Boulder Community School/Integrated Studies

As the only arts-integrated, Waldorf-inspired elementary school, BCSIS draws many families and seems to have great potential. Unfortunately, our family had some terrible experiences at this school, and we witnessed others having bad experiences as well. Our concerns around social interactions were routinely downplayed and at times dismissed completely. Bullying can be a reality in any school. In our experience, it was not dealt with well at BCSIS. This caused unnecessary suffering. We witnessed other parents with concerns being dismissed as well, and even mocked, when the issues they brought up weren’t deemed to be valid by teachers. If you believe that education should be a partnership between the school, the students, and the parents, this school may not be a good fit for you. As with any school, do your research and talk to a variety of families with children in different grades, as well as graduates and families who have chosen to leave. Plenty of families seem to be happy at this school, but we know of a number of folks, including ourselves, who have been severely disappointed.

I've had 3 very different kinds of kids go through this school, and BCSIS has served all of them well. The combination of teaching philosophies allows many types of learners to thrive. If something doesn't stick one way, at least there are a couple other options. Such a rarity in education these days! Also, the teachers (as best they can) take into consideration the interests of the kids. No, the kids are NOT driving the curriculum. Nor are they empty vessels in which to impart knowledge. But it is more of partnership where the students opinions count and are truly part of the process. If you want to spend another couple weeks on Shakespeare, well, ok. Let's squish around the curriculum to accommodate passionate learners. This makes some parents, admittedly, uneasy. But it works for the kids. :-) Artsy kids, literary kids, mathy kids . . . If you want top-down management, lots of other options. If you want a school that respects & honors your whole child, choose BCSIS.

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