by Árbol de Vida, Waldorf Educational Community

Until the end of this past school year, we, the Árbol de Vida, Waldorf School, had our campus in Rancho Los Charcos, 15 minutes outside of San Miguel. The school had legally binding land-use agreement, which was valid (which is valid) until the year 2023.

During this summer's vacation, quite suddenly in late July, the non-profit organization and the landowner with his representatives experienced fundamental and irreconcilable differences in their interpretations of the autonomy and freedom of the administration of the educational community and its non-profit organization.

The continued use of the campus would have required accepting the removal of the school´s administration and board. (The all-volunteer board is made up of parents, teachers and administrators.) This would mean ceding the property, the non-profit (Civil Association) and the school to the owner and his representatives.

Of course, this disturbance caused a great deal of stress to our school community, which at the end of the 2017-18 school year had 37 kindergarteners (from 3-6 years old), 85 elementary and junior high students (from 7-15 years old), a total of 84 families, 17 teachers and 4 administrators.

Unfortunately, efforts at dialogue were not fruitful and the owner decided abruptly to abandon the land-use agreement and retake possession of the land suddenly and without following the customary legal proceedings. This included everything that remained inside the school: all of the belongings of the non-profit organization and educational community, personal belongings of children, teachers, staff, personal documents of the parents and families, equipment belonging to construction crews, school materials, tables, chairs, chalkboards, etc.

For us, a true educational community based on Anthroposophy is a social and spiritual entity, where dialogue should reign supreme, and communication builds agreements that benefit all members of the community and in particular benefit the children at its center. We accept that the physical space has an owner, however the educational community does not.

This is not the first time Arbol de Vida and Educación Antroposófica has withstood a moral crisis. It is true that the stars shine brightest on the darkest nights. Now, as in previous situations, we have sought to be true to our principles of goodness, beauty and truth, and have acted with honesty and always in pursuit of greater consciousness. To build the community to which we aspire we organize horizontally, not hierarchically. Far from authoritarian, we remain cooperative in our function. We remain committed to freedom in the education of our children and as an ideal of the larger society in which we participate.

Arbol de Vida has started a new school year last Tuesday, September 4 on a new, beautiful, tree-filled campus located in the town of Atotonilco (Calle Principal #100). We will start the school year with very few material belongings, but with greater conviction and spiritual strength than ever.

We have expressed our commitment to re-establish our educational project with the same quality, professionalism and transparency. Due to this solid foundation we have been able to confront this transition and maintain the confidence of the almost all of our families and children. We are certain that the interest in the greater good for our children will guide us on the right path.

Our new campus is in many ways an improvement over the old. Like the phoenix we have risen with new strength from the ashes. Still, we find ourselves in a moment of change. Any help - material, economic, volunteer, expressions of encouragement and love, meditations to accompany us - will be of great value. We believe in the support of the spiritual world and the fraternity of humanity.

Contact:
Arboldevida.sma@gmail.com, socoarboldevida@gmail.com
415-110-2040, +52-1-415-111-6832 WhatsApp

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Árbol de Vida is an educational community inspired by Rudolf Steiner´s Anthroposophy. It was established in 2012 as a non-profit organization called Educación Antroposófica AC with the mission to administer the existing 20-year-old Waldorf school that at that time found itself on the brink of closing. Our community has flourished as a result of hard work, with great enthusiasm to provide quality education with professionalism, enthusiasm and transparency.

Our mission is to provide a fertile environment and the tools for the healthy social, emotional and academic development of each child and create a space where their talents and skills are put to meaningful use in creative ways.

We aim to educate our children to become free-thinking adults, capable of finding direction and purpose in their lives, as well as new solutions to the problems of our times. We seek intellectual freedom, artistic creativity and a sense of social responsibility.

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