12/11/2025
In person training works best.
"In most public and private schools across the nation, Chrome books, iPads, or Windows devices are everywhere. But things look very different at the private Sacramento Waldorf School in California, where technology isn’t used at all through eighth grade and remains scarce even in high school."
Inside A Tech-Free School Where Tech Executives Send Their Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAZ-fuWdz8M
Excerpts from video:
"Students describe a very different childhood experience. Instead of turning to a phone to answer a question or ask for help, they learned to rely on teachers, friends, and their own resourcefulness. Many say they grew up playing outside rather than playing video games. One student noted, “We don’t have many screens here, but I can still use a screen really well. You don’t have to be on one all the time to know how to use it.”
Teachers say the absence of technology creates a stronger sense of community. “When I'm using a device, it divides me from those around me,” one teacher explained. “The community experience of being in a classroom comes from one-on-one human interaction, and the screen tends to divide that.”
Computer use on campus is minimal: six desktops in a small lab and twenty MacBook Air laptops used in a handful of classes. High school students may bring mobile devices, but they sign a pledge to use them only outside the classroom.
Companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft may not be thrilled to see a growing trend: low-tech education is becoming increasingly popular in Silicon Valley, especially among parents who helped create the very devices they now limit for their children.
The private Waldorf School of the Peninsula, located in Los Altos and Mountain View, is particularly sought after. Three-quarters of its parents have strong ties to the tech industry. Many famous tech leaders, including Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, were known for restricting device use at home; Gates reportedly didn’t let his kids have phones until age 14, and Jobs didn’t allow his children to use iPads.
Tuition at Waldorf schools varies widely. High school tuition at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula exceeds $35,000 per year, while elementary school starts just under $26,000. In Sacramento, high school costs over $19,000 and elementary school starts under $13,000.
Some observers note an interesting trend: being “tech-free” has become a sign of privilege. Children from low-income families spend about three more hours per day on screens than children from more affluent families. For families who can afford Waldorf education, it’s likely they also have the resources to create responsible media environments at home.
At Sacramento Waldorf, younger students aren’t taught computational skills at all. Instead, they learn through tactile, immersive activities. Handwork—unique to Waldorf schools—teaches all students to sew, knit, and crochet. By the time they finish, they can fix a button or repair torn clothing. Students also spend time outdoors: on weekly hikes they observe seasonal changes in the landscape, plants, and animals—experiences a screen can’t replicate.
Students learn to grow their own food, care for animals on the school’s farm, and participate in gardening classes from second to tenth grade. The farm includes a llama named Atticus, a cow named Paddy, chickens, ducks, and sheep. Inside classrooms, students work with their hands as well; most assignments are handwritten. This practical, hands-on education appeals to many parents concerned about the growing influence of technology."
