Community. What is it?
Shared values. Kindred spirits. Complementary talents. We have that in abundance here at Alabama Waldorf School. If you need a load of firewood, call Dave Hall. If you need a car wash, call Mwenja. If you need a photographer, call Mike Mills or Chris Pritchard. If you need a chiropractor, call our Grow Together Partner Ellen Witt. The examples go on and on.

It's a community.

We share things. We help each other out. We get to know each other's strengths. And weaknesses.

Among our strengths is the vision to bring the fastest growing nonsectarian education to the Birmingham area, the unifying philosophy of Waldorf education, the common purpose of the faculty as they deliver the Waldorf curriculum, more than 100 collective years of Waldorf teaching experience, and our implementation of a tuition adjustment program that makes a private Waldorf education available to anyone who really wants it.

Our weaknesses include our small size, and the fact that the school is undercapitalized and operates with a limited marketing budget so our "branding" is weak in the broader community.

This translates to low enrollment which is the battle we are currently fighting. I said recently that 4 new Kindergartners and 4 new Grades students would erase our current budget deficit. We need the kindergartners to populate our 2010-11 First Grade. We need the Grades students to make each grade viable as a stand-alone class.

We have a great product, and so many people are grateful when they find us; Kylen Brown's parents, Kate Carlisle's parents,
Asata and Zion Jones-Rothblatt's parents have all stopped by recently to share their thankfulness. Max Wang's mom brought a friend on a tour last week and shared her own joy at how the school has met their family's needs. Sophie Cornelius's mom referred a friend who has a child who's unhappy at their current school.

Shared values. Common purpose. Helping each other out. Community.
Through this type of community spirit, we will survive and thrive.

So, call up a fellow AWS parent and have a cup of coffee together, or join me for a Friday morning after drop-off. Arrange a play date for your child with a fellow AWS student. Go to Triangle Park with some kindred spirits. You've built a community. Enjoy it!