Joan Jaeckel wrote saying she "found AERO while browsing around the Internet looking for what's out there about alternative education." She mentioned a few new items available from the Waldorf movement including a publication she produced through the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America's development office. It is called Learning to Learn: Interviews with Graduates of Waldorf Schools. The book's aim is to "help change the perception that alternatives to the mainstream way of education lead to hippie lifestyles, etc." Another resource is a bulletin published by the Waldorf Education Research Institute at Sunbridge College (Tel: 914-425-0055). Also, a federally funded inner city Waldorf Magnet opened in October. The Oak Ridge Renaissance is at 4501 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95820.

Lynn Stoddard's article called "State-Imposed Curriculum Jumps Off-Track" begins, "In reply to my question about why she wasn't in school, my grand daughter Linzi said, 'I'm off-track.' I have since found this to be a stock answer given by children who are involved in year-round school in Utah." Lynn believes, after decades of personal and professional experience, that the whole state-sponsored school system is "off-track." Last March's meeting of governors and business executives resulted in getting politicians to "continue pushing their factory, assembly-line view of education. Instead of designing a new system of public education, the summit participants settled for another attempt to repair and shore up the old one in the guise of higher standards." The standards movement is a very old practice of elected officials imposing a curriculum on teachers who then impose it on students. Lynn is attempting to get this article out to a wider audience. Contact him at 793 S. 200 E., Farmington, UT 84025-2239.

This year, Manchester College began coordination of an effort to have students take a voluntary Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility as part of commencement activities. The pledge, initiated at Humboldt State University in California in 1987, states: "I pledge to investigate and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job opportunity I consider." For questions/comments/brochure, contact Neill Wollman, Manchester College, Box 152, N. Manchester, IL 46962. E-mail: njwollman@manchester.edu.

Thanks to Ellen Reynolds who e-mailed us: "Received the Almanac, AEROgramme, and your niece's book. There's a whole world community out there that I hope we will one day be a part of. I don't know how that can happen, but as I explore, the road may continue to open up, as it already has started to. I read Jenifer's book -- it was marvelous! And now my son is. He is so disheartened about school in general, I hope it's not too late for him." We believe it's never too late! We're sure, with your son as your focus, you will find the best course to take. Good luck!

QwizEd, the Software Learning System, is a unique way to teach and learn productivity software applications. Over 30 training products are available on various Windows and DOS applications, including MS Office, Word Perfect, Lotus and MS Works. Students learn interactively, practice their skills, then take a test. The program tracks and reports each students progress. Workbooks are available to be used in conjunction with QwizEd. Contact Bob Rushmore at 800-367-2309 or e-mail bobr@qwiz.com.

The Read Write/Reed Right Family Study of English program is a system which helps families "to read and write right." Five years ago the program was transformed into a larger, more structured one which enabled other families to be more proficient and controlled in English. Included are supplementary assessment materials. Also available is a one-on-one consultation service. 10 Hatt St., Dundas, Ontario, Canada L9H 2E8. Tel: 1-905-627-0419.

Skole's fall issue was one of the two yearly kids' issues which was sent to every child who submitted material. They are starting a new series of interviews with significant advocates for children and real learning/teaching. Among them will be New York's ex-governor Mario Cuomo, Herb Kohl, Richard Lewis, and Jon Scott. For more information, get in touch with the Journal of Family Life, 72 Philip St., Albany, NY 12202. Tel: 518-432-1578.

The Bayer-NSF Award is "Challenging Kids to Apply Their Cranial Matter to a Community Matter." The competition encourages teams of four middle-school-age young people, with an adult coach, to identify a problem in their community and use the scientific process to solve it. Prizes will include a trip to Epcot and the Christopher Columbus Academy for a special awards ceremony, as well as savings bonds and eligibility to earn a minimum grant of $25,000 to work with a local organization to bring their idea to life in their community. 105 Terry Drive, Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425. Tel: 1-800-291-6020.

Exploration International is a new alternative school in San Diego. It welcomes homeschoolers and alternative schoolers to communicate with them or to visit. Contact Tina at 4029 Marzo St., San Diego, CA 92154. E-mail: http://home.aol.com/KBurg66806.

The Young Entrepreneur newsletter is free to any young person, parent, business owner, educator, or youth leader who calls. This is a useful resource for kids who want to earn extra money and learn business skills. It was founded by Steve Morris, a former investment banker who left a successful career to follow his own dream of making a difference in the lives of America's youth. The number to call is 1-888-KidsWay.

The George C. Soule School was founded on the principles of democracy, freedom with responsibility, and commitment to the arts and nature as central to the curriculum. In the Autumn issue of Holistic Education Review, Peter Corcoran and Eric Horne describe the school in terms of Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul. The authors are a former teacher and a former student of the Soule School, which they acknowledge has played a key role in the shaping of their lives. PO Box 328, Brandon, VT 05733-0328.

Linda Moore of the Education Reform Group is now distributing much of the work of John Gatto. John, as you know, was winner of the NYC and NY State Teacher of the Year Awards, but now devotes his time to exposing the present and historical problems with the public school system. Some of their new tapes include "The Empty Child Workshop," "The Exhausted School," and "Classroom of the heart." 527 Sheffield Plain, Sheffield, MA 01257. 413 229-0022.

PUBLIC ALTERNATIVES
FRANK BLUESTEIN GIVEN DISNEY AWARD

Ed: Frank directs a performing arts and media program at Germantown High school in Memphis. we have worked with him in helping and having exchanges with the Moscow International Film school

From Frank Bluestein:

"I have just returned from LA and I DID win the Performing Arts Category at the Disney Awards show. I am very elated as you can well imagine.

So...... I am the 1996 Disney and McDonald's Performing Arts Teacher of the Year. I have a beautiful trophy and much more importantly, memories that I will never forget. The awards ceremony was incredible. It was just like the Academy Awards (in fact, the same producer who does the Academy Awards and the Emmys and the Tonys does this one). It was taped at the Pantages Theatre in LA. Howie Mandell introduced me and Annie Potts presented my award. The theatre was filled to capacity (all black tie and very snazzy).

My students are featured throughout the show doing backstage interviews with the stars and the teachers. In fact, Germantown High almost steals the show. It was, without a doubt, an experience of a lifetime.

The show was cablecast on the Disney Channel on Saturday night (December 14th) at 6:00 PM (CST) and repeated on Sunday (December 15th) at 8:00PM (CST). It was star-studded (Jeff Goldblum, Jimmy Smitts, Senator Bill Bradley, Terri Hatcher, singers, dancers, etc.).

Thanks for all of the encouragement that everyone has given to me. It has meant more than you will ever know."

We are delighted for you, Frank, and for your students! Congratulations!

Charter School news from The Center for Education Reform (October 1996): Alaskans for Educational Choice are working to lift the cap on charters, create a charter school board, and guarantee equal funding. Texas permits 20 open-enrollment charters operating outside of districts. School districts have unlimited authority to approve campus charters. Prairie Creek Academy was the first charter to be approved in Dallas.

North Carolina has dozens of applications for charter schools and as many roadblocks. UNC system president C.D. Spangler has forbidden his schools to approve charters. Also, NC's State Board of Ed. ruled that charter proposers must obtain the local superintendent's "statement of impact" the school would have on the local school's finances.

Pennsylvania has charter forums scheduled everywhere. The state has not passed a charter bill as yet but has begun accepting applications for state allocated planning grants.

In Milwaukee, the teacher's union says the district's approval of Highland Community Charter is unconstitutional because the district was empowered by a budget bill.

New Jersey will allow 135 charter startups within the next four years; there are 28 ready to go now. A union pre-condition to passage of the bill requires the schools to comply with collective bargaining regulations.

Georgia is considered to have a weak charter law. However, Carterville superintendent has made his four schools charters in order to boost basic skills achievement.

The first issue of Learn Alert Learning Alternative Resource Network appeared last spring. In it were articles concerning mandated placement vs. choice, challenge districts, Governor Wilson's budget, upcoming conferences, and more. 467 1/2 Moss St., Chula Vista, CA 91911.

Ralph E. Robinson and Barbara Ann Beswick have written Success Oriented Schools: An Educator's Handbook for the 21st Century. It addresses the "meticulous educating of each child," setting the stage for a "new age of behavioral research." The Handbook is intended primarily for teacher trainees and is available from University Press of America, 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706.

The Los Angeles County Office of Education puts out a booklet called "Community Schools Fact Sheet." The Community Schools are the only intervention programs for middle school students in that county. They are run by the LA Office of Education's Division of Alternative Education in conjunction with local school districts. For more information, write them at 9300 Imperial Highway, Downey, CA 90242-2890.

A book by Mike Rose called Possible Lives: The Promise of Public Education in America, has recently been released in paperback. Mike spent four years traveling around the country in search of good classrooms, and he found them: In blue-collar LA, Mexican American border towns, the South Side of Chicago, rural Montana, the Mississippi Delta, Kentucky, Baltimore and New York City. He discovered enthusiastic teachers, dedicated administrators, and schools succeeding despite the odds. The book is available from Penguin Books, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. Tel: 212-366-2272. Fax: 212-366-2952.

Joe Nathan's new book, Charter Schools: Creating Hope and Opportunity for American Education, addresses key questions about public charter schools. It discusses how charter schools began, what they are, how they are changing the system, how to create a charter, and building support. It is published by Jossey-Bass, 350 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94104.

"It's the Size, Stupid," Say Some Educational Reformers is the title of an article by Kate Walker in the Autumn 1996 issue of Doing Democracy. She says that many educators today believe that our schools have "just gotten too big." Reformers put the limit on the size of an effective school at 300-500 students. "No one can learn responsibility toward others when those 'others' are anonymous, and big schools impose anonymity," according to Deborah Meier, a pioneer in New York City's small-schools movement. The article goes on to describe small schools in NYC, including NY's District 4 and Central Park East Secondary School where 50 schools inhabit 19 buidlings. Doing Democracy, RR #1, Black Fox Rd., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Tel: 802-254-1234. Fax: 802-254-1227.

The September 1, 1996 issue of Newsday printed an article by Stephanie Saul concerning Cleveland's experimental school choice program in which the tuition of about 1500 children will be reimbursed out of public funds. Most of the private schools participating in the program are run by the Catholic diocese. Opponents, such as the ACLU and teachers unions, claim this policy violates separation of church and state. Proponents say it give parents greater control over their children's education. Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747-4250.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CANADA

Our association is sort of an information clearing house for teachers working in alternative programmes throughout the province of Ontario. The Toronto alter ed sites seem to keep pretty much to themselves so we don't here from them a lot. Our members are working almost entirely with at risk kids in elementary and secondary school as well as adults. We have members that also work in First Nations communities. The association was pretty dormant up to about two years ago when we made a commitment to try and better serve alter ed teachers. We put out two newsletters a year and we have a major conference once a year. We are hoping to have some American delegates come up this year too. Our only American participation so far has been Ray Perrault from the Buffalo Alternative School. I have just begun to design a web page. Our members at this time all work for the public system. Maurice Radke seap@yorku.ca

Julie D'Angela (dangela@wchat.on.ca) writes:

I'm volunteering at a school in Hamilton, Ontario, called Wilma's Place, part of the Catholic-separate school board. It is an alternative school that takes in kids who cannot work in their regular high schools. There are a number of reasons as to why these kids are having difficulties at their home schools: family difficulties, learning difficulties, substance abuse, sexual and/or physical abuse, living on their own, teen-pregnancies, to name a few. Wilma's Place gives the kids the opportunity to gain the credits that they need to eventually graduate, but at a more relaxed and comfortable pace, and without the pressures of a very strict and regimented schedule often followed in regular high schools.

Each student develops his/her own individual schedule with the director of the school. They establish reasonable goals to achieve and set the pace at which they feel they can progress. Unlike a traditional high school, there are no set lessons for the day as all the students are likely working at a different level. Instead, the students work at their own pace, in the classroom of the subject they are working on, and ask the teacher for guidance whenever they need to.

A big difference between Wilma's Place and traditional high schools is that Wilma's Place acknowledges that the students are dealing with difficult issues outside of the academic world, which makes it difficult for them to concentrate on school, and as a result, offers the kids assistance with their situations. The school is connected to a number of different social agencies including housing shelters, day care, food banks, employment opportunities, etc. It also sets up seminars dealing with issues that are of relevance to the different students such as: anger management, cooking, parenting, career, confidence building, etc. These features are there to help the students survive their experiences so that they can get back on track and get an education.

As a volunteer, I am working one on one with five different children, each of which has been diagnosed as attention deficit. I am there to ensure that the students are on track with their work, and that they aren't experiencing any difficulties. So far, I love it. I am finding it very challenging though, because I have noticed that a lot of the students are very bright, but unfortunately, very lazy as well. Because they are given a little more freedom than they are used to, they are enjoying it as much as they can. I don't want to push them because I am not their teacher, but at the same time, I'm not going to sit there for half an hour with them and let them do nothing. So it's pretty tough, but as I said, it's a challenge, and a very exciting one!

Helen Hughs, (hhughes@direct.ca) of Windsor House School in Vancouver writes: " We have grown quite rapidly lately. We jumped from 85 last year to 120 this year and have a constant stream of people coming to see us. We are having the usual 'big enrollment jump' problems, but I expect that things will settle down after Christmas. We celebrated our 25th year anniversary this year. I continue to appreciate all of your work and enjoy the articles in the Aerogramme.

FRANCE

Claudia Gringmann is planning to build a network of associations of unschoolers in Europe. She is part of one such organization in France. She wrote the following: "School in France is not compulsory, but education is. The parents have the right to do it themselves, or they can choose somebody to teach their children. It is not necessary to have a diploma or any special qualifications. It is also not necessary to give any reason. Two weeks before school starts, the parents have to write a letter to the school inspector and one letter to the mayor of the village or town where they live to tell them that they want to do homeschooling. The inspector has to send to the parents a homeschooling certificate. Examinations are provided by the law when the child is 8, 10, and 12 years old, in only mathematics, writing and reading.

I am a member of the French homeschooling association, Les Enfants d'Abord. The association was founded when some families who wanted to homeschool their children had problems with the school board. It now has 230 members. Homeschooling is legal, but nearly nobody knows about this law, also school boards often don't know it. Homeschooling is not at all accepted by society, just the opposite, people consider homeschooling parents as criminals doing really bad for their children. The school board very often does not respect the law and sends people from the Sanitary Board and a social assistant to the parents (which is against the law), or they ask the parents for their qualifications, or write that they cannot accept homeschooling because the child needs a public school to get proper socialization. Most of the families don't get these problems, but often enough this happens. The association is very helpful in these situations. It informs parents about the law and how to cope with administrations. Four times a year there are national meetings and a newsletter. There are regional activities and meetings. The members are mostly doing homeschooling and most of them are friends of the pedagogic of John Holt. They don't give lessons to their children, they trust to the natural wish of the child to learn....I am looking for people to correspond with who, like me, are interested in living a "holistic" life, living in nature, organic agriculture, spirituality, macrobiotic food, healthy human relationships. " Les Enfants D'Abord, Impasse Jean Pierre, F 66130 Trevillach, FRANCE.

POLAND

A Peace Corps volunteer serving as a teacher and teacher trainer in Poland, Jolanda Gozani Ferguson told us about current conditions there. She says that there are really no education alternatives there and that private schools offer nothing substantially different from the state schools. Teachers are burned out, overworked and underpaid. People feel helpless to change anything, but, as Jolanda states, "Any real change ultimately rests with the Poles themselves." She is trying to help by contributing her time and efforts in the Peace Corps. She would appreciate receiving information on Quaker and Waldorf Schools and their teacher training programs. Write to her at I.L.O.IM. J. Kasprowicza, UL Pionierow 30, 58-100 Swidnica, Poland.

RUSSIA

A tribute to the late Oleg Gazman who died on August 30, 1996, was printed in the fall issue of the Newsletter of the Medford Educational Institute, Inc. Written by Director Robert M. Weiss, the article describes Oleg as "an amazing educator .... his 'Lighthouse' ... was the first place in the country where freedom of thinking and freedom of speech reigned." Oleg was Director of the institute of Pedagogical Innovations in Moscow. We offer our condolences to his family and friends. The MEI, 214 Stark St., Medford, OR 97504-7132.