Governance Overview

Great Oak Waldorf School (GOWS) is governed as a non-profit organization that operates in a collaborative leadership style.  Like other Waldorf schools, both domestically and internationally, the governance of GOWS works to fulfill the mission of the school and to operate using recognized best practices to meet the needs of the school community in the present and toward the future.  

The governance of GOWS is made up of three pillars, the Faculty, the Board, and the Administration.  Together, we are committed to pursuing and maintaining improvement and advancement toward progressing our school community using best practices, self-reflection, professional development, mentorship, and innovation. 

Great Oak Waldorf School strives to be as transparent as possible with the wider school community while being professionally protective of the privacy of our families, students, and personnel.  

Faculty

The Faculty is responsible for the culture of the school. It guides the pedagogy and actualizes the mission of the school through teaching, curriculum development, teacher selection, evaluation and mentoring, student selection, strategic planning and mission renewal.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the economics and oversight of the school.  The Board caretakes the Mission of the school and holds the College of Teachers and the Administration responsible for accomplishing the Mission. The Board is responsible for the legal, strategic planning, budget approval, fundraising leadership and risk management oversight affairs for the school.

Administration

The Administration is responsible for the smooth daily operations of the school.  The administration implements policies approved by the Faculty and Board, plans, budgets and collects tuition and fees, manages human resources, oversees and manages enrollment of families, supervises implementation of strategic plans, facilitates and ensures the smooth daily operations of the school.