AERO-GRAMME #20

The Alternative Education Resource Organization Newsletter

417 Roslyn Rd., Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 * ISSN # 10679219 

516 621-2195   FAX 516 625-3257  E mail:  jmintz@igc.apc.org

Web site: HTTP://www.speakeasy.org/~aero       Winter 1997

AERO ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICES

AERO is in the process of making major changes in its operations. Spurred by interactions with the Josephine Bay Paul Foundation, AERO has taken a hard look at its finances, its services, its present and potential impact, and its sustainability. Recently we have been increasing our consulting work and developing new sources of income. One result of this reorganization is a new brochure, part of which we have reproduced below. The articles which follow the brochure, about the teacher-training seminar in Iowa and the consultation with a Native American school in Michigan, are example of the kind of work we are doing now.

SERVICES OF THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION RESOURCE ORGANIZATION

Quality of education is central to our future, and educational alternatives are one solution to the crisis in education today. They give people the option of an educational approach which meets the needs of the whole person. Educational alternatives are learner-centered, rather than driven by an arbitrarily imposed curriculum. AERO is the only organization which has endeavored to locate all of these alternatives, unite them in communication, and make the general public aware of the existence of all of these choices. AERO has produced the Handbook of Alternative Education and the Almanac of Education Choices, which list over 6000 educational alternatives in the United States and other countries, by state in zip order. They also  have dozens of introductory articles.

With its networking newsletter, web site and internet presence, its two directories of educational alternatives, and with its speaking and consulting services, AERO has become the primary hub of communications in the movement.

Its primary focus is to promote this movement by the creation of new alternatives and helping to change existing schools and programs, leading the way for transformation of education around the world.

AERO does extensive networking as well as major presentations and consulting work, led by Jerry Mintz, its director.

These have taken place in such diverse venues as:

*A training program sponsored by the Iowa State Department of Education to help teachers and administrators mandated to create new educational alternatives in every district

* The conversion of the Waabno Gimaak (Future Leaders) Indian School in Northern Michigan to a democratic decision-making process

*Facilitating the organization of the Alternative Higher Education Network

* Seminars to train Russian teachers in methods of alternative education, in Estonia, Ijevsk, and Moscow, sponsored by the Eureka University

*The creation of an International Alternative Education Summer Program, held at Theleme School, in the Pyrenees Mountains of Southern France

*Organizing a program to support and help publicize Summerhill School, in England, now celebrating its 75th year

*Helping to organize and participating in programs for Russian and American children in the Netherlands and California

*Finding financing and support for a variety of schools, in the United States and the Former Soviet Union

AERO Director Jerry Mintz has done major presentations at the European Forum for Freedom in Education Conferences in Oxford, England and in Prague, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Schools Conferences in Vienna, Austria, and Hadera, Israel, and was the Keynote Speaker at the International Alternative Education Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. He has also appeared on hundreds of radio shows, including National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," and TV shows on the Fox Network, CBS and NBC.

WE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:

*Private consultation for parents regarding choices of school

*Providing the help and support for families who wish to homeschool

*Designing a program to establish democratic decision-making process

*Curriculum support--establishing learner-centered curriculum and communities of learners

*Creating networking support for schools and programs, through three day seminars provided by a team of international consultants

*Custom-creating sets of mailing labels and other fund-raising tools for schools and businesses

*Facilitating the process of restructuring both for mainstream and alternative schools and programs

*Organizing educational internship and exchange programs including teacher-training and children's programs

*Speaking to a wide variety of groups on such subjects as how to start a new alternative, organic or learner-centered curriculum, history of educational alternatives, the spectrum of possibilities in educational alternatives, etc. 

*Presentations at national and international conferences

AERO is interested in promoting the development of educational alternatives and school change whenever and wherever it can. That is our primary consideration. For that reason, and because we have some foundation support, all financial arrangements are flexible. Please contact us at your earliest convenience to see what we can do together.

For further information, contact the AERO office at 516 621-2195 or 800 769-4171. Fax is 516 621-2195. E mail addresses are jmintz@acl.nyit.edu, jmintz@igc.apc.org, JerryAERO@AOL.com, DPMX82A@prodigy.com.   Web site is http://www.speakeasy.org/~aero

NOTES ON TRIP TO WAABNO GIMAAK  

In late October I received an urgent call from the Grand Traverse Tribe in Northern Michigan. They had started a new alternative school, but needed help to convert it from a traditional authoritarian approach to one with democratic process. The school is called Waabno Gimaak, which means "future leaders." The school had planned to have 60 students, but with K-12 open enrollment had ballooned to over 100. The teachers, mostly with public school backgrounds, were not very familiar with alternative approaches.

On four days notice they flew me out there. When I arrived, the situation was so bad that the board almost closed the school, feeling that it might not be safe for younger children.

The first day I videotaped what I saw and played it back to the staff and students, as we explored the current status of the school and the vision people had of their ideal school.

The next day I did exercises in organic education, met with the staff, administrators, parents and the school board. The board agreed to add four students from the school to the board as voting members. A group of student volunteers participated in a demonstration of a democratic meeting, and were immediately hooked on the idea, and surprised with their ability to make decisions. The administrators were also impressed.

The next day we had the first democratic meeting. We established a "stop rule" in which the word "stop" signifies that a student or staff member is so upset with a situation that are about the fight. That rule has prevented many a fight.

As the meeting process continued, the students and staff dedicated themselves to creating  a judicial committee, then setting the rules for the meeting and the school board and judicial committee elections. The following week the school elected students and staff members to the judicial committee, and elected the student board members after a campaign.  One student even faxed me when she thought the new process was not being followed.

The process is still ongoing. A transition of this sort is never easyand there is much turmoil. We have referred some staff applicants to the school and they have visited. I may be going back out there if they request a follow-up. --J.M.

TEACHER-TRAINING SEMINAR IN IOWA

Iowa has mandated that every school district has to have an alternative education program.  Ray Morley of the Iowa State Department of Education contracted with me to go to a seminar and do a training program for teachers and administrators. I had the responsibility for this group for the entire day, 9AM to 4:30 PM.  Ray was hoping that I would be able to communicate to these teachers what the real possibilities were for them to set up alternative school programs.  He particularly wanted me to move them in the direction of setting up choice alternatives rather than the at-risk alternatives that so many of them are oriented towards. The conference was at the Drake University in Des Moines.

I first did an exercise that I use for networking to help the participants know about their contemporaries at the workshop.  I had people stand in a circle and asked for people in certain categories to come to the middle.  These categories included administrators, those experienced in homeschooling or private alternative education, at-risk programs, and those who wanted to start new programs. 

Later I did a brain storming exercise in which I asked people to come up with any questions they had on their minds.  We came up with about 10 good questions in a short period of time We then started discussing the ones for which there was the most interest.  One question was "How do we change the paradigm about alternative education in public education, where they're oriented mostly toward trying to patch up so-called at-risk students rather than change the system itself."  I was a little surprised to find that this was the question that most people wanted to discuss. 

I played some videos to show some of the kinds of alternatives in this country and in other parts of the world.  One video was about the Democratic School of Hadera, a public alternative in Israel with 300 kids and 3,000 on the waiting list.  Others were about the School of Self-Determination, a large public alternative in Moscow,  a public Montessori school in Holland, a public alternative school on Long Island and another which introduced a homeschool group to the idea of democratic decision making. We spent a fair amount of time discussing the democratic decision-making process.    

There was a crucial point in the process in which one of the teachers said, "This is all well and good, but what we really want is just to know how to do something about at-risk programs in our districts."  After some discussion, they came to realize that it was useful to stretch their knowledge about what the other possibilities were for them to create in their districts.  One form we talked extensively about was the idea of Schools within a School, especially for small school districts.  We talked about using an approach that was pioneered in New York City, City as School, in which the curriculum mostly consisted of students doing internships in the community. 

Later on in the afternoon we broke up into smaller groups and talked about particular situations that they had in common.  If this one-day training session leads to 10 or 15 good programs that are not in the typical at-risk mold, I think we will have accomplished a lot.  One bonus was that on the day after the conference, I got to meet Jesse Jackson who was recruiting college students to vote in the upcoming election.  I gave him a copy of the Almanac..-J.M.

ANOTHER CAMP IN FRANCE THIS SUMMER!

Lea, a 12-year old girl at the camp last summer in France said that she enjoyed the experience very much.  She is interested in information on other programs to take place next summer.  She has written to some of her fellow campers and hopes to hear from them soon.  Lea Friis Ansinger, 1 Rue Andre Bosch, 66000 Perpignan, France.

AERO-GRAMME readers saw the description of the wondrous international summer camp in France last summer. Because the project was so successful, we have decided to have another international camp from July 7 to 28, 1997, based at Theleme School in the Pyrenees. Seventeen students aged 11-15 participated in last summer's camp. They included 8 Americans, 5 girls and 3 boys, and well as 8 French students and one German.  The group explored the walled city of Carcassonne, climbed into the sky at the Cathar Castle Peyrpetuse, went to the Dali Museum in Figueras, Spain, and camped out on a wild beach at Cap Creus, on the Mediterranean Sea. They also had French and English classes, saw fireworks on Bastille Day, and climbed Canigou, the highest mountain in the Pyrenees.

As Patrice Creve, a founder of Theleme School,  said about the experience "There was no need for a walkman, for a TV set or a refrigerator full of Cokes and sweets. Nature was nourishing life.  I couldn't help but notice the deep relationship between the children and nature. And I just regret that this kind of free time in nature has disappeared from our curricula. We mostly trap nature into our graphs, our experiments, our statistics:  the best way to miss the essence of it.....So my personal feeling, and I know this is widely shared, is that this camp was a great achievement. If we keep in mind that one purpose of education, and especially of alternative education, is to provide the basis of a new and better society, I think we did a really good job." 

One of the campers was 14 year old homeschooler Anthony Santoro. He  said, "I believe the highlights of the trip for me were the democratic meetings, learning about the French culture, hiking in the mountains, and going to the Dali Museum in Spain. I feel that I have changed as a result of this experience. I've seen things from a different point of view than I've ever experienced in America. Now I think I understand better why people travel the world."

We will have about six openings for new students this summer. The cost will still be very reasonable. Last summer it was $2200 for three weeks, including all camp expenses, all flights, train trips, and our stop in Amsterdam on the way back.

For more information contact the AERO office right away.  Preliminary deadline for camp applications is February 28th.

JOHANNES PICKER'S TRIP TO USA

My name is Johannes. I'm 15 years old. I live in Austria with my parents and 11 of my brothers and sisters. I have homeschooled for most of my life. I lived for four years in Turkey and most of the rest of the time in Austria. My family traveled a lot. I think homeschooling is a good way to learn because I have more time for things that I am really interested in. I first met Jerry Mintz in Austria at the Hadera Democratic Schools conference. He taught me how to play ping pong. I met him again at the democratic schools conference in Israel. My family drove there in cars, about 10,000 kilometers, through Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan.

At the Israel conference, Jerry asked me why I don't speak English (Kurt translated). I said that I would have to go to the country where they speak English to learn it right. Jerry said that maybe I could come to visit him for a while to learn English.

At first, in the beginning, I didn't think it was possible. But my friend, Nicolas, my drum teacher, said he wanted to go, anyway. So I thought that together, maybe we could go. He then made the arrangements, because I didn't speak English. Then Nicolas was interested in doing something with music while he was in the US, and he invited Andy, a base player in Germany, who had been in a band with him. They wanted to do workshops in music for kids at alternative and other schools

We got here on August 31st. I had no first impressions. I was really tired! The first days we went to a club where we could go swimming and play ping pong and tennis. The next day we went to the US Open Tennis. Jerry spoke with the people there. He said he had students visiting and they gave him some passes. We saw Edburg in his last Open.

A week later we went to a TV station in New York City to be on the Gordon Elloitt Show. Jerry was a specialist there and we were in the audience. I didn't really know what was going on because I didn't understand much English at this time.

On the same day we drove to Albany, the capital of New York State. We went to visit the Free School. Jerry left the next day, to go to meetings and conferences. Andy and Nicolas did a workshop at the Free School and stayed for ten days, but I stayed for three weeks, and had a nice time.

At the Free School I got a chance to really learn how to speak English for the first time. I got the impression that everyone is happy with the school the way it is. I took a bus to New York City. Nicolas and Andy picked me up and we went to see the Empire State Building. From there I saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time. A few weeks later I actually got to go there.

Two days later Jerry and I and Anthony, a 15 year old homeschooler from the Catskill Mountains in New York went on a train trip to Iowa, where Jerry had a workshop to train teachers who were interested in learning about alternative education. The workshop was at Drake University. I was there as a homeschooler from Austria.

On the way back by train we stopped in Chicago to see the Sears Tower, the highest building in the world. When we got back to New York City, I went straight to the Catskills with Anthony. I was with his family for about ten days. I didn't see his father much after he drove us up there because he works in New York City as a lighting technician on TV shows like Sesame Street and the Cosby Show.

I met Anthony's music teacher and went to classes with him. Actually Anthony is a homeschooler, but he takes some music classes in the public school. For me it was really interesting how this teacher worked with this class. I think I learned the most English while I was there, meeting people and talking with Anthony.  After that I went with Jerry and Anthony's older sister, Lilly, to the National Homeschool Association Conference in Massachusetts.

The homeschoolers seemed normal compared to other children I've seen in the USA. But I think that the whole situation for American homeschoolers and children in general is much more protective than for children in Austria and other countries I've seen. For example, for American children it seems normal to them to not be able to go on a train or a bus on their own.

After the conference I went to Jerry's house for a week. Then he had to go to do a workshop at an Indian reservation in Michigan for about a week. He was trying to help them because they were having serious problems at their new school, trying to make it more democratic for the students.

During this time I went to Shelter Island to visit friends of Jerry's. They are homeschoolers who have two children, 15 and 11. This was an important time for me because I finally got to play the drums again for the first time in two months, and I had a really great time with the family.

My main reason for coming here was to learn English, and I am satisfied with how much I have learned. I think I learned more than I thought I would, but I see now that I might have been able to learn even more. I would have worked more on learning how to read and write in English. For sure, it makes it easier to learn those things now that I can speak English. I think I lost a lot of time the first month because I didn't start speaking English soon enough. Finally, I just decided to start speaking, even if it didn't sound right. I found out that this was the best way, because people told me when it was not right.

From being here I got a better perspective about what I want, and what I want to do and how I live. I really didn't have this perspective before. I think that in my family we lived at very close quarters and this was difficult, and I had a chance to see myself in many different situations, with different kinds of people. And seeing my home situation from here also teaches me something. I think I have changed my feeling about my situation and myself.

NCACS REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN NH

By Jerry Mintz

I hadn't been to a national or regional NCACS in at least three years.  This one took place at the Meeting School in Rindge, New Hampshire.  One positive thing about the NCACS conferences is they always have a lot of student participation.  At this conference were a total of about 60 people.  They included students from the Meeting School itself which has 18 students this year and about 7 staff members.  It's a boarding school for high school students and has a Quaker sponsorship.  The school is about 36 years old.  Also participating was a large contingent from Upattinas School in Pennsylvania.  Sandy Hurst, the Director, came with a number of students and drove up from the New School of Northern Virginia.  Tina Dawson, former Director of the Community School of Roanoke, Virginia, came.  Kate Kerman, a staff member at the Meeting School for the last ten years until recently, also participated.  Other people included Chris Kawicki, whom I visited on the way up at Hampshire College and is a graduating student.  He has set up a program called EPEC, which is an alternative strain at Hampshire College for students to study things they're interested in. He plans to start a new alternative school next year (see Jobs).  

There were about 8 people who were looking to teach in alternative schools or to start them.  I had a workshop with that group one day which lasted all afternoon.  We went into detail about each person's situation, talking about the alternatives that are available in the areas they are interested in. 

I enjoyed teaching a lot of table tennis to people of a variety of ages.  We had some interesting discussions on how various alternative schools were doing and how they were working.  There were some other fun events such as a talent show and the kids put on a disco dance one night.  As somebody noted in the final summation, the people seemed to be comfortable, busy and happy the whole time and I think that made for a very nice conference. There were daily excursions, workshops, round table discussions and evening activities.  The conference was organized by Dawn Ashbacher, a faculty member of the Meeting School, Thomas Road, Rindge, NH 03461.

FROM THE AERO WEB SITE

E mail addresses are jmintz@acl.nyit.edu, jmintz@igc.apc.org, JerryAERO@AOL.com, DPMX82A@prodigy.com.   Web site is http://www.speakeasy.org/~aero

From our Webmaster:

My name is Greg Morris.  I'm 15 years old, and would (if I went to public school) be in 10th grade.  I went to a private/alternative school for all but one year of elementary school.  I was home schooled by my mom for what would have been 7th grade, and I went to aalternative school called Chrysalis for 8th grade.  The past two years I've been attending the Puget Sound Community School (PSCS).  As I school project, I am maintaining the       

AERO website. 

Michelle A. Unruh Email: Fritz64@aliens.com.

Jerry-- I just stopped by to browse at your website to get information on alternative schools. The democratic process that you helped start at our school, Waabno Gimaak in Suttons Bay, Michigan, is beginning to take root. The students like the idea of creating proposals and have presented their first issues at our last school board meeting. In the secondary level, we are working on giving the students curriculum choices...but still need to figure what to do when a student doesn't want to do any of the choices. Maybe you have some  ideas that could help me in this area. Thank-you, Michelle A. Unruh/Secondary Level English Language Arts Teacher at Waabno Gimaak

Leah Freedman Email: leah@astral.magic.ca

Thanks, Jerry, for an informative site and great links. My son, 12 yo, has just been homeschooling since September.

Ken Zeno Email: Kzeno@earthlink.net

Date: Friday November 29, 1996 - 07:39 PST

Love your resource material and books. I teach a wellness course at Cambridge College, Cambridge, MA and also direct the K-12 health education programs for the Malden Public Schools in Malden, MA. I'm interested in learning about people/programs who/which advocate a whole person/mind-body approach to  

wellness for K-12 students as well as undergraduate/graduate students.

Jeff Email: Jeff_Reed@wb.xerox.com

Date: Sunday December 1, 1996 - 19:18 PST

Seeking associations / organizations of alternative schools. (I'm affiliated with Cobblestone School in Rochester, NY.) Found this in my web travels. (see Job section)

Barrie Bramley Email: bramley@dbn.lia.net

Website: Durban Children's Home

Date: Monday December 2, 1996 - 10:48 PST Referred by: Just Surfed On In!

Interesting. Very new concept in South Africa.

Dave Yost Email: aspire@iw.net

Date: Thursday December 5, 1996 - 06:13 PST

Referred by: Word of Mouth

I am looking for information regarding the development of a new program for "behaviorly challenged" 4-8 graders. We currently operate an alternative high school serving 11 rural South Dakota school districts.

Tiffani Email: gadclan@sprynet.com

Date: Sunday December 8, 1996 - 10:15 PST

My daughter just started kindergarten in August, in the past three months I have watched her eager to learn attitude slowly fade. I want to homeschool my daughter and her two younger brothers. I am very pleased to find your organization.

Lynn Stoddard Email: Lynstddrd@worldnet.att.net

Date: Thursday December 12, 1996 - 18:43 PST

I am looking for others who want to restore to teachers the dignity and professional freedom they once held before being taken as slaves to politicians and business executives. Thanks for the opportunity.

Maurice Radke Email: seap@yorku.ca

Date: Friday December 13, 1996 - 08:03 PST

Referred by: Search Engine

We're hoping that our association, The Ontario Alternative Education Association, can tie in with your group to share ideas and information. (See International Section)

Stephen Lucas Date: Friday December 20, 1996 - 15:46 PST

Referred by: Search Engine

Anyone out there have information on public alternative schools in California? I'm about strangled in my current position and would like to teach in a middle/senior high school that doesn't have traditional grades, assessment, scheduling, etc.

Ernie Manzie Email: ernie@northstar.k12.ak.us

Website: Assistant Superintendent's Page Date: Thursday December 26, 1996 - 14:00 PST Referred by: Search Engine

Wonderful resource! I came across it while doing some research for our restructuring of our one alternative high school in Fairbanks, Alaska (3rd restructuring in 8 years). Am looking for resources on schools that deal with at-risk students.

Z Sonia Ostrowska Email: zsonia@inforamp.net

Website: Canadian Early Childhood Care & Education Research and Policy

Date: Thursday December 26, 1996 - 20:29 PST

Gina Michele Bisagni Email: km45@cornell.edu (Kenn Marash)

Date: Saturday December 28, 1996 - 12:27 PST

As a former first grade teacher and current Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology (and Women's Studies) at Cornell University, I find your organization,  

and the philosophy that impels it, to be utterly intriguing! In my opinion, all learners possess within them a veritable wealth of insight and understanding. As educators, it is our role (and responsibility!) to facilitate the process of empowering learners to unleash and expand their awareness. It grieves me that so many conventional schools are unable to build on learners' existing strengths--to the detriment of students and teachers alike--yet, I take heart in knowing that organizations like AERO are out there, as well. Thanks!

Laura L Ellis Email: nissan@quicklink.net

Date: Saturday December 28, 1996 - 14:10 PST

Referred by: Search Engine

I am in the process (slowly) of creating my own school. I never thought of my

teaching approach as alternative but rather "common-sense".  So, now that I have found the right words to describe my search better.... I found you!! Great links. Thanks! I currently have 7 students. I started out homeschooling out of desperation and found other parents were interested in having the same education as my children were getting. So... here we go!! Thanks again!

Email: a_heideman@hotmail.com                                       

Date: Friday January 3, 1997 - 12:36 PST                              

Glad to see support building for alternative education! I am an artist

of many mediums, and have taught at Colorado Creative Education in 

Paonia, Colorado. CCE is a small rural school focused on encouraging

and allowing students to be self-motovated and self-directed. I    

recently moved to the Seattle area where I am searching for similar      

teaching positions.    

MAIL AND COMMUNICATION

Edited by Carol Morley

Telephone Message from Cynthia Naylor:

"Just a friendly call to say thank you for your book.  It's fabulous.  Besides a wealth of information, it's the most complete I've ever seen.  There are very interesting articles in it.  I'm so impressed I could hardly sleep last night.  I just kept reading and reading.  Very good work you do there and I'm happy that I subscribe to the newsletter.  Thank you."

A couple public school teachers (Joshua Hornick and Ken Danford started a  drop-in center that is similar to and different from Andy Smallman's Puget Sound Community School.  No cyberspace and they do have a facilities where the homeschoolers can come to do electrical experiments, obtain many other services, etc.  The families pay $1000/year and there are 30        

families so far.  Pathfinder Learning Center, PO Box 804, Amherst MA 01004-0804,   413-253-9412:  email jhornick@k12.oit.umass.ed

Ron Wolsky is asking for assistance in gathering information on the literacy skills of alternative education students, reading and writing in the content areas. He wants this for help in research and grant writing. "I also need information on the proven benefits of independent research done by students, school to work programs, spatial learning (infusing art into the curriculum) using computer graphics and computer assisted design (CAD) and computer assisted instruction. I need to show the difficulty alternative students have in reading and to what extent these programs help them. I will be happy to share any information I receive."  Please send all information to : intmark@admin.con2.com

The Folk Education Association of America (FEAA) and the North American Alliance for

Popular and Adult Education are planning on forming a partnership.  They hope to produce a joint publication which they will offer to their discounted joint membership.  The FEAA was represented this summer at a planning conference of the Association for World Education (AWE) in Hungary.  AWE is planning to participate in the UNESCO 5th International Conference on Adult Education next July in Hamburg, Germany.  FEAA, Goddard College, Plainfield, VT 05667.

Dan Diedrich of Horizons Community High School is calling for art, poetry and short stories to be included in the Spring issue of Changing Schools,  an widely distributed alternative education newsletter.  They would like shorter fiction pieces, black and white drawings, etc. 2550 Rogers La. SW, Wyoming, MI 49509, Fax 616 249-7661. Phone: 616  530-7535

The March 1996 Montessori Observer reviewed the Almanac of Education Choices.  Quoted is Dr. Robert Muller, former Assistant Secretary General of the UN, who stated that "The publication of this Almanac is a real breakthrough and very fundamental to education change.  There has never been a complete list of educational alternatives like this before.  We have been waiting for years."  We appreciate that!  International Montessori Society, 912 Thayer Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910.  Tel: 310-589-1127.

Thank you to Robert Knipe who sent us pictures he took at Jerry's book launch party.  He says that the party really recharged his batteries.  He is writing articles which will comprise his proposed book, Viva La LC! 40-18 21 Ave., Astoria, NY 11103.

Kimberly Casey wrote about a typical week at Puget Sound  Community School in their September newsletter.  Field trips are offered on Mondays, apprenticeships and internships take place on Fridays, and the rest of the week is reserved for their diverse classes.  In addition, each student has an Internet account.  For more information: PSCS, 1715 112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004.  Tel: 206-455-7617.

F.U.N. News has a new web site:  http://members.aol.com/FUNNews.  They also said about AEROgramme, "The strength of Jerry Mintz's newsletter lies in the variety of alternative schooling and homeschooling resources that he lists.  When Nancy receives a copy of the newsletter, she grabs a glass of ice tea, a marker, and promptly sets to work highlighting the items that interest her."  Hope you are enjoying this issue, Nancy!  F.U.N., 1688 Belhaven Woods Court, Pasadena, CA 21122-3727.

Public School Montessorian printed a call for reader response on the topic of multiple intelligences.  This theory, introduced by Howard Gardner in Frames of Mind (1985) posits 7 intelligences or more.  This can be a problem to the Montessorian idea of a unitary intelligence.  If Gardner's theory proves true, can Montessorians integrate it?

In the same issue (Fall, 1996), Milwaukee's Highland Community School was written about.  This year it became the city's first charter school.  The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association filed a suit against it, alleging that the state law allowing charters was unconstitutional.  The school is accepting vouchers for a limited number of low-income students.  40 other Milwaukee students are getting Montessori education in two private schools funded with public monies in a voucher program.  Jola Publications, 2933 N. 2nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55411.

The New York Times (June 12, 1996) reported that in Guilford County, NC, an overhaul of the public school system is resulting in marked improvements.  The article by Mary B.W. Tabor says that the county's three school district were merged into one, in spite of the trend away from larger schools elsewhere.  It's working because Guilford has "succeeded in marrying the economies of merger with the virtues of small-district administration, like redirecting savings into classrooms, focusing on core subjects, and strong-arming principals and teachers into more accountability."  On the down side are program cuts and a rising dropout rate.

From Novermber 24-26 the Separation of School and State Alliance had its annual meeting in Arlington, VA.  Jerry Mintz was a respondant to psychiatrist Dr. Peter Breggin's talk about the destructiveness of Ritalin and the misuse of the ADD diagnosis. Tapes are available. The Alliance believes that the government should not be allowed to run schools.  For more information contact Marshal Fritz at 4578 N. First #310, Fresno, CA 93726

After the conference, Jerry visited the nearby New School of Northern Virginia, founded and directed by John Potter. The NSNVA has grown from 30 to 100 students, K-12, in recent years.

Pay Attention to the Children by Sydney Gurewitz Clemens is the story of Sylvia Aston-Warner and of her work as a teacher in New Zealand.  She developed a curriculum driven by the children's interests while trying (and failing) to get Maori students to read "Janet and John" readers.  "Teach what emerges from the children.  Otherwise your teaching will be intrusive and do them violence.  Offer many creative outlets."  This was Aston-Warner's philosophy.  This is a book both teachers and parents can learn much from.  Available from Rattle OK Publications, PO Box 5614, Napa, CA 94581-0614.  Tel: 707-253-9641.

Each year, the Skipping Stones Honor Awards recognize 10 creative and artistic works by young people (ages 7 to 16) that promote multicultural and nature awareness.  In 1997, Skipping Stones will also award three adult authors for their exceptional contributions to children's literature.  Deadline for adult entries is May 1, 1997; for young people's entries, it's June 20, 1997.  For more information, contact Skipping Stones Magazine, PO Box 3939, Eugene, OR 97403-0939.  Tel: 541-342-4956.

This spring Geocommons College's International Communities Semester will journey with students and faculty to Plum Village, France, for a week's stay in a small international community.  Then they will visit the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, a community working towards sustainability.  For information on this program and future trips, contact Gaia Education Outreach Institute, Derbyshire Farm, Temple, NH 03084.  Tel: 603-654-6705.  E-mail: geo@igc.

org  or  http://www.ic.org/geo.

An editorial in Newsday (Sept. 18, 1996) by Patrick Halpin emphasizes the need to "Retool Classrooms for the Future."  To do this, antiquated school building have to be revamped to accomodate computers and modems.  Teachers have to be trained in the use of this technology also.  This has to be done now, Patrick says, in order to "lead the world in the effort to bring education into the 21st century."  It must be done in an egalitarian manner to avoid letting children who live in poorer districts fall through the cracks.  Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747.

Don Glines, Director of the Educational Future Project, has just completed the National Association for Year Round Education: A Historical Perspective.  This momograph reviews the history, leaders, people, events, developments, and references related to the "establishment of enrollment scheduling systems" from the 1960s to the present time.  Year round education is a form of continuous learning in a "multiple-track arrangement" wherein "groups, or individuals follow different rotation cycles, allowing existing facilities to accommodate 20 to 50% more students."  Don is the author of the Educational Futures Trilogy which documents past, present and future efforts to move away from "schooling" to "learning."  For more information, contact Don at EFP, PO Box 2977, Sacramento, CA 95812.  Tel: 916-393-8701.

Michael Sunanda leads workshops in encounter, massage, parenting, family peace games, democratic meetings, and role playing, among others.  He conducts Playshops such as Sunergy Eco-Games, cooperative parenting, and art and toy making.  He can be reached at PO Box 176, Kilauea, HI 96754.

We received e-mail from Janie Levine, editor of the Family Learning Exchange, giving her definition of alternative education:  "Non-traditional education in which young people, their parents, teachers, and others from the community work together to ensure that the learner has ample opportunities to explore areas of personal interest, that his/her personal learning style(s) are honored, and that the environment is one in which the learner feels secure, safe, and acknowledged as an individual with both rights and responsibilities."  Janie would be interested in hearing other's definitions of alternative education.  PO Box 5629, Lacey, WA 98509-5629.  Tel: 360-491-5193.  E-mail: fmlylrngex@aol.com.

Sander Feinberg has informed us that publication of The Newformer has been discontinued due to lack of funds.  His organization, the Enthusiasm for Learning Foundation (ELF), has an Internet home page.  ELF, PO Box 40291, Portland, OR 97240-0291.  Tel: 800-ELF-5270.  E-mail: ELF@teleport.com.

The Institute for Anarchist Studies (IAS) will annually award a total of $6000 in grants to authors exploring the issue of domination and will publish a biannual newsletter.  They are also building an endowment.  Their mission is to "promote critical scholarship on social domination and the reconstructive vision of a free society."  For more information:  IAS, PO Box 7050, Albany, NY 12225.

Dr. Raymond E. Morley is an at-risk/homeless consultant with the Iowa Dept. of Education.  He specializes in alternative education, at-risk students, dropout and dropout prevention, homeless children and youth, and school-based youth services programs.  Thanks for the pictures of "Jerry at work in Iowa."  Iowa Dept. of Ed., Grimes State Office Bldg., Des Moines, IA 50319-0146.  Tel: 515-281-7697.

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.

UKRAINE

A student from the Stork Family School is spending a year in the United States after having won a contest, "Freedom Support Act."  She was one of only six students out of 260 who won.  Her name is Lena Katsyman, and she is attending Craig High School in Janesville, WI.  Congratulations, Lena!

HUNGARY

The Rogers School now has six grades and is planning on creating a six-year high school as well.  The school's focus is placed more on the learning environment than on the curriculum, based on the observations of the American psychologist, Carl Rogers.  Each class creates its own standards and guidelines.  Their big problem right now is the need to find a new school building for next year. The school is located at H-1121 Budapest, Fulemile U. 5-5, Hungary.  Tel: 361-156-6894.

SCOTLAND

Boarding has been re-introduced at Kilquhanity House in addition to its day school.  The school is attended by a maximum of 50 students, ages 5 to 16.  It is situated in the Urr Valley and includes hands-on learning on a small farm with cows, pigs, poultry, and a large vegetable garden.  For more information, the address is Castle Douglas, Scotland DG7 3DB.

ENGLAND

Human Scale Education's September Newsletter reports how difficult it is for small schools to survive in Scotland.  Inspite of that, they continue to be set up by parents and teachers who see the need for new and different kinds of schools.  Three such schools are the Green School, Priors School, and Educare Small School.  HSE, 96 Carlingcott, Near Bath, BA2 8AW.

LibED #27 contains a report by Pat Hill about Sands School students' impressions of the third Hadera Democratic Schools Conference in Vienna.  The students felt, in general, that the meetings did not include them enough, and yet they felt patronized when asked questions by the adults.  They felt over-powered by "high status" speakers who dominated the meetings.  Finally, they suggested that the meetings should strive to be as democratic as the schools and programs represented there.  LibED, Phoenix House, 170 Wells Rd., Bristol, BS4 2AG.

AUSTRALIA

We extend our congratulations to Roger Holdsworth on the publication of the 100th issue of Connect newsletter.  This publications supports educational approaches in which students have increased real decision making.  It is available from 12 Brooke St., Northcote 3070, Victoria, Australia.

CZECH REPUBLIC

From M. Dopson in Prague:  "Real quick note:  You are wonderful.  AEROgramme is super.  The newsletter was excellent.  Thank you.  I am overwhelmed with joy.  The newsletter is a splendid feeling of contact with other alternative education interested colleagues."  Wow ...  Thank you!

ISRAEL

The 4th International Conference of Democratic Schools was held in April 1996 in Hadera.  It was attended by participants from Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Palestine, the USA, and the Ukraine.  Jerry Mintz was there; readers will recall he wrote about his experiences there in AEROgramme #18.  The nest conference will be sponsored by Sands school in England, this summer.

NETHERLANDS

We have been sent the report of the Montessori Vygotsky Conference 1995, edited by Lies van Donselaar, ten Bokkel Huinink, and Fred Kulik.  We also received the report, "Pratt - Montessori: A Comparison" by Lies van Donselaar and T. B. Huinink.  Anyone interested in copies can contact us.

Home Education News

From Janie Levine Helyer, FmlyLrngEx@aol.com"                                 

Family Learning Exchange is now offering a free weekly electronic newsletter to anyone with access to an e-mail account.  FLExOnline is delivered to your computer each Friday and includes letters from readers, homeschooling and natural learning topics, education news as well as a weekly list of internet sites of interest.  You can read the current edition at the FLEx website:  http://www.olywa.net/flex then decide if you'd like to receive it.  To subscribe, send an e-mail to flex@olywa.net and in the subject line, write "subscribe FLExOnline."                   

Washington Home Education Network       WHENet, Washington Home Education Network, is an e-mail list for Washington State homeschoolers and others interested in keeping up with the homeschool community.  There is also a digest version available which is sent out once each week.  Write to WHENet@aol.com for more information or to  subscribe.               

Jewish homeschoolers are now connecting through an internet mail list, JHNet (Jewish Homeschool Network).  This is a low-volume mail list now being mailed only once a week, but serves as a good networking tool and a place where Jewish families can talk about issues, materials and resources.  Write to Zimra@aol.com for more information or to subscribe.                       

The fall issue of the Home Education Magazine included an article by Kandie Demarest entitled "Single Parent Homeschooling ... It CAN be Done!"  In it, Kandie explores the diverse, creative ways single parents manage the challenges of supporting their families while homeschooling their children.  HEM is publushed by Mark and Helen Hegener, PO Box 1083, Tonasket, WA 98855.  Tel: 509-486-1351.  Fax: 509-486-2628.

Ronald E. Johnson of the Paradigm Alternative Center wrote us that under Texas Senate Bill 1, Chapters 29 & 37, "homeschool has been rediscovered as 'good' for certain children -- those who disrupt classrooms or reduce the school's attendance percentage."  In Texas now, Ronald states, rather than run a comprehensive dropout prevention program, schools are recommending homeschooling to families who may not be equipped to do a proper job of it.  The Paradigm Alternative Center is a service for at risk youth, PO Box 48, Dublin, TX 76446.  Tel/Fax: 817-445-4844.

An article, "The Third Great Lie" by Chris Cardiff, appeared in the winter issue of Home Education Magazine.  Chris writes about the recent trend in California wherein government schools are establishing their own homeschool programs called Independent Study Programs (ISPs).  These ISPs contain, Chris says, "massive hidden costs and potential dangers to both participating and non-participating families."  The debate over these state-funded programs is creating "a new fracture line .... within the homeschooling community."  For more info contact HEM at PO Box 1083, Tonasket, WA 98855. 

A Seattle newspaper reports that "Homeschool programs are lucrative for districts" because state funds are being used to finance them, inflating budgets.  Now, homeschoolers who meet with school officials allow the schools to collect money for them, as if they were in full-time attendance.  Some parents feel the trend provides a good way to look into educational alternatives.  The materials used by homeschoolers must meet district approval.  Parents largely object, especially since the state superintendent of Public Instruction has said that use of religious materials in homeschools would violate church-state separation laws.

The second edition of School Law in New York State: A manual for Parents by Seth Rockmuller has been published.  It provides information about the education laws in New York, alternatives and services available, students' rights, and how to file a grievance.  This book is a fine resource for all parents.  It's available from Longview Publishing, 29 Kinderhook St., Chatham, NY 12037.  Tel: 518-392-6900.

"What all parents can learn from homeschooling families:  Pay attention ... be open ... treat your children as individuals ... and reach out" is part of an article called "Homeschooling" in the October 1996 issue of Child Magazine.  Written by Melinda Blau, it weighs the pros and cons of homeschooling, lists some options, touches on the legal issues, and includes Allpie and AEROs Almanac of Education Choices as resources.  For more information, write PO Box 3176, Harlan, IA 51593-0367.  Tel: 800-777-0222.

The first issue of Thumbprints was published in October.  It's purpose is to provide students with an opportunity to see their writing efforts published attractively.  The publishers feel that this is highly motivating and will inspire children to strive for excellence.  It is issued every two months.  2633 Partridge Trail, Duluth, GA 30155.  Tel: 770-476-5029.

Shad Sterling e-mailed us a message telling us all about Grace Llewellen's unschool camp which happened recently.  A group of young people took part in a shared learning/living experience at the camp.  Many activities were led by campers.  Shad says that "by the end of the week, there was a general feeling that life should be like this everywhere .... that people should be people, without all the artificial structures imposed by current society .... that in life people should feel free to be themselves."  Well said, Shad.  KTDH42D@prodigy.com.

ALUMNI NEWS

This section is for alumni of alternative schools and homeschools. AERO is in the process of developing an alternative education alumni association. For more information contact the AERO office.

FERRER MODERN SCHOOL REUNION

The reunion of the students of the Modern School took place on September 27-8 at Rutgers University. The Modern School was first created by anarchist Francisco Ferrer, in 1901. It was the first school there that was coeducational and not run by the church. It was democratic and had non-compulsory class attendance.

Ferrer was forced to close his school in 1906. In 1909 he was falsely accused of being part of a plot to kill the king and was shot. When he was facing the firing squad he said, "Aim well, boys. I know this is not your fault. Long live the Modern School!"     There were protests all around the world, and schools were created in his name. More than 200 were started in Spain, 20 in the US, including one in New York City. Modern Schools continued until 1958 in the US,  but its former students continue to have reunions EVERY YEAR!

At this reunion there were about 100 attendees. One of them, Alfred Levitt, had been a student at the Modern School  when he was a boy, and studied art there. One of his teacher was Will Durant, who went on to become a famous writer on philosophy. Alfred Levitt, himself went on to become a world famous painter, who has over 20 painting as part of the permanent connection of the Metropolitan Museum.  He invited Jerry Mintz to his apartment in Greenwich Village to discuss a plan: He wants to start a new Modern School in the New York area.  He was one of the main speakers at the Modern School Reunion. He is 102 years old! He spoke without the mike! This was followed by a discussion about the logistics of creating the school. Most of the attendees liked the idea of starting a new Modern School. Contact AERO if you are interested in this project

By the way, Alfred was not the oldest at the reunion. There was one woman who is 105. It seems to me that it is the commitment to these ideas which keeps them going! For more information on the Modern School,  check out a book by Queens College professor Paul Avrich called the Modern School Movement. AERO has videos of this talk and talks at past reunions by the late Nellie Dick, James Dick, Edgar Taffel, the participants at Nellie Dick's 100th birthday party, etc.

Mary Westheimer writes about a reunion of the school she attended as a teen-ager. She is now a publisher: "New Morning School graduates, attendees, staff and fans attended a nostalgic twenty-something reunion in May 1993 at the Cincinnati, Ohio, home of  graduate Bruce Whelan. New Morning was founded in Cincinnati in 1971 and modeled after Philadelphia's Parkway Project alternative school. Its offices were in the Friars Club on Ohio Avenue near the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Four years after its debut, New Morning founder Gene Galvin and others created City-Wide, a public-school based alternative school that was housed in Hughes Learning Center, not far from the original New Morning offices."

"Gene Galvin was one of approximately 40 staff members and students who gathered at Whelan's on a rainy night, an authentic Cincinnati touch for those who had flown in from California, Tennessee and Arizona, among many other states. Joe Biehl Jr., who had lived and worked as a film editor in New York for many years and recently returned to Cincinnati, helped create a video from old film taken during the New Morning years. Everyone took time to gather on the front porch for a group photo, which prompted Mark Brown, who'd flown in from California, to ask Gene, 'So, can we get extra credit for this?' "

TEACHERS, JOBS, INTERNSHIPS

Cobblestone School, in Rochester, NY, an alternative, private, non-profit, elementary school, seeks a director.  The school of 150 students with an average class size of 12 offers a diverse, holistic, learner-centered program for pre-kindergarten through 6th grade. The director reports to the board of trustees, is responsible for the overall functioning of the school,  maintains strong relationships between the School and its community, leads through collegial decision-making, and guides the school and its staff in articulating and achieving Cobblestone's mission.  Qualifications:   master's degree or equivalent; minimum of 3 years teaching experience; experience in an alternative educational environment; experience in staff supervision, budget management and program development; experience in fundraising and development.  Submit letter of application, resume, and statement of educational philosophy to:  Jeffrey Reed, Chair,  Search Committee, Cobblestone School, 10 Prince Street, Rochester, NY 14607.  Review of applications will begin 2/15/97 and will continue until the position is filled.  Anticipated starting date:  July 1, 1997.  Cobblestone School is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer.

Karen Good is certified K-8 with a masters degree and has coordinated and taught a small private K-8 alternative school for the last seven years. She has ten years experience working with homeschool families, has experience running summer day camps for kids ages 5-12 and teen-focused camp programs.

Greg Tamler is certified K-12 in P.E. and Health with a masters degree. He directed the athletic program at the American School in Madrid for 6 years, has experience in alternative programs and has taught Tai Chi for 8 years . They are interested in relocating and are looking for teaching positions for the 97-98 school year. They can be reached at Rt 3 Box 116 Raymond, WA 98577 or e-mail at karen_greg@willapabay.org

Paul Griffith a 26 yr old from NY with background in theater, literature, percussion, and management seeks job in alternative democratic school.  All inquiries welcome.  Visitations also sought.  Please email frump@li.net or call 516 878 1862, leave message for Paul. 

Rainbow Mountain Children's School, established in 1978 in Asheville, NC, is looking for a director to start June 1996. RMCS is a holistic, child-centered school which teaches students ages 3-13. Applicant should have alternative teaching and administrative experience. For more information contact: Director Search Committee, RMCS, 574 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806. Ph: 704 258-9264.         

A New York State certified pre K - 6 teacher with 7 years experience is looking for a teaching position in an alternative school. Richard Smith's experience includes a year teaching on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona.  Contact him at 504 10th St., Brooklyn, NY 11215.  Tel: 718-788-4606.

Debbie Levin is also seeking a teaching post in an alternative school.  She is currently a substitute in the public school system.  She can be reached at 91 Windsor Mews, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002.  Tel: 609-667-4352.

"I just received the Almanac of Education Choices and I LOVE it!  What a comprehensive book.  I am sure it will help me immensely in my search for meaningful teaching employment for next fall."  So wrote Victoria Rentz who is interested in teaching in a middle school.  She specialies in social skills development as well as academics.  PO Box 2711, Roma, TX 78584.  Tel: 210-848-5188.

Brian P. Miller is a New York University graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography as well as one in anthropology.  He would like to work in a high school setting.  His address is 13 N. Morerick Ave., Catonsville, MO 21228.  Tel: 410-788-9385.

Another reader interested in working in alternative education is Becky Biggins.  She has a teaching degree but doesn't believe in the "old way" of doing things.  Her address is PO Box 555, Moose Lake, MN 55767.

Chris Kawecki is  starting an internship program for undergraduates to work in a new alternative school in central Vermont, opening this summer.  Applications for the internship program accepted beginning immediately for the summer, fall, or year. Also co-workers of all kinds accepted immediately.  Call Chris at (802) 728-5315 or email  ckawecki@hampshire.edu.  

Howard Luke School is an alternative secondary school with an enrollment of 154 and a staff of 15 certified and 9 classified employees.  A major restructuring of the school will take place prior to the 1997-98 school year to determine student population to be served and program structure.  Applicants must possess or be eligible for an Alaska Type B administrative certificate with the appropriate endorsement prior to the start of the 1997-98 school year.  Superior interpersonal skills, a commitment to collegial decision-making, and an ability to involve parents and community are essential traits for the successful applicant.  A working knowledge and previous experience with alternative programs and schools is highly desired. A completed Fairbanks North Star Borough School District administrative application, resume and no less than three professional letters of recommendation  must be on file with the Personnel Office no later than 4:30 p.m. on the specified closing date. Application Deadline: January 31, 1997.          Annual Salary: $ 59,127 - $73,313  (203 days) DOE  The Personnel Office, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. 520 Fifth Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 (907) 452-2000, Ext 383 E-mail:  adctcal@northstar.k12.ak.us

CONFERENCES

Zephyr Training and Development is offering a series of workshops around the country . They are on Teaching and the Human Brain, The Power of Story, , Multiple Intelligences, and Creative Problem Solving. For more info contact them at 520 322 5090, 3316 N. Chapel Ave, Tucson, AZ 85728.

February 20-21, MN Association of Alternative Programs, Brainerd, MN, Building Our Own Community. David Bly. Northfield ALC, 801 Washington St, Northfield, MN 55057. 507 645-3061.

February 28,  Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, Diversity in the schools: New Challenges and New Solutions for Students with or at-risk for Challenging Behaviors, Radison Inn Airport, North Charleston, SC.  July 18-19 and July 25-6, Turning Kids on to Learning and Keeping them in School, OR and KY, and Oct 2-4, Creating Positive School Communities for the 21st Century: Strategies for Keeping Kids with Problem Behaviors in School, TX. Contact Dr. Lyndal Bullock, U of N TX, PO Box 13556, Denton, TX 76203. 817 565-3583.

March 22-25, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Leading the Vision, Baltimore, MD, 1250 N. Pitt St, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703 549-9110

March 25-29, Chicago, American Educational Research Assn,  1230 17th St, NW Washington, DC 20036.

April 3-6, Society for Effective Affective Learning, Embodying Change, U of Bath, England, PO Box 26, Ipswich, Suffolk iPi 2QG, England

April 15-20, National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools Annual Conference, International Conference Center (the old Kemper Insurance Building), Chicago.  NCACS Conference, 1671 N. Claremont, Chicago, IL 60647. Ph.: (773) 889-7608. A registration form, calendar, etc. is on the NCACS  web-site, which can be accessed through AERO site.

April 18-20, The Learning Community: Old Truths, New Challenges, K-12 education today, Network of Progressive Educators, http://www.passadena.l12.ca.us, 818 797-6890, PO Box 60308, Pasadena, CA 91116

April 30-May 4th, Magnet Schools of America, Alexis Park Resort Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. Preceding the conference, Arril 38-9, will be a session to help districts which have  magnets not federally funded and need funding, or who wish to start magnets. Donald Waldrip, 2111 Holly Hall, Suite 704, Houston, TX 77054 Ph: 713 796-9356

May 2-3, Oklahoma Home Educators' Convention, PO Box 270601, Okla City, OK 73137, 405 521-8439.

May 12-14, 1997, Democratic Discipline, Democratic Lives: Educating citizens for a changing world, at International Co-operative College, Stanford Hall, Loughborough, England, sponsored by Education Now, 113 Arundel Dr, Brancote Hills, Nottingham, England NG9 3FQ, Ph: 0115 925 7261

May 31, PA Home Education Networkj, Beaver Falls, 285 Allegheny St, Meadville, PA 16335, 412 561-5288

June 25-28, International Alternative Education Conference, U of M, Ann Arbor, MI, Dianne Duthie, Framington Alternative Academy, 33000 Thomas St, Farmington, MI 48336, 810 489-3826

July, Democratic Schools Conference, Sands School, Ashburton, Devon, England

October 22-25, Quality and Leadership in Experiential Education, Kansas City, MO, National Society for Experiential Education, 3509 Haworth Dr, Suite 207, Raleigh, NC 27609, 919 787-3263