Terra:
You bring up a host of important issues regarding 1st amendment rights in private schools and what public funds should support in education.
Liberal and desperate educators have been trying to implement extra-curricular activities that assist kids with concentration, mental health, and well-being for decades. Cult-like organizations, like Transcendental Meditation and Scientology, have been tryng to "sell" their so-called non-religious ideas and techniques for child improvement into schools. Other than being a recruiting devise, these cults believe that the entire world will benefit from their one-size-fits-all techniques.

Some pvt schools run into lawsuits for accepting public funds to teach their "religion" that they claim is NOT a religion but some kind of science. Waldorf Schools based on Steiner's Anthroposophy, eg:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLANS

Like "candle-gazing," silent meditation, yoga excercises, positive affirmations, guided meditations, etc. all have obvious side benefits for relaxation if not overdone---some people get full relaxation benefit from these 'meditative' techniques in 5 minutes, others in 15 or 20.

The problem is this: All the above are forms of self-hypnosis and that means a technique that reduces mind noise and peripheral awareness while focussing on something. If the client feels something wonderful from the exercise, the very next option in their or their parent's mind is: "What produced this wonderful feeling?"

Naturally, every cult will claim that it is not only their "technique, but also an entire system based on some guru that did it for the client. Recruitment begins at that point---that is exactly why these groups want this stuff (with their label subliminally attached) in the schools.

In and of itself, candle gazing is not harmful---for 5 minutes with no guru or cult pseudo-science attached!

joe

Interesting points here...
When my daughter was in primary school, in a somewhat disadvantaged neighbourhood, it was an arts based school, with which I had no problem, I noted that when kids got to grade 7 or 8, they were unusually nice for that age group, when many of their peers were joining street gangs. However, a program was introduced called "second steps"...basically, probing the kids' mental health, family situations, with a psychoanalytical focus. I was happy that my daughter hated this program!!! She is a well-adjusted teenager, but cringes if anybody asks her "how are you feeling?"...lol.
Guess my point is, any school may be pushing ideas or programs that parents may wish to investigate. The hallmark of a good school is what are its graduates like? Have learned a little about that school in Yelm, it sounds weird, but relatively harmless. And I am betting that if there is indocrination going on, it is with the approval of the parents, most of whom appear to be in RSE.

Joe-
Interesting wikipedia article.
I found that the Olympia Waldorf school
that my son attended for 4 years maybe
was more "liberal" in regards to what Steiner taught.
It has been my experience that Waldorf educated children are more well rounded, carry themselves with poise, are very attuned to others around them and are more sensitive to other's needs as well as the environment.
My son actually had a teacher who had previously taught at a public school whose daughter had been schooled in Waldorf. Maybe this was the magic solution.
In no way, shape, or form, did I even witness Wiccan techniques performed
(I worked there part time, and if you don't know about Waldorf education, a parent must "volunteer" 80 a year to the school. I spent alot of time during the school day at the school itself.)
The only thing I think I found a bit overboard was that the class right ahead of my son's had a Jewish teacher, and I think during the 3rd grade curriculum involving the story of the Jews and the ancient lands, I think he had a biased view. But then again, this teachers'
parents were
huge financial contributors to the Olympia Waldorf school.
When my son "grew out" of Waldorf ( he could only take so many stories of fairies and saints), he actually was tested for the public school a grade ahead.
He was fairly fluent in 2 foreign languages by age 11. He played the violin, flute, and knew how to knit and crochet ( I got the coolest hacky sack EVER made that year for Christmas! ).
He was reading at an 11th grade level and was a very concientious and self-contained boy.
Had he chosen to continue with Waldorf, I was willing to make the changes necessary for his high school education (the nearest Waldorf High School is in Seattle).
I would never trade his grade school education for ANYTHING.

Our son also attended a Waldorf school. He attended the one in S. California and went through high school and attended college on an athletic scholarship and is a very happy, incredibly successful and well rounded adult.

It was a great experience for him and us and I only wish I had learned of it earlier so our daughter could have had the benefit of such an education.

Private religious schools, even the more eccentric ones like Waldorf, can do a good job with helping students to learn even if they use 'oblique' ways to get them there. It depends a lot on who is teaching, not on the Steiner content.

My old cult, CUT, also had a "school" wherein they taught chanting decrees and their bizarre Ascended Master stuff along with the required stuff--many of those kids went on to higher education with good grades and seemed to do okay socially once they made adjustments. Most of the children that enter these schools come from fairly well educated parents despite their "beliefs", so they have a cultural advantage no matter what kind of school they are in.

The Waldorf legal problem is over public funds supporting ostensibly religious teaching, not over how well the students do or how creative they are.

Again, the rule as I have seen is that most young adults will shed the eccentric and cultic teachings they got from these schools as children but keep what works for them in life.

I did the same thing with my Catholic schooling, dropping the internal church stuff for 20 years after high school---I speak from experience.

joe