Morning Lesson Cohorts

Credo is unique among American high schools using the Waldorf curriculum in that it will be by far the largest. This gives us greater flexibility, more resources that enable more program offerings, and more social opportunities for students. We project building gradually over seven years from our initial 43 students to full enrollment of 640 students; in 2012-13 we project ninth grade class of 96 students and a tenth grade of 50 students.

We will order our classes of, ultimately, 160 students per grade level into cohorts of 32 students each. These cohorts take all of their Morning Lesson classes together. Each cohort has a pair of teachers, male and female, who will remain with the cohort as their class guides, leading the cohort on autumn adventure learning excursions and teaching weekly Social Sustainability classes.

Throughout the day beyond Morning Lesson, students mix in track classes with other students of their grade level, and sometimes with students from other grades as well. Foreign language and music classes, for example, may be organized according to student ability rather than grade level.

We believe that this model offers students the familiar comforts of being part of a committed social unit guided by two teachers who will come to know them quite well, supporting them not unlike a grade school class teacher. Throughout the bulk of the day, the students will mix with a varied population of other students, offering the expansive social opportunities that adolescents desire.