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Anyone know Melinda Messenger?

342 replies

barking · 15/04/2008 23:32

I was recently talking about her on the steiner/waldorf thread and read tonight that she has just split from her husband partly due to the lifestyle change required by steiner schools.
Just wanted to post here, incase anyone knew her and could point her to the thread here

OP posts:
Thebee · 16/04/2008 00:27

Right. The latest anti-Waldorf diatribe pursued here at MN in all Steiner threads since months by a small group of supporters of the small anti-Waldorf fringe group in the US, described here.

For reliable info on the Steiner day care centers and independent schools in the UK, see the 32 Ofsted inspection reports, found HERE

twinsetandpearls · 16/04/2008 00:42

What lifestyle changes are required by Steiner schools.

Califrau · 16/04/2008 00:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mamazon · 16/04/2008 00:50

As i have no idea what Steiner schools are, could someone explain this to me please.

i clicked the link and saw that someone had quoted MM as saying her Dh had been pulling her hair whilst she was hitting him.
i reckon the childrens school was the least of their problems.

twinsetandpearls · 16/04/2008 01:16

I read that too. Did he just not want to move? So the problem was moving not the school.

northernrefugee39 · 16/04/2008 08:31

twinset- it's underlying philosophy is a cult called anthroposophy.
Ads a prent, you have to give up time to fundraise fanatically, and become heavily involved in craft groups, cleaning the school etc.
It's a cult thing, working towards a common goal, a sense of "community"
At the school our kids wee at they talked about not mixing with outsiders.
This poster thebee is ananthroposophist ;he is a 60yroldish man, who has no kids, isn't involved in Steiner education as far as can be known, as he won't answer questions.
He is in Sweden, and posts to websites he owns.
He wants to protect the image of Steiner schools.
He is desperate to gag stories like mine and all the others who have had terible times at tthe schools.

Thebee · 16/04/2008 10:38

Wikipedia has an excellent article on Waldorf education. Since an arbitration 2006/2007, where a supporter of a small anti-Waldorf fringe group in the US, that also Northern supports, was banned indefinitely from editing any Waldorf related article for his behaviour, the editors of the article can only use reliable sources for what they write in the article.

For more on Waldorf education, see Waldorf Answers (I have contributed to that site, based on my experience of Waldorf education, and the myths about it cultivated by the small American anti-Waldorf fringe group, that Northern supports and promotes in all forums she can find on the net.)

The group is described here, and the top ten+ myths they have cultivated and publish on the net since long are described here. The description is based on ten years of experience of the group.

Northern has initiated a witch hunt against Waldorf education here at Wikipedia since a number of months in all Waldorf related threads, and has been followed by a gang of supporters of the described group. They have also made raids to the TES and the BBC parenting forum. But the BBC thread was closed due to violation of BBC discussion rules and the TES thread was deleted. Northern has also made a personal raid to the Green Parent forum, but they decided they did not want her there, have banned her, and told that they would delete the latest thread where she wrote.

She and other supporters of the fringe anti-Waldorf group write frenetically here at MN. But almost no normal Mumsnetter participates or engages in the threads, where the group writes 1000s of postings to get attention.

Thebee · 16/04/2008 10:38

As for Waldorf education, while anthroposophy constitutes the general philosophical basis of waldorf education, and is reflected in the attitudes of many Waldorf teachers and in the general structuring and orientation of Waldorf education during the different stages of development, anthroposophy is not taught as such to the students in the overwhelming majority of Waldorf schools world wide.

If anthroposophy is taught in some form by an individual teacher, it is done against the basic Waldorf tradition and in complete contradiction of the intention of Steiner Waldorf education.

To the many pupils from the at present appr. 1000 Waldorf schools world wide belong the present Prime Minister of Norway, put at the Waldorf school by his father, an earlier Minister of Foreign Affairs in Norway. The present Minister for the Environment in Sweden also is a former Waldorf pupil, as also the present CEO of American Express. At one time in the 1950s, John Kerry and his sister went to a Waldorf school in Berlin, when their father was stationed at the American Consulate there.

Except for the 32 Ofsted inspection reports on Steiner daycare centers and independent schools in the UK, described and linked to above, a UK DFES academic study on Steiner Waldorf education has been published. For a BBC story on Waldorf education, see here. For a The Independent article on the subject, see here.

Just for some perspective on what Northern writes here.

Thebee · 16/04/2008 10:41

And, I forgot, in Sweden, where I live, the Waldorf schools are integrated in the general school system and financed by the state.

MrsMattie · 16/04/2008 10:44

Why are you posting all this?@Bee. It's bizarre. Move along!

CrushWithEyeliner · 16/04/2008 10:44

He never actually approved of the schools but she felt v strongly about them iirr. How sad

Piffle · 16/04/2008 10:52

article here about Melinda and the move from late last year
here

Saturn74 · 16/04/2008 10:56

www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=559758&in_page_id= 1773

Seems like there are several issues, and they didn't split just because of the differences in opinion re schooling.

Not sure it is appropriate for supporters of Steiner to use her as their poster girl.

Or for opponents of Steiner to point the finger of blame at her.

barking · 16/04/2008 12:08

This is too bizarre - The stalker who is known as Thebee/Eva52/Sune Nordwall has followed me onto another thread

I'm up for reporting him, he is going way too far and trying to stop free speech, he may do it on wikipedia but not here!

OP posts:
Thebee · 16/04/2008 12:13

This thread discusses Waldorf education and anthroposophy. I participate. You want to supress free speech at MN?

MrsClinton · 16/04/2008 12:13

hides thread

Dragonbutter · 16/04/2008 12:15

oh goody another thread to hide.

Mamazon · 16/04/2008 12:20

Well thanks for clearing that all up for me TheBee

so basicly its like a school for stepford children?

got ya.

glad i don't know of any and couldn't afford one even if i did.

Thebee · 16/04/2008 12:24

Mamazon asked what Steiner schools are. I answered her.

Mamazon · 16/04/2008 12:30

So do your children attend such schools theBee?
do you feel the schools requirments have had an impact on your relatiionship?

Kewcumber · 16/04/2008 12:35

"It all came to a head when I said we were moving." If my partner came home and "told" me we were moving I think I would have a few issues with it too. The school sounds like the least of their problems.

blueshoes · 16/04/2008 12:37

you are a strange one, thebee. Lay off your attacks on Northern. I have an almost normal Steiner near me, but not touching it with a 10 foot bargepole.

Thebee · 16/04/2008 12:37

"so basicly its like a school for stepford children?"

No, in contrast to stepford mothers, most Waldorf mothers probably are working hard outside of home.

"glad i don't know of any and couldn't afford one even if i did."

Waldorf schools (probably mostly) try to see to it that the personal economy of parents is as irrelevant as possible, if they want to have their children at a Waldorf school.

Freckle · 16/04/2008 12:39

In that article they mention that she is 37 and he is 30, but also state that they were childhood sweethearts. At what point in her childhood was that?? When she was 14 and he was 7? Or she was 16 and he was 9??

Thebee · 16/04/2008 12:41

"So do your children attend such schools theBee?"

I don't have children of my own ("just" a very intelligent Goddaughter). I do have a Waldorf teacher training and have worked as a Waldorf teacher.