Cooperative Foundations of Governance: The Partnership of Three Governing Bodies

The governance of The Denver Waldorf School has been shaped by a partnership of trustees, teachers, professional administrative staff, and parents. Based on the existing governance structure, the College of Teachers oversees pedagogical policy, curriculum, program administration, faculty hiring, professional development, firing, and admissions. They cooperate with the Trustees and school administration in yearly budget planning. The College includes the school Administrator, and together they function as a collective Headmaster. The College is a volunteer leadership body. The Faculty, in addition to carrying out their individual teaching roles, is active in collaborating to create and coordinate the school’s educational program. They meet weekly in section meetings of the Kindergarten, , and High School. The faculty also participates in a weekly Learning Colloquium, working together as a group of professionals to explore further and deeper the wellsprings of Waldorf education. In addition, salaried faculty members act as teacher/administrators and participate across the spectrum of school committees.

Parent involvement has contributed key participation and leadership in the Board of Trustees and its core committees that have worked steadily to envision, fund, manage, and embody the school and its programs. Policy decisions of the Board have strongly shaped legal, fiscal, administrative, site development and fund development activities of the school. The Board is composed primarily of current and former parent volunteers.

The full staff of Administrators, overseen by the Administrative Director, brings support to a wide range of administrative and business matters, including administrative oversight, the carrying out of administrative policies and procedures, day-to-day management, record keeping, fund development and fundraising, admissions procedures and practices, business and financial management, school-wide communication and publications, personnel practices, and building and site maintenance.

The Leadership Team, comprised of the Administrative Director and one of the Chairs of the College, Board, and Faculty, meets bi-weekly. Their major responsibility is to act as a conduit of information among the governing bodies and to set agendas. As they meet and work together they strive to balance responding to urgent needs and overseeing the strategic plan for the future.

The emphasis here is on a cooperative form of leadership that emerges out of identified capacities, conscious leadership selection, and the will to serve the school as a whole. Together the knowledge, talent, and experience of individuals in the school community, committees, and bodies they serve, must continue to work together cooperatively, guided by a clear and transparent governance plan. The goal of the present and future plan is to guide designated school bodies, committees, groups, and individuals to effective, coordinated work on behalf of the children of The Denver Waldorf School.

If the question or concern is administrative in nature, parents are asked to bring them directly to the Administrative Director.