Each month the children of the Waldorf School in Oberursel, the Freie Waldorfschule Vordertaunus, show each other what they have learnt in a „Monatsfeier“. Twice a year this is held in public so that their parents and anyone else who is interested can come along and watch.

The public Monatsfeier this autumn was not only a chance to do just that in the Stadthalle, but also to meet the school’s new manager, Dr. Ralf Gissel.

Now the idea of a school having a “manager” (Geschäftsführer) may sound pretty strange, but maybe it is the terminology that makes it that way. Dr. Gissel, himself a parent of 3 children who have visited or are still at the school, explained that the “head” of the school is split into three roles. There is the academic head, the manager and the chair of the charity (e.V.). The academic head can concentrate on academic matters within the school, while the charity is concerned with raising the money to fund it.

The manager sits between the two and is responsible for the administrative part of the school for which he has six employees and many of the parents in supporting roles.

Dr. Gissel also explained the difference between an “Ersatzschule” and a “Privatschule”, [Read more…]