Finland Not the Cure-All for American Education Woes

A really interesting NY Times piece about why Finland, “an object of fascination among American educators and policy makers” cannot be easily translated to the U.S.

Critics say that Finland is an irrelevant laboratory for the United States. It has a tiny economy, a low poverty rate, a homogenous population — 5 percent are foreign-born — and socialist underpinnings (speeding tickets are calculated according to income).

And yet how attractive is their approach:

“The first six years of education are not about academic success,” he said. “We don’t measure children at all. It’s about being ready to learn and finding your passion.”

I love the NY Times education coverage.

Want to learn how to be REALLY empathetic? RIE conference at Skirball coming up

http://www.rie.org/conference-2

Ongoing Art Classes and a Lecture (Tonight)

A Friend of El Rio, Jennifer Pitt recommends tonight’s lecture, Turning Education on its Head: What Modern Brain Research Says About How Children and Young Adults Learn, presented by Douglas Gerwin. Tickets $10 purchase at www.pasadenawaldorf.org. (Sorry for the late notice)

Also art classes taught by a former Waldorf teacher in Atwater:   www.aplacetocreate.net

Play Date This Saturday!

This Saturday, October 1st, 2011 we’ll be hosting a playdate at Tierra de la Culebra Art Park.

240 S. Ave. 57
Los Angeles, CA 90042

11am – 1pm.

We’ll be there with the kids.
Come join the fun!
xo,
El Rio

Parents of El Rio Play date THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday, August 27th, 2011 – and every last Saturday of the month – it’s time for another playdate at Tierra de la Culebra Art Park.
11am – 2pm. We’ll be there with the kids.
Come join the fun!
xo,
El Rio

EAT PLAY GIVE pictures!

Our Fundraiser, Launch Party, and Silent Art Auction at Tiara Cafe was a great success!

We raised over $10,000.

The dinner tickets sold out. The Silent Art Auction sold out. The food was AMAZING. The music was fantastic. There was a feeling of excitement at the start of something big.

Take a look at these pictures.

And THANK YOU for supporting El Rio Charter School.

Fundraising Dinner at Tiara Cafe

Chef Fred Eric talks about his own Waldorf education. Thanks Fred!

Joan Jaeckel talks about eating, playing and GIVING!

A couple of the pieces in the art auction: A ceramic vessel by Kelly Breslin and a signed print by Shepard Fairey.

Jeff regards the art.

Our Founders; Anna Sarah Russell and Joan Jaeckel.

Jennifer gives a welcome speech.

Dinner music by Preston Smith.

Julia P, Anna Sarah and friend, and Kirsten.

Julia and Jon.

Julia and Jenn.

Saturday 6/25 – Parents of El Rio Play Date

Teaching in Public Waldorf Education

Thank You, Volunteers!

Thank you to all who attended an El Rio volunteer meeting and/or the Workspace For Teachers Meeting(s).
Committees are being formed, decisions are being made, wheels are beginning to turn… Stay tuned.
On behalf of the El Rio Development Team, we are excited to be working with such a talented group of people as we move forward to making El Rio a reality.
And I’ll say personally that your devotion to el Rio warms my heart. I am re-inspired and motivated.

“WORKSPACE FOR TEACHERS” on Saturday, February 5th from 2-4PM, Highland Park

Friends,

The El Rio Charter School planning process is now getting to the heart of the matter.

Teaching!

If you’ve been following our progress you know we’ve been ueberbusy with business plans and bylaws and all such necessary parts of starting to move El Rio from rivulet to white water.  Parents write every day asking to participate.

And … some things just require teachers to weigh in.

So now, as we write our way towards our August deadline for presenting the El Rio Charter School petition to LAUSD, we turn to you, teachers, for input, feedback, guidance and vision.

Whether you are a teacher, a pre-service teacher …

• Are you interested in helping to write a charter petition for 21st century teaching that builds capacities for an enlightened future today?

• Do you wish to help build a network of classrooms in L.A. preparing young people to have the presence, empathy and initiative to think big and, as Obama said last night, “do big things”?

If this resonates with you, please join us at the first El Rio “WORKSPACE FOR TEACHERS” on Saturday, February 5th from 2-4PM at the home of El Rio Charter School development team member Jennifer Patton, in Highland Park, LA, CA 90042. Joan Jaeckel will facilitate a conversation between us and Julie Navarro will set the tone with a Waldorf kindergarten circle.

El Rio Charter School, although still a dream, is not a lone dreamer.  El Rio is part of a dynamically growing cultural movement of public Waldorf education that already has in it, nationwide, 45 public schools and 20 developing initiatives. Most of this growth is in California, northern California to be exact.  In L.A., things are just beginning.

Ocean Charter School opening six years ago and El Rio is in the works. The Mariposa school in Thousand Oaks is a ‘regular’ public school whose teachers implement Waldorf practices. Several individual teachers in L.A. schools use Waldorf approaches in their classrooms. The northern California school network grew out of close proximity to teacher training and intra-school mentoring.  We can build this same capacity of mutual learning  by getting together to imagine an expanded network of public Waldorf education adapted to the realities of urban, inner city life in Los Angeles.

The charter writing process, the most essential part of it all, can only be done with input from actual teachers – visioning what the children will experience, translating the vision into the actual charter petition, forming a mutual learning space … whatever is needed.

The WORKSPACE starts forming a energetic hub for L.A. teachers interested in teaching, adapting Waldorf teaching to the LA urban schools, interested in teaching or mentoring at El Rio … meet and form the actual life of the school.

Whether you wish to join us as actual worker bee between now and August or you only wish to come once or twice to share your thoughts — please join us for the first El Rio “WORKSPACE FOR TEACHERS” on Saturday, February 5th from 2-4PM .

For address and directions please  email joan.jaeckel@gmail.com.

Warmly,

Joan Jaeckel
Acting Director,
El Rio Charter School development team

P.S. Please allow 15 minutes for parking. Once at the house, you will follow the signs leading you up two flights of external stairs to the right towards a door to the cozy attic of the El Rio Charter School development team “HQ”!