AEROGRAMME #19, Part Two

Name:Derek Peterson, Email:peterson@ptialaska.net
Comments: Hi Jerry. It's me. It's been a long time. My wife and I have reentered the world after our 2 1/2 year hiatus. We didn't finish the Guiness Book Trip. We pedaled our tandem 9,300 miles, but were sidetracked by the Chiapas Uprising in 1994. You'll smile at what I am doing now. I work for the Association of Alaska School Boards. Yep, Mr. Revolution is trying to change things from the inside. I am the children and youth advocate. My responsibilities include promoting positive ALTERNATIVES to school leaders across the state. I am the same fellow-my work is interesting. Glad to see that AERO is growing and going. Congratulations.

Name:Jude Vachon, Email:jxvst+@pitt.edu
Comments: I am a teacher with experience teaching English as a Second Language and with teaching German to students of all kinds of ability levels and backgrounds, ages 6 to 62. I love teaching! I want to work in a school with a sense of community and a commitment to learner-centered teaching. I don't necessarily want to teach German, it's just my specialty. I am willing to be a floating tutor, too. I really like working one-on-one with students. How it happens is much more important to me than what, in particular, I'm working with. I am looking for work for the fall of '96. Contact me by e-mail (address above), by mail (64 S. 19th St. #3, Pittsburgh, PA 15203) or by phone ((412) 431 - 2210). Just contact me! Jude Vachon

Name:Sean Yaap, Email:syaap@pscs.org (a student at Puget Sound Community School)
Comments: A couple of months ago I went and visited AERO and Jerry and I thought it was a great organization and that these type of things will help keep alternative schooling going for many years to come.

Name: Brad Jackson , From: Amarillo TX
Comments: I'm a graduated homeschooler, I went to Russia with Jerry which was, truly, a fantastic experience...

Name: Tom Trigg, Email: tomtrigg@montana.com
Comments: Jerry, just added your page to my list of favorites. I hope everything is going well for you. Tom Trigg --Clark Fork School

Name: Daniel Fear, Email: dfear@nmsu.edu
Comments: I'm a music education major working on a group research topic of alternative schools. This site came up during my net search on the topic. Thanks for the help that I received from this page. Dan-

Name: Richard Goldberg, Email: rlg@med.unc.edu
Comments: I am looking for a teaching position in science (physics or biology) at an alternative high school or college. My background is in engineering (Ph.D) and I have been doing research (studying how bats use sonar and medical ultrasound systems) and some teaching for the last eight years. I am not certified to teach in a public school system. Does anyone know of any jobs, or any good resources to find jobs? Thanks for your help.

Name: Mark Bell, Email: mtbell@erols.com
Comments: My son & I have Attention Deficit Disorder & Tourette's syndrome. I would like to know if an educational system exists which utilizes our strengths instead of focusing on or continuously placing counter productive barriers in the way of our learning ...

Name:Sarah Burlingame, Email:sheba@cyber-quest.com
Comments: I am interested in starting an alternative school for disabled children. If anyone has any comments or ideas please contact me by e-mail. The school will be located in northern Pennsylvania.

Name:Mary Addams-Shaffer, Email:ProfMom648@aol.com, HQ@Manhasset.com
Comments: Mr. Mintz, I live in Manhasset and have been involved with educational alternatives for about 5 years. I homeschool and I sell GREAT homeschool software, K-12....great for GED seekers too! For parents who want to Homeschool but need to earn a living, I develop home businesses! I don't think it's a coincidence we live in bicycle distance of each other. I'm currently planning a seminar on using the Internet for education. Let's work together!

Name:Jessica Sparber, Email:sparber@virtu.sar.usf.edu
Comments: Send me info! I go to an alleged alternative college, New College at the University of South Florida, and I am interested in alternative education (Jessica worked as an intern at AERO this summer)

Name:Brian Callahan, Email:bjc1@waikato.ac.nz
Comments: Hi I'm currently attending the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. I am currently working on a directed study about alternative education. I will mainly be looking at what is available in my region, but will be looking elsewhere for other alternatives, and may include these in my study.

Name:Trevor Sturgeon, Email:i6yc@unb.ca
Comments: I am a graduate student completing my MEd in guidance and counseling at the University of New Brunswick(CANADA). I am looking to do a month-long counseling internship in an alternative education setting somewhere in New England. I am particularly interested in working with at-risk adolescents or in a youth drug rehabilitation environment. If anyone knows of any such institutions or programs in this area and can provide me with contact numbers, please e-mail me at i6yc@unb.ca. If for some reason you cannot get through to my e-mail please call me collect at 506-454-3171. thank you.

Name:Claudia Pruitt, Email:pruitt@sisna.com
Comments: I'm a parent at an alternative public k-6 school in Salt Lake City. The Open Classroom has been around since 1976. We are looking for a teacher for the lower grades 1-3 who has a background in child-centered, holistic learning with the ability to work with parents (each family 'coops' 3 hours per week in the classroom-teaching kids) .

Name:Michael Davies, Email:Miked@cpnet.net
Comments: "Hello, Jerry Mintz." I teach on a Hutterite Colony-[(see)-http://www.bruderhof.org/ index.htm]. I do not teach at the above mentioned site, nor am I a Hutterite.I have 30 E.S.L students (English as a Second Language). They range from K to grade 9.I am the only teacher and a teacher assistant. At times this seems like an impossible job. Otherwise it is very rewarding experience.

Name:Kathy Bloom , Email:samuelb@wave.sheridan.wy.us
Comments: I am looking for programs that might address the needs of youth with problems in rural Wyoming, a conservative outpost, yet probably willing to try anything to educate their children. I've been in public ed. for 20 years from classroom teaching to drug prevention specialist and do not have many stars left in front of my eyes yet have the ability to work hard for kids. So if there might be resources please let me know. Thanks!

Name: Michael Chamberlin , From: Littleton, Colorado USA
Comments: I'm an alternative teacher looking for an alternative school in a small town. (see job section)

Name: Liselyn Adams , From: Ayer's Cliff, Quebec
Comments: I'm just beginning homeschooling with another family -- three kids from 4-6 -- we're having a great time and would love to hear from anyone with little ones.

Name: Marshall Fritz , Website: Separation of School & State Alliance , From: Fresno, Calif.
Comments: Jerry... Congrats on good looking page. I especially liked your guest log, and think we should implement one for our homepage, too. Name: Belinda Clune , From: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND!!
Comments: I'd love to be emailed from whomever is out there reading this! The company I work for specialises in assessing people's individual working and learning styles. DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH!

INTERNATIONAL ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CONFERENCE

The conference was in Portland, OR, from June 28-30. I used up my British Air frequent flyer miles to get there. Traveling a few days earlier, I did a presentation at Portland State University, sponsored by the Enthusiasm for Learning Foundation, organized by Sander Feinberg. The wonderful surprise at the meeting was a reunion with a former student at my school, Jeremy Kaplan, and his father, Steve. Jeremy now has a degree in psychology, and also plays in a band, and skates on a hockey team! He still has a great interest in alternative education.

PHOTO Steve and Jeremy Kaplan
PHOTO Ray Morley, Amy Cooke and Arnie Langberg

The conference had several hundred attendees from all over the country, and Canada. Most were from public alternatives, but there was a sprinkling from independent alternatives and homeschooling. One was Amy Cooke, who is starting a new independent alternative in Visalia, CA, called the Venice Community School.

The theme of the conference was Telling the Story, and I did my part at a workshop in which I told about ten stories from a new book I am writing about the "real" stories.

We had a nice meeting with the organizers of next year's conference, to be held in Michigan. Among the suggestions--that workshops be experiential and involve student presenters, and that there be daily reflection and evaluation sessions.

During and after the conference, there were meetings of the "Changing Schools Action Team," sponsored by the Josephine Bay Pall and C. Michael Paul Foundation and organized by Fred Bay to discuss the possibilities for creating real school change. Participants included Mary Ellen Bowen, Amy Cooke, Arnie and Dagnja Langberg, David Marshak, Mary Anne Raywid, Nancy Reckinger, Robert Skenes, and Mary Ellen Sweeney. We are hoping to work on some of the ideas which came from this meeting through AERO. JM

PHOTO Fred Bay in Oregon
PHOTO Mary Ann Raywid

A NOTE TO AERO-GRAMME READERS

As AERO begins to run out of funds and we apply again to some of the foundations which have supported us in the past, it would be useful if you, the readers, could write to us with any stories about networking or help which you have received through AERO or AERO-GRAMME.. As you probably realize, subscriptions, book and video sales are not enough to keep us going (and we need all the subscriptions and sales we can get). Thanks!

MAIL AND COMMUNICATIONS

EDITED BY CAROL MORLEY

The Institute for Humanistic Education and Parenting's (IHEP) philosophy is non-authoritarian and child-centered. It publishes the Play Mountain Place (PMP) newsletter. Volume 7 reported that Joannie Barron worked and studied at PMP, returned to Cork, Ireland, and in 1985, started Wallaroo Playschool Day Care Center. It is very affordable and encourages parent involvement. PMP, 6063 Hargis St., Los Angeles, CA 90034. Tel: 213-870-4381.

Crossroads School, founded by Brian Kearsey, is opening this fall in Brewster, NY, for students aged 3 to 17. It blends Montessori, Steiner and Gatto instruction geared to its students needs. The school is located at Rte 6 RD 11, Brewster, NY 10509.

An essay outlining the benefits of alternative private schools over public schools was written by John Taylor Gatto in The Voice Education Supplement (Aug. 13, 1996). In the article, "As Elite as You Wanna Be," John points out that Sudbury Valley School and the Albany Free School are among the more than 6000 innovative alternative schools listed in Jerry Mintz's Almanac of Education Choices. These schools, John states, "offer a tradition that children are people who can be trusted, people with names and destinies, not numbered functionaries of some mass-accounting mechanism."

Thank you to Joy Rosenzweig, a student at the Claremont Graduate School, for this message: "I just received your newsletter and I can't tell you how excited I was to read about all of those alternatives in education. It is very exciting to know there are networks of individuals out there who are committed to homeschooling and to innovative practices and models of education. Bravo!" Joy is doing a study of innovative colleges through the Claremont Graduate School. 10801 Lemon Ave #627, Alta Loma, CA 91737 Ph: 909 944-7180

And thank you also to Anne Evans for her e-mail note: "I love the improvements you keep making to your Web site. It is a powerful resource tool - congratulations!" Anne is interested in developing a 6th to 12th grade school for girls. Anyone interested can write to Anne at annenaida@aol.com

Dan Endsley has started a new company called NEATscape which specializes in Web site development for small and medium sized businesses. He is handling sales and marketing and he has some first-rate technical people working with him. Their costs are very, very competitive. Voice mail Dan at 888-4-NEATscape. E-mail dane@neatscape.com

SKOLE, the Journal of Alternative Education, is hoping to devote its entire fall issue to writings by children. Please send children's written work to Mary Leue at SKOLE, 72 Philip St., Albany, NY. Tel: 518-432-1578. Fax: 518-462-6836. E-mail: MarySKOLE@aol.com

We learned from Tom Trigg that The Downtown School is opening at the end of August and anticipates 18 children in its six-hour daily program. The school's focus will be on individuality, caring, sharing, independence, and learning through exploration. It is located at 308 W. Pine St., Missoula, MT 59802. Tel: 406-542-1818.

A new alternative school in San Diego is called Exploration International. It welcomes home-schoolers and alternative-schoolers to communicate with them and/or to visit. Contact Tina at altsch@pacbell.net

A request for information on any new, innovative methods for treating and education children with neurological disorders, especially autism, came to us from Sarah Burlingame. She would also like to know where these treatments are given, whether in schools or in special centers. Write to her at 23 Hudson St., Towanda, PA. E-mail: sheba@cyber-quest.com

The Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs has printed PATTERNS, a directory of state alternative education programs. Since 1990, PATTERNS has been a yearly publication primarily for alternative educators and those interested in educational reform and options. The 96-97 edition has undergone more revisions and includes more resources and publications. For order information contact Patti Haasch, Cass Lake ALC, Rt. 3 Box 4, Cass Lake, MN 56633. Tel: 218-335-6529. Fax: 218-335-8826.

In order to continue publication of the Joyful Child Journal, Peggy Jenkins needs help with funding and advertising and she also needs someone to take over the publishing. She can be reached at 4920 E. Altadena Ave., Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Tel: 602-494-3383.

Zephyr Press has announced a new organization called the Network for Successful Teaching and Learning. The Network's quarterly publication is titled Mindshift Connection which includes articles and interviews drawn from the cognitive sciences, neurobiology and educational research. For more information: Jennifer Manke, PO Box 66006, Tucson, AZ 85728. Tel: 520-322-5090 ext. 114.

William Mundy wrote a report from the 1996 International Alternative Schools Conference in the Spring/Summer 1996 volume of The Educare Bulletin. In it he mentions meeting Jerry Mintz who, he says, "personifies" invention. The Bulletin also printed part two of the "Interview with Mary Leue." The Bulletin is published by the Venice Community School, 31191 Rd. 180, Visalia, CA 93292. Tel: 209-592-4999.

The premiere issue of the Rocky Mountain Education Connection appeared in May, 1996. It's a magazine of home and alternative education information serving Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. The first issue included "The Teen Years," "Pretty Good is Not Really All that Great," a calendar of events, and lists of resources and support groups. RMEC c/o Berg, 1495 Riverside Ave, Boulder, CO 80304.

Tina Dawson, former head of the Community School, in Roanoke, VA, along with Mike Dawson, Jonathan Bender and Julie Meltzer, are now organizing a new program called Expedition Field Studies, an educational expedition-travel program for 13-18 year olds. It is sponsored by The Learning Circle and will offer 3 US trips this year: in Mid-October to Boundary Lakes Country, in March-April, to the Desert Southwest, and June-July to the Intermountain West. For more information write to PO Box 58, Newport, VA 24128, or call Mike Dawson at 540-544-7654, or e mail to jmeltzer@vt.edu

The North American Wilderness Academy has changed its name to the North American Academies. They felt that "Winderness" has come to have a negative image because of problems at Wilderness Therapy programs, and since they have several experiential education boarding schools, they thought the change was warranted. I suppose we could speculate in the same way about what has been done to the word "alternative." 11351 Trinity Mountain Rd, French Gulch, CA 96033

Long-time AERO supporter Molly Phibbs has just published a new book, Rainbow Hued Nuclear Age Arithmetic. One of the most unusual math books you will ever see, the book is colorfully illustrated by Molly, herself. 18508-68 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada TST 2M7

Thanks to John Lundgren who wrote: "I got your Aero-Grammes #16 & 17 and wow it's really fantastic. Keep it up, you're doing great." Also, thanks for John's best wishes to Jerry. John is interested in reconnecting with the Russian alternative school movement, in receiving information on alternative schools in Sweden, and in land-based community efforts in the US. He sent information to us on Grunewald Guild, a community in north central Washington State dedicated to the imaging of faith through art. He can be reached c/o Grunewald Guild, 19003 River Rd., Leavenworth, WA 98826. Tel: 509-763-3693.

The only farm workers union in Oregon, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos Del Noroeste (Northwest Treeplanters & Farmworkers United) has begun to offer ESL and citizenship classes to its members. There has been such a positive response to these classes that the union has decided to try building an alternative school. They would greatly appreciate help, information and resources. Contact Bette Disselbrett, 300 Young St, Woodburn, OR 97071. Tel: 503-982-0243. Fax: 503-982-1031.

The first issue of YALP! states that its purpose is to "help parents turn things around so that children get to enjoy their full entitlement to play." The issue ran articles about Sudbury Valley School, Oruaiti School, and David Hawkins. Children's Learning Project, 1525 E. 53rd St, Suite 408, Chicago, IL 60615. Tel: 312-288-6979.

Janet Beals edited an issue of Reason Magazine for the Reason Foundation. The issue is entitled Meeting the Challenge, How the Private Sector Serves Difficult to Educate Students. The issue features discussion of special education programs, private tuition schools, charter schools and homeschools that work with children with special educational needs. In one section, Devorah Weinman of Long Island's LIGHT is quoted about her homeschool experiences. In another section, NATHAN, the National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network is highlighted. 3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Suite 400, Los Angelas, CA 90034. Ph: 310 391-2245

Alan Muskat, our friend and Princeton graduate with 7 years experience in academic research and publishing has started a research service. He specializes in nature, myth, folklore, ancient cultures, and goddess spirituality; but no topic is too obscure for him. Alan was the Database Manager of the Handbook of Alternative Education and the Almanac of Education Choices. Goldmine Research Service, PO Box 780, Leicester, NC 28748-0780. Tel: 704-683-1414. E-mail: tarr@mercury.interpath.com

Alan mentioned also that he did some research for Doug Elliot who has produced books and recordings which Alan thinks are quite good. Doug is a naturalist, herbalist, and story teller. For a flier describing his work, write to him at 3831 Painter Gap Rd., Union Mills, NC 28167. Tel: 704-287-2960.

A math video for children ages 6 through 12 is available from Stop Light Productions. It replaces the times tables for teaching multiplication. An Advanced Mix portion at the end of the video is a fun challenge for students who have already mastered the times tables. For more information: 240 E. Morris Ave #300, Salt Lake City, UT 84115. Tel: 801-571-3405. Fax: 801-467-8455.

E-mail received from NLardas@aol.com remarks that "the Almanac of Education Choices is wonderful - after all of these years stuck in traditional schools it is so nice to see options. The color of the cover is inspired - it truly sticks out in any pile of stuff." Thank you for letting us know!

Entries for the 1997 Skipping Stones Magazine's Book Award Program must be postmarked by Jan. 19, 1997. Books, magazines and videos will be considered in two categories: multicultural /international and ecology/nature. The 1996 award recipients included The Case of the Mummified Pigs and Other Mysteries in Nature (Boyds Mill), The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate (A. Whitman & Co.), and Pepita Talks Twice (Pinata Books), among others.

Skipping Stones also requests that anyone interested in corresponding to adults in Africa and Europe please send an SASE with their request to Adult Pen Pals, Skipping Stones Magazine, PO Box 3939, Eugene, OR 97403.

Education advocates, teachers, and teachers in training, may be interested in Norwich University and The Institute for Educational Studies' Master of Arts program via the World Wide Web which began this July. Phil Gang is now working with them. The course can be completed over 13 months and links students from around the world. Contact TIES at PO Box 223, Grafton, VT 05146. Tel: 802-843-2336. Fax: 802-843-2300. E-mail: http://www.tmn.com/ties/ties.html or InstEd@aol.com

Bellingham Cooperative School and 32 other schools and educators make up a group called WISE (Whatcom Independent Schools and Educators). They will host their second annual Independent School Fair, a public event. For information contact Heide Alford at 360-733-1024.

A simple, fun way to learn geography has been introduced by On-Target Software. Geo-USA and Geo-Europe are computer programs designed to enable children and adults to set their own criteria and increase the number of questions per test. 1368 Green St, San Francisco, CA 984109. 415-474-9975. E-mail: on_target@earthlink.net

Maryland's legislature voted down two bills that would have allowed non-traditional alternatives to operate without state certification. It is hoped that as public awareness grows, future bills in support of educational freedom will be more successful. The news was reported in the Montessori News and the Montessori Observer, both published by IMS, 912 Thayer Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

AEROGRAMME #19, Part Three