Letter to the Editor
- melissanilsen3
- Jul 17
- 2 min read
North Star Waldorf Academy: Let’s support all students by making room for many educational pathways to thrive
Recently, I wrote to the Union Tribune to respond to their coverage of North Star Waldorf Academy's June 10 hearing with the EUSD. You can read our letter, published July 11, below:
Thank you for covering the important and timely topic of the North Star Waldorf Academy in your recent article “Encinitas district reviewing petition for proposed Waldorf charter school.” As the lead petitioner and a long-time advocate for public Waldorf education, I appreciate the Union-Tribune’s balanced reporting. I’m writing to offer clarification and context about our proposal and to respond to some of the concerns voiced at the June 10 board meeting.
Several speakers expressed heartfelt support for district schools, their teachers, and principals. I share that respect. I’m a public-school parent myself and I believe deeply in the importance of strong, well-supported neighborhood schools. It is also important to remember that the charter process isn’t designed to undermine those schools. Charter schools exist to create options for families who aren’t being fully served by the system as it stands. These families are already seeking educational alternatives within or outside their district. Adding a Waldorf option to the Encinitas Union School District would increase state funding within the district and bolster its educational offerings.
Some speakers raised concerns about funding and fairness. Encinitas is a basic aid district, meaning it is funded primarily by local property taxes, not state-provided “average daily attendance” (ADA) dollars. That distinction matters in understanding how charter funding works in this case. But more importantly, conversations about money shouldn’t overshadow what’s really at stake: whether all families in Encinitas can access educational choice within the public school system.
North Star Waldorf Academy reflects the hopes of many Encinitas families who want a financially accessible Waldorf option close to home. These families seek an educational path rooted in a developmentally informed, whole-child approach, which includes teacher looping, low-tech curriculum, gardening, and meaningful time in nature. The fact that some parents are looking for something different doesn’t diminish the value of district schools; it simply reflects the reality that no single approach serves all children equally.
Our petition meets all legal requirements, complies with California standards, and is grounded in a well-established public Waldorf model that is already succeeding in other communities across the state. We welcome accountability, transparency, and oversight. At its core, this petition is about giving more students a chance to be seen, supported, and inspired at school.
I hope the ongoing public dialogue can move past fear of change to openness and possibility. Let’s support all students by making room for many educational pathways to thrive.
Read the letter in the Union Tribune's online platform here:
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