cult, there are not "bad" children there. It really is excellent. read more

Changed my daughter's life. She wasn't taking her school responsibilities seriously. The teachers worked with her to get at the root of the problem and with some tough love, got her on track. Her grades have improved in every subject and she has the quiet confidence that is a trademark of a Waldorf student. Can't recommend the school highly enough. read more

This is a wonderful education, go to their website to check it out. It explains the school better than I can. www.chicagowaldorf.org read more

I went here my entire life though 8th grade and honestly don't recommend it. Firstly, Waldorf teaches you to live in a bubble from the outside world and act like it's still the 1800's. Secondly, they give students no freedom to grow as individuals because you are taught to conform to Waldorf's uniform expectations; having to do your art in the exact same way, have the same weird anti-technology beliefs (honestly, we weren't allowed to talk about movies in elementary school!!), LEARN in the same way... And thirdly, connecting to the whole "learn the same way" aspect, I have learning differences and Waldorf in no way supported that. I got little academic help and teachers had no understanding of what I was going through. I spent my entire childhood thinking that something was wrong with me because no one cared to address and figure out what was up with my academic struggles. It is simply a very sheltered, every-one-has-to-be-the same environment and I am a million times more happy at my current, more progressive school. read more

My son started in parent-child classes in early 2013, which we both loved. The rhythm of the classes took getting used to but it helped a lot with socialization and building traditions with my son (kneading bread dough, lighting a candle at meals, sitting in a circle for a story, usually told with puppets or felt figures on play silks or story aprons, singing songs and following movements of the teacher). The early childhood rooms have a very dreamy, beautiful quality to them. If you walk by the windows on Loyola you can see some of the felt figures and "scenes" that are typical for Waldorf story telling. All of the toys in the rooms are wood or wool or cloth. There's always a craft project of some kind that we would do in the last half hour of P-C class, like knitting or felting or making mobiles with natural objects. Wet on wet watercolor painting. I'm not a very "woo woo" kind of person, and wasn't familiar with Waldorf education previously (until my younger sister had 3 boys and sent them to an amazing Waldorf school, which first led me to it) but having a chance to be part of that world with my son for the 2 years of Parent-Child that we took was a great start for him with this school. He is now in early education at the Lincoln Square building, which just opened this past September. He loves it and his 3 teachers there are very dedicated and caring. I feel very good about the choice so far. This is Chicago, so for outside space they go to a park across the street and climb trees and play under them and make up games with each other. They don't play on the playground parts of the park, more in the natural parts of it. The Roger's Park building has a bark mulch enclosed play space that is honestly a bit...sad. With a chain link fence around it. It's not big enough or diverse enough, considering how connected to nature Waldorf education seems to be, but it's a leased building, and it's not like there's and empty lot they could expand into. (Ah, that would be awesome!!) There are a number of holidays they celebrate during the year - which you can look up on the calendar. The Holiday Fair in December was pretty amazing. The teachers, students and parents are VERY involved, and it feels very authentically celebratory and special. I spent more time in the main building during this past holiday fair than I ever had before and gained more of an appreciation for the building than I had had before. It's an old building, but has a lot of character. The gym, especially. The kids seem confident, kind, assertive, direct, and... I guess a bit more comfortable in their own skin than a lots of tweens and teens I've seen? Not sarcastic or overly intimidated by adults. People actually make eye contact! But maybe it's because there are very few cellphones around when you're there, and they're all in the hands of the parents. It's been harder on ME than on my son but having very little tv time for my son has been a really great thing for him (though he misses it sometimes). It was hard to bite the bullet on that. I had to declare the tv broken, and as a single parent I knew I was using it to give mySELF a break, but his personality is actually improved without it. Way too long. So far so good! read more

My kids have attended this school since preschool. My daughter recently transferred to a school closer to our home and is thriving. The critical thinking and openness toward learning that she got from Waldorf is serving her well at her new school. My son still attends and loves it (as do we, the parents). My son is a very active kid and Waldorf appreciates that kids need to move; not only do they allow for that, but they work it into the curriculum. Both kids love to read, are very compassionate and have an inquisitiveness that I very much attribute to their Waldorf education. read more

The Waldorf School decided to paint over the mural at the intersection of Albion and Lakewood 3 years ago, without talking to anyone on the block about it. The mural had been voted on in a contest several years before in our neighborhood group and had been touched up over the years. They thought it was ugly and just started painting over it but were stopped by neighbors who saw them doing it. Since then, they've done nothing. The blank wall encourages graffiti, but they don't have the time, money, etc to actually repaint it with a new mural. It's been 3 years now that they've done NOTHING. So they destroyed a mural that the neighborhood had been behind (without asking anyone for input!) and now have left an eyesore for years. Thanks, guys! In addition to that, the Waldorf parents don't seem to think rules apply to them. Every morning dozens of them go the wrong way down part of a one way street at the same intersection as the mural was at, because it's more convenient for them to drop off their kids that way. There are arrows painted on the ground, one way signs and do not enter signs, so there is no way they don't know they're going the wrong way. They just think the rules don't apply to them, because they are going to Waldorf. The ones going down the road the correct direction often are going at very unsafe speeds as well. I've nearly been hit by people going the wrong way several times over the years. Waldorf is a bad neighbor. read more

When I first toured Waldorf I thought it was an amazing school overall. We were looking for a preschool and found the Early Childhood program was a great bridge between our home life and the world. My hesitation was that the preschoolers and kindergarteners were all in the same class, and I thought MY son would be bored after his third year in the same classroom doing the same things. After looking around at other schools we didn't feel that computers in the classroom and homework were appropriate for this age and we stayed at Waldorf. Our child is now in his third year in the Early Childhood program and I could not be more please with our choice. The sense of responsibility he feels as a kindergartener has never been lectured or explained to him. The responsibility comes deep from within and makes him stand tall with pride. He's experiencing leadership skills by the example of his actions, and how he helps other children. These qualities are becoming the fabric of who he is because they are happening at this early age. My child is far from bored. He gets to experience problem solving and creativity though true free play- not stimulation stations disguised as free play. He is working hard at refining his large and small motor skills through song, dance and movement; physical skills that will be important when he needs to control his body and sit still to read and write in years to come. And everyday he's told stories without books and pictures that develop his imagination and comprehension skills. I am delighted at how he is growing and learning at Waldorf. He is developing a confidence that will serve him well in school and in life. read more

I am an alumna of this school (graduated in 2007) and cannot fully express how this community and education shaped my life. It provided me with a strong foundation - wonder at the world, confidence in learning, a bias towards empathy and action, and so much more - that has given me the drive and passion to go after every ambitious goal I set for myself. The rich pedagogy that weaves all disciplines together gave me all the tools I needed to not only succeed in college and grad school but in professional and civic life as well. I will send my future children here and remain connected to this school and community for the rest of my life. All education systems and learning environments should take note of the Waldorf approach and integrate what they can. read more

We have 3 children enrolled at CWS. We are proud of our school and grateful our children can have this education. The strength of this school is the teachers. The teachers are amazingly devoted and skilled at inspiring the children. They develop a strong relationship with the student and with the family. Our children feel a loving respect for their teachers and they feel seen by their teachers. As parents we have a trusting relationship with all of our children's teachers. This has allowed us to work together with our children's teachers when our children have encountered a struggle. Our two oldest are avid readers, strong in math, and curious to explore and learn more. They are also balanced socially. They know how to be a member of a peer group, they can look adults in the eye and speak to them, and they can include younger children in activities. They are well rounded in sports, can play an instrument, and can create art. read more

I don't have any kids that go here, but I'm so glad that they're in the neighborhood. They have the artsy, crunchy vibe that I wish I was more exposed to growing up. read more

I do not trust the integrity of this institution. My son has attended this school for many years. The school only pretends to be following the teachings, but its intent is not anchored in the heart. They do not care about your child, only about your bank account. Presence is key and I'm ashamed to say we waited in vain for 6 years for the teachers to acknowledge this child, let alone inspire him. My son is now thriving in another setting. read more

My daughter was at CWS for 11 years, making it halfway through high school. I was an extremely active volunteer. The best part of the place is the community. The school itself has many internal issues that need to be resolved. Waldorf education is a great thing and its founder, Rudolf Steiner, a brilliant innovator. But CWS as an example of Waldorf learning falls down, especially in the middle/high grades. Maybe other Waldorf schools are more satisfyingly run. If those in charge of CWS were open to real change, such as the painful but necessary retirement of some instructors, it would help. They advertise constantly, rather than letting the education/school speak for itself. The tuition is disturbingly high. In the end we were deeply disappointed with how they handled our child's situation, despite having been a long-term attendee. Some kids there do have it very good--keeping the same teacher all the way through, for instance, or being on the receiving end of someone's favoritism. (The happiest families usually have students still in the lower grades.) But the teachers of our child changed 3 times through 8th grade, and the class kept accepting new students who brought in disruptive behavior and a sorry lack of the philosophy of the place. I'm a little sad to find that neither my child nor us, her parents, miss the place. read more

This school is a disaster. First, the administration is incompetent and inexperienced in both educational and financial matters. Second, while the Waldorf philosophy is a good educational philosophy, it falls down in practice at CWS. Instead of encouraging creative growth, my son was being asked to copy essays into his Waldorf book--appalling! Those Waldorf books are supposed to be the child's own interpretation of the material, not some copied essay. Third, while many parents are great, the teachers and administrators play favorites and demonstrate intolerance if you do not go along with their philosophy 100%. Finally, while CWS claims to be whole child centered and understand the individual, watch out if your child is a little different and does not fit in. They are very poorly equipped to deal with any learning, social or emotional problems and do more harm than good. read more

The Chicago Waldorf School provides a wonderful, well-rounded education for our kids. Their robust curriculum emphasizes critical thinking and creativity (instead of memorization and "teaching to the test"). The dedicated and talented teachers get to know our children as individuals, and help them grow intellectually, socially and physically so they can become happy, engaging and engaged adults who can explore and apply the full range of their talents. There is a very high level of parent involvement, and a strong and supportive community that surrounds the school. We could not imagine sending our children to any other school - and we have done a lot of investigation of the public and private options on the north side. No other school provides such a broad and challenging curriculum in a nurturing environment. read more

It's a pretty great school and I've enjoyed my time at this school but there are some things that parents who are going to send there kids to this school might want to know. The big one is that some of the kids don't take vaccines because there parents don't believe in them which is a little crazy. read more

My wife and I enrolled our oldest child in the Parent-Child program in 2001. She is now in 5th grade. Our second child is in 3rd grade, our 3rd child is in kindergarten, and our youngest (and last! ;)) is in Parent-Child. We are not wealthy, to say the least. We scrimp and save because the Chicago Waldorf School is a wonderful, priceless community and an institution that works--academically and socially. Sometimes a family enters with an idealized misconception and then they are disillusioned and disappointed to discover the school is composed of ordinary humans with flaws just like the rest of the entire world. And some families have experienced regrettable situations that were poorly handled (try to find a school anywhere where this is not the case), but on balance this is clearly a school that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work every single day with amazing dedication, talent, joy and reverence for the children. Stop by some morning, watch the children arriving, and you will see--and feel--a bit of that quality. read more

My children both attend this school, my oldest transferred in at 4th grade and has flourished into a wonderful 9th grader. He is balanced and loves school after previously struggling in a neighborhood parochial school. My youngest has flourished from early childhood to an amazing 3rd grader with a powerful "will" to do work! read more

While most of the faculty and staff in this school are well intended, some of the relationships among them are inappropriate and have an unfortunate impact on the social aspects of the school. At the same time, the atmosphere among kids and among the parents often is disconcerting due to bullying -- often stemming from kids and adults whose whose families are big contributors to the school or who are employed by the school. This sort of thing often happens when schools get too incestuous, and sadly, this is the case for Chicago Waldorf. I would not recommend sending your kids to this school until the administration lays out a clear policy as to how they will make sure that all kids and all adults are treated fairly and equally, without regard to how much money they pay or whether they work for the school. read more

My two middle school-aged children have attended the Chicago Waldorf School since preschool. My oldest son is now in 8th grade, and I feel certain that CWS has prepared him with the skills, confidence and creativity that will help him succeed in high school and beyond. Like many parents, I was initially drawn to Waldorf for its early childhood program and early grade school curriculum, especially its emphasis on art, music and movement. I was also drawn to Waldorf for what my children did NOT get--overexposure to media at a young age, teaching to the test, etc. But it was when my children reached middle school that I realized how the upper grades curriculum really shines. The CWS curriculum meets adolescents with what they need at every stage of their complex development. The coursework cultivates keen observation, thinking, writing and problem solving skills. Creative writing is integrated into nearly all subjects, and my children seem to have a confidence in writing (essays, poems, plays) and an enjoyment of the process. The CWS middle school academics are strong, with 5th graders studying Greek mythology and stories from the Ramayana, 6th graders taking physics and astronomy, 7th graders studying chemistry, the Renaissance, poetry, etc., and 8th graders delving into American history and world geography, using creative and analytic skills to make broader connections and consider complex problems. The entire curriculum is imbued with the creative arts, resulting in a student attitude that anything can be made with your own hands, from your own ideas, from a variety of materials--problem solving at work, to my mind. In a recent homework assignment, my son had to write an original essay explaining events in the French Revolution in the form of a newspaper article from the time (and then design and illustrate the newspaper as well). He had a wonderful time placing himself in frame of mind of a newspaper reporter/editor and wrote a creative, thoughtful, thorough account of the bringing down of the Bastille and how the event affected the Revolutionaries as well as the rulers. The next morning, listening to the morning world news on the radio, we heard a story about a Syrian news station that strives to keep residents informed of events in the war-torn area (even while the government tries to stop them). My son was able to see the connection between his newspaper assignment and the work of these real-life reporters, and we talked about the similarities between history and current events. More than anything, I see how the curriculum at CWS cultivates the curiosity, creativity and authenticity that young people need in today's world. I am so happy with our experience. read more

My two children are at CWS (one in 4th grade, the other in kindergarten). As an educator (at the college level) and as someone who remembers my own primary school education, I am convinced that CWS is the best place I could be sending my children. Though I do not subscribe primarily to the philosophy of Rudolph Steiner, the pedagogical principles enshrined at Waldorf are very much in harmony with what my wife and I intuitively believe is fundamental to education: activity, creativity, balancing of intellectual with physical and feeling challenge, and a curriculum steeped in rich, rewarding material that goes far beyond simply drilling the basics. As a professor dealing with young people freshly graduated from the nation's secondary schools, I am regularly appalled at the fixity and lack of critical intelligence that has been fostered in our children. What sold me on Chicago Waldorf, when my eldest was still an infant, was looking at the work of their high school students and hearing their thoughtful conversation. I have not had the negative experience of the other posters. We have loved and respected each of our children's teachers for the past 10 years. More importantly, they have loved and respected our children with a degree of care and concern I haven't seen nor heard of elsewhere, and which is strikingly at odds with my own public school education in the '70's and '80's. I recommend to my friends that are now having children of their own that they check it out, study the curriculum, but above all go and experience the community, at the Holiday Fair or an open house. Let the light and the work of Waldorf students speak for itself, as it did so forcefully to me. read more

I have two daughters currently attending CWS. I am grateful for the dedication of the teaching staff and their ability to deliver a comprehensive and meaningful curriculum. read more

My child was in the early childhood program for three years before moving on to a public school. There were a number of positive things about the program. Unfortunately, for the amount of money we paid in those three years, I wish I could say it was so amazing an experience we were willing to keep him there. I get the sense that the happiest families are those that donate the most money and that wholeheartedly drink the anthroposophy / Steiner kool aid. Beneath all the time spent outdoors and the wet on wet water colors and lyre playing is an education philosophy that is based on some unconventional beliefs. I'm all for unconventional, but when you try to convince someone that their child behaving like a bored six-year-old is something bigger that is the consequence of their particular birth experience and that because of this they need to see an occupational therapist, that's when you lose me. This recommendation was based on limited observations by individuals not even a part of the particular classroom. One of my biggest criticisms in this entire process was the lack of support we received from teacher/s who actually know the child. But then, what can you expect from someone who wants to keep their job? Waldorf likes to push occupational therapy for any and all quirks. We were told that unless we took our child to an occupational therapist to help with reflexes that weren't developed due to his birth experience he would not be able to function properly in a first grade classroom. My child was acting no different than the average six year old--goofing around during circle time, being a kid. We did not follow the occupational therapy recommendation. We chose to not return. Not surprisingly, our child has thrived in his new school. He is happy, he is learning, we feel like we can communicate easily with his teacher and feel supported in his needs, and that we are part of a community. At CWS parents are also not really welcome in the classroom unless it's a birthday for a younger child so if you're looking for a school in which you can be involved in something other than volunteering for a couple of larger school-wide events or donating money, this isn't the place to do it. I can't speak for academics, as we did not stick around long enough, but I can tell you that when we toured the first grade classroom it looked like the kids were learning very basic math--counting up to 10 at that point and I'm pretty sure it was well into the school year. As for diversity, considering the city we live in, it isn't diverse in its student body nor in its faculty. read more

The Chicago Waldorf School has been a very great place to be for my high school freshman and family ! Thank you Chicago Waldorf School.

I've had both my kids in Waldorf since they were in preschool (9+ years). The education, the community and age specific curriculum the school has are unique and rich. Both my children are highly independent thinkers and problem solvers - I'm proud of what they're learning at Waldorf. read more

Very rude staff. Went for an open house and was told by receptionist we weren't on list so couldn't attend. Turns out we were on list. We arrived at 8:45 not 8:00 when open house started and were told to come back later. No one could enter after the open house started. Seriously? Prospective business and I'm being turned away? My husband took off work to attend. Receptionist says he told everyone to be there by 7:45. I tell him that he did not tell me because i would have put that right into my schedule plus my daughter has to be dropped at school at 8:00 so I would have definitely remembered if he said something.. He replies he's very thorough too. Really? You were just telling me i wasn't on the schedule when i was. This guy has a real smug look on his face too like, "oh well too bad for you". My husband can't stay too long so we cannot attend the 10:30 time plus I had requested to view the 4th grade class but at 10:30 we'd have to observe the 2nd grade class. This makes no sense to me. Why would you inconvenience prospective customers especially since the schools reviews are less than stellar, average at best. This guy then goes on and asks me to recall the exact phone conversation I had with him and starts getting loud. I ask him why he's getting loud. Wait isn't this school all about peace and harmony and they have this belligerent receptionist insisting he's right I'm wrong? My husband runs a successful business for over 20 years. He says he's successful because he never treats customers this way. Forget this school. If this guy is an example of the attitude or mentality there then forget it. I understand all the negative reviews now. read more

Our son has been attending the Chicago Waldorf School since Early Childhood and is now a freshman in the High School. We couldn't be more pleased with education he has gotten. When he finished 8th grade we looked around at the many high school offerings in Chicago and nothing could compare to the well rounded education he's recieved at Waldorf (hence why we have returned). Just fyi, when he tested for highschools around the city his scores were excellent (he was offered a slot at Jones, so you know he had to test well) - so not sure what other reviewer is talking about about have to be tutored to be brought up to grade level. The teachers are outstanding and the community is our home away from home. Waldorf philosophy addresses the WHOLE child. Academics are strong, as is the art curriculum, but most importantly *everyone* here really cares about the children and the education they receive. A friend of mine, who need to leave the School for financial reasons told me that her son said "At Waldorf, I felt really loved" (something he did not feel at his new school) and I think that says it all. Great to be smart and prepared the for world -- and Waldorf does that very well -- even greater to have the visceral experience that "the World is Good". read more

My husband and I looked far and wide at schools in Chicago before choosing The Chicago Waldorf School for our two sons. They are young adults now and I credit this wonderful school for educating them not only intellectually, but also artistically, socially and spiritually - in the best sense of that word. Our sons are strong, well educated, compassionate men who are not afraid to think for themselves and connect with the world around them.The curriculum at Waldorf is rich and varied and the school stands by their philosophy with a true dedication and zeal that minimizes grades and test scores in favor of authentic artistic and intellectual endeavor. Aside from the critical thinking skills Waldorf imparts, every piece of the curriculum is infused with beauty, and the teachers cultivate a sense of wonder and optimism about the world that is quite powerful. Go see one of their student plays or musical concerts if you are not convinced that this is one of the best educational options in the city. read more