Alternative Education Resource Organization

History

1989 AERO-Gramme Newsletter is established. Without government assistance for housing or education, Kee Way Win Indian Chief, Geordi Kakeptum, turns to AERO to help establish a school on their Sandy Lake reserve in Ontario. AERO secures funds, supplies, and clothing, and helps the tribe organize their own curriculum which includes the teaching of tribal traditions from the elders.

1990 AERO’s Alternative Education Teacher Training program is proposed to alternative universities and organizations.

1991 AERO founder, Jerry Mintz, introduces “Organic Curriculum,” a highly effective, learner-directed approach to curriculum development and experiential learning that is fully individualized. With the support of former Soviet leader, Boris Yeltsin, Jerry is invited by the Creative Teachers Union as a keynote speaker to the first New Schools Festival in Russia on the democratization of education.

1992 AERO’s Alternative Education Teacher Training seminar is held in Russia, sponsored by Eureka Free University—Russia’s first private University.

1993 In Jerusalem, Jerry chairs the symposium on “Democratization of Schools: Types and Ways” at the International Conference on Education for Democracy in a Multi-Cultural Society.

1994 AERO’s presentation of the Alternative Education Handbook at the International Alternative Education Conference at Drake University provides important data and historical information about the alternative education movement and is a giant first step toward the unification of the alternative education movement.

1995 After helping to establish a United States branch of the Eureka Free University of Moscow, AERO and Eureka USA offer a certification course and internship program for teachers in alternative education.

1996 At the First Annual Conference on Higher Education, Jerry facilitates the organizational meeting of the Alternative Higher Education Network—the first organized primarily by students at alternative colleges. The state of Iowa requires every school district to have an alternative education program. AERO is contracted to train teachers and administrators.

1997 AERO’s Virgin Island Consulting Project trains staff at at-risk public alternative schools on the islands. AERO secures over $25,000 in grants from the Edward Foundation on behalf of four schools in financial crisis: Stork Family School in Vinnitsa, Ukraine; Rogers Person-Centered School in Budapest, Hungary; Free School in Albany, New York; and Moscow International Film School. At the Growing Without Schooling 20th Anniversary Conference, AERO’s discussion on “International Homeschooling and Alternative Schools” inspires the formation of LOYO (Learn On Your Own), the first homeschool organization run by and for homeschooled students.

1998 AERO participates in the Parent Choice in Education Conference organized to acquaint inner-city parents with options for their children’s education. Having learned the democratic process in one of AERO’s demonstration workshops, 5-,6-,and 7-year old students of the Renaissance School in Florida take initiative and ask to interview their prospective teacher—then vote on her!

1999 While the Columbine massacre takes place, AERO, parents, students and educators are just miles away at the National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools Conference involved in a variety of personal development activities including conflict resolution. Hundreds of letters, phone calls, and e-mails flood the AERO office from adults and children seeking information on educational alternatives. AERO-Gramme Newsletter becomes the Education Revolution Magazine with color cover and national distribution to newsstands.

2000 Featured presenter at Home Educators Seaside Festival in England, demonstrating democratic decision-making process to 900 home educators, 500 home educated students. Key organizer of the International Democratic Education Conference in Japan, the largest ever, with over 1000 participants from 15 countries, $120,000 raised to help bring participants from democratic schools in third world countries. Jerry facilitates workshop for 45 principals, teachers, students, juvenile justice workers and a judge in Jacksonville, Florida, to help them trouble shoot problems they were having with their alternative schools and to create new alternatives. AERO develops Homeschool resource Center Starting Kit.

2001 Jerry is invited special guest at 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Stork Family School in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, does radio tour of 25 radio shows in three days, in top markets in the USA, promoting AERO, alternative education and parental choice. AERO now has virtual staff members in England, Arizona and Vermont in addition to those at the office in New York.

2002 AERO has a training seminar to help start a new homeschool resource center on Long Island. It organizes a demonstration mini-center as part of the process. It participates in another Homeschool Seaside Festival and a Small Schools Conference in England. AERO sets up its school-starters program, including a special listserve for that purpose, takes a group of seven to the IDEC in New Zealand and makes a successful bid to host the 2003 IDEC in the United States.

2003 Under conference Director Dana Bennis AERO co-hosts the 2003 IDEC with Albany Free School at Russell Sage College in Troy, NY, with 650 attendees from 25 states and 25 countries. We also raise $65,000 so that 100 low income and Third World participants can come. There are 17 keynoters, including Bill Ayers, Pat Montgomery, Michael and Susan Klonsky, John Gatto, Zoë Readhead from Summerhill, etc. Later Jerry attends the Coalition of Essential Schools conference in Columbus, Ohio, connecting with people such as alternative schools pioneer Debby Meier and Gates Foundation Director Tom Vander Ark. Jerry’s book, No Homework and Recess All Day: How to Have Freedom and Democracy in Education, is released.

2004 AERO celebrates its 15th Anniversary with its first solo conference. It is again at Russell Sage College, with John Gatto, Pat Farenga, Jerry Mintz and Chris Mercogliano as keynoters. 17 year old homeschooler and Free School graduate Isaac Graves is the conference coordinator. It is so successful that participants demand that it become an annual event. After a year of participating in organizational meetings, AERO helps to start Brooklyn Free School, the first democratic school in New York City in decades. Late in the year two AERO staff members participate in the IDEC in Bhubaneswar, India.

2005 AERO produces a documentary of Butterflies, a democratric program in Delhi, India, for working homeless children. Jerry is brought to Guatemala by NELEB School, helps them establish democratic process. The second AERO conference is held, “A Spectrum of Alternatives.” AERO helps the IDEC in Berlin Germany.

2006 Jerry does his third consultation for the DAV schools, India to help them establish democratic process in their 700 schools, and a similar consultation for Unity Charter School in NJ, The third AERO conference, “Finding our commonalities, Celebrating our differences,” is the most successful to date. Out of the conference a new online course for school starters is established. 28 students take the first course, world-wide. The IDEC is held in Australia for the first time. Ouida Mintz, Jerry’s mother and long time AERO volunteer, passes away. Ron Miller becomes editor of Education Revolution Magazine.

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