Education Revolution | Alternative Education Resource Organization

As I pursued research for my book on the 1960s-era free school movement, I came across numerous references to the notion of “participatory democracy” as an alternative to modern political ideologies and practices. (1) Many of the young activists who formed SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) and other radical groups during that period of [...]

If you’re an American teen or young adult, you’re a pioneer. You may not think of yourself as a pioneer, and you may not relish the idea of being a pioneer, but that seems to be the role that history has in mind for you. Many Americans sense that America is in deep trouble. People [...]

Alexa began creating a village when she was seven years old. She liked to build tiny houses out of sticks and leaves in the backyard, something she particularly enjoyed doing when her friends came over. Together they made up stories about the tiny people who would move in. Alexa was frustrated when wind and rain [...]

My husband Phil and I were both educated in the public school system. He came from a very impoverished family and decided at a young age that getting himself into a good college was going to be the key for him to get out of that difficult life. My family was solidly working class and [...]

Early in my career, I attempted to define the place of spirituality in holistic education: A basic premise of holistic education is the belief that our lives have a meaning and purpose greater than the mechanistic laws described by science, and greater than the ‘consensus consciousness’ of any one culture. This transcendent purpose is a [...]

If you haven’t heard about the 10,000 Hour Rule, you’re probably busy doing what people do. Living life on your own terms. Malcolm Gladwell identified this 10,000 hour maxim in his book, Outliers. The rule has to do with attaining Big Time Success. Based on Anders Ericsson’s analysis of people who reached the top of [...]

When our philosophy necessitates a change in the way we view the world, we call it a paradigm shift. Our view of children is undergoing such a shift. Historically in American culture, (and currently in many American households), we have looked at children as innocents to be protected and owned by their parents who are [...]

Pouring a cup of instant coffee, looking over the kitchen counter into my living room, I suddenly saw it. On the right-hand side of my sofa, the side that gave a good view of the TV screen, there was a dent – not a deep ravine, a roundish, shallow crater, just big enough to accommodate [...]

I’ve been hearing about companies that don’t limit time off for their employees. They are expected to simply get their tasks done, the how and when the process plays out is less important than the final product. That opens up the employees ability to control their work time, their play time, their personal time, and, [...]

In American social and intellectual history, the period between 1960 and 1980 will always be recognized as a significant cultural turning point, a time of intense creativity, experimentation, rebellion and integration. Mass movements for social change, such as the civil rights movement (the quest for racial justice and equality) and the women’s liberation movement, and [...]