Dr. Ida Oberman

Professional career

Since 2023 // Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Educational Science at Alanus University.

2008 – 2023 // Founder and Managing Director at the Community School for Creative Education, Oakland, California, USA. First statewide urban, multicultural, comprehensive K-8 charter school inspired by the Waldorf approach, serving the San Antonio neighborhood in Oakland and the surrounding areas.

2019 – 2023 // Founder and Director for the USA of the “Friends of Waldorf Education Emergency Pedagogy Center California-USA.”

2015 – 2022 // Co-founder and Director of the “Mills Waldorf Professional Development Certificate Program” at Mills College, Oakland, California, USA.

2007 – 2009 // Educational Consultant: Oberman Consulting. This included educational evaluation services for educational organizations in the Bay Area, including Save the Bay and Springboard Schools.

2003 – 2006 // Director of Research and Evaluation: Springboard Schools, San Francisco, California, USA. Led a five-person research team at the San Francisco-based school reform initiative supporting school districts and schools in California with research, coaching, and professional development.

1998 – 2002 // Member of the state advisory committee for National Board certification: support for the Department of Education in its efforts to increase the number of National Board-certified teachers in California.

1998 – 2001 // Associate Program Officer for Education: Hewlett Foundation, Menlo Park, California. Designed grant programs and solicited and reviewed grant applications for the foundation’s K-12 and higher education funding portfolio.

1996 – 1998 // Researcher: Center for Research on the Context of Teaching, Stanford University. Member of the team responsible for evaluating two Annenberg sites: the Bay Area School Reform Initiative and LEARN in Los Angeles.

1997 – 1998 // Staff member: Pew Forum on Primary and Secondary School Reform, Stanford University. Team member at eight Pew Forum conferences, two of which were led.

1995 – 1998 // Co-founder and facilitator: West Side Community School, Manhattan, New York, USA. Lead founder of the public Waldorf pilot program on the edge of Harlem in New York.

1988 – 1993 // High School Teacher: Trinity School, New York, USA. Responsible for teaching history in grades 9 and 10.

1984 – 1988 // High School Teacher: Green Meadow Waldorf School, New York, USA. Responsible for teaching history in grades 9 to 12.

Education

1988 // PhD in Education on the topic “Fidelity and Flexibility in Waldorf Education, 1919-1998” at Stanford University, California, USA.

1986 // Seminar for Waldorf Education, Stuttgart. Completion of state-recognized teacher training in elementary education (“class teacher”), German and history for secondary schools.

1982 // Master of Arts in Education History at Stanford University.

1980 // Bachelor of Arts in History at Swarthmore College.

Oberman, I. forthcoming. Harnessing Waldorf To Dismantle Racism & Advance Democracy: Problems and Possibilities. In: Democratic Waldorf School, right-wing extremism and New Right narratives – positioning and fields of action in the post-migrant society. Steinwachs,F.& Hüttig, A. Stuttgart.

Oberman, I. (2024). Educational Advancement at Waldorf Schools: School Experience
Oakland, California. In: Beckel, L, Maschke, T, Stein, F (Eds.), Educational Equity: transformation-empowerment-sustainability. Edition Kunstschrift im Residenz-Verlag, Salzburg, pp.173-187

Oberman, I. (2019). Waldorf Emergency and Trauma Pedagogy Comes to the US. In: LILIPOH: The Spirit of Life, Summer 2019, pp. 31-37.

Oberman, I. (2008). The Waldorf Movement in Education from European Cradle to American Crucible, 1919 – 2008. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. Oberman, I. Summer 2008. Waldorf Education and Its Spread Into the Public Sector: Research Findings, Encounter: Education For Meaning and Social Justice. 21 (2).

Oberman, I. et al (2007). Balancing Act: Best Practices in the Middle Grades. San Francisco: Springboard Schools.

Oberman, I. et al (2007). Bringing the State and Locals Together: Developing Effective Data Systems in California School Districts.” In Loeb, S, Bryk, A, & Hanushek, E, Getting Down to Facts: A Research Project Examining California’s School Governance and Finance Systems, Stanford: Stanford University.

Oberman, I. (2007). Statistical Analysis. In: Gerwin, D & Mitchell, D 2007 Survey of Waldorf Graduates, Wilton, New Hampshire: Research Institute for Waldorf Education, pp. 69-96.

Oberman, I. et al (2005). Challenged Schools: Remarkable Results—Three Lessons From California’s Highest Performing High Schools San Francisco: Springboard Schools, San Francisco.

Oberman, I. & Walsh, K. January/February (2005) What Matters Most in Closing the Gap, Leadership (Vol.34/No.3), pp. 8-14.

McLaughlin, M. & Oberman, I. (eds.) (1996). Teacher Learning: New Policies, New Practices. New York: Teachers College Press.

Oberman,I, & Balderrama, R. 11.04.2026. “When All Has Gone to Ash: Kindergarten Puppetry & Story Telling After La Fires: Emergency-Pedagogy-Without-Borders, Team USA,” American Education Research Association Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Oberman, I & Nascimento, R. 11.04.2026. “From Emergency to Trauma Work: Assciaçǎo-da-Pedagogia-de-Emergência Partners with University Teacher Training After the Grande-de-Sul-Floods, Brazil 2024,” American Education Research Association Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Oberman, I. 30.10.2025. “How Trauma-Sensitive Is Waldorf?” International Campus Waldorf. Alanus University.

Oberman, I 14.04.2024, “Harnessing Waldorf to Construct Educational Possibilities: Challenges and Opportunities,” American Education Research Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Oberman, I 2022 Intercultural Waldorf Education: Why Here, Why Now, Why Us, INASTE Conference Key Note, Vienna, Austria Oberman, I. 23.09.2021. “Harnessing Waldorf to Deconstruct Institutional Racism” International Campus Waldorf. Alanus University.

Oberman, I & Barta, L. September 2008. “Serving At-Risk Youth: It Takes A System Springboard Schools”, San Francisco, USA.

Oberman, I. & Townsley, C., July 2006 “Lessons from California’s high performing, high poverty high schools”. California School Board Association Summer Meeting Long Beach CA.

Oberman, I. & Vargo, M. May 2006 Bipartisan Briefing at the Capitol, Washington, DC New Roles for School Districts in the Era of Accountability, Bipartisan Congressional Staff Briefing on Tested Practices in California’s Highest Performing High Poverty Districts.

Springboard Schools, February 2006 “New Roles for School Districts in the Era of Accountability.” San Francisco: Springboard Schools — Project Lead.

Oberman, I. & Vargo, M. March 2006 Briefing at the Capitol, Sacramento, Challenged Schools, Remarkable Results: Briefing on Tested Practices in California’s Highest Performing High Poverty High Schools.

Oberman, I. & Vargo, M. September 2005 Bipartisan Briefing at the Capitol, Washington, DC Challenged Schools, Remarkable Results: Congressional Briefing on Tested Practices in California’s Highest Performing High Poverty High Schools.