The complex economical, legal and cultural demands and dynamics in the 21st century ask for new ways of organizing as many school-leaders admit. Based on interviews with school leaders in different European countries, there seems to be a longing for reinventing new leadership concepts and skills to make this possible. In different countries one can observe different responses to this challenge. But for those who are involved, there is hardly any professional support available. This project wants to contribute to filling this gap.
In many countries Waldorfschools offer an attractive type of education for children to an increasing number of parents (educators). It causes of a strong growth of existing schools and a lot of new school initiatives. In this dynamic Waldorfschools face a lot of challenges that can be summarized in this question: How do wehave to organize ourselves in order: ● to provide full responsibility of teachers to offer the high standard type of education expected by parents and promised by the schools, ● to realize a type of management and leadership that fully support the core-process of education ● to be connected to the needs and the challenges of the surroundings of the schools and its stakeholders? Dealing with these issues appears to be a leadership question. It is all about strengthening the competences of the professionals/teachers, the teams and the schoolcommunity to form right judgements and to make right decisions. For this to realize both veteran and newcomers in the schools have to find a common focus on working together, grounded in a shared vision to serve the pupils and the expectation of their parents/educators.