AERO-GRAMME #22 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 FALL 1997
Changing Schools: New Section of AERO-GRAMME grows out of the International Alternative Education Conference Alternative Educators from around the United States gathered in Ann Arbor, MI from June 26-28 for the 27th Annual International Alternative Education Conference. Dianne Duthie coordinated the conference, under the auspices of the Michigan Alternative Education Organization. The group, consisting mostly of public alternative school teachers and administrators, has always used the Changing Schools magazine to coordinate publicity about its annual meetings, because they have no official office and are not an actual organization. Ray Morley of the Iowa Department of Education has helped organize the International Affiliation of Alternative School Associations and Personnel to help with some of the group's tasks (IA Dept of Ed, Des Moines, IA 50319).
Therefore it was significant that in a meeting at the conference a decision was made to have AERO-GRAMME continue the Changing Schools tradition by printing a Changing Schools section, which appears at the back of this issue. It consists of articles about alternative education, in greater depth than we have had in the past. In addition to our regular subscribers, this issue is being mailed to the Changing Schools subscribers whose subscriptions were still current. It includes an article by Len Solo, principal of Graham and Parks, a public alternative school in Cambridge, MA. In it he outlines his experiences in the early days of the current movement, when he pioneered the Teacher Dropout Center. Another article is by Dave Lehman and Chris Sperry of the Alternative Community School in Ithaca, NY. It describes the democratic processes which have evolved at their public alternative. In the Changing Schools section we also have an article edited by Albert Lamb of a talk on democracy given by Roland Meighan, who heads Education Now, in England. In the section we also have a transcript of the Education Revolution radio interview we did with David Colfax. Colfax home-educated his sons, three of whom have gone to Harvard.
This year's International Alternative Education Conference will be from June 24-27 1998, at Chapman University, in Orange, California. For further information contact Lynn Hartzler, CA Department of Education, Educational Options, PO Box 944272, Sacramento, CA 95814. Ph: 916 323-5034.
Confronting National Standards In May I attended the Education Writers Association meeting in Washington, DC. Secretary of Education Richard Riley spoke to the writers about the proposed national standards which he has been touting. Speaking from a microphone in the audience, I had a chance to make a statement and ask him the following question:
Mr. Secretary: I represent a group of people, many of whom strongly object to the concept of imposed or "voluntary" national standards. This group consists of alternative educators, from public and private alternative schools, and home educators. I edited a directory which lists over 6000 such educational alternatives. These groups and individuals are quite pleased with their educational approaches, have had wonderful results, and fear that these "voluntary standards" will eventually become more than voluntary. Furthermore, the concept of arbitrary standards is antithetical to the learner-centered concepts of these alternatives.
I want to point out that we can see and hear you in this room today because of a homeschooler who was considered uneducable by the school system: Thomas Edison.
My question is, how can these groups and individuals be protected from these national standards?
Secretary Riley's response was that he thought that these standards would be "helpful to everyone," including alternative schools and homeschoolers.
After Riley's talk, three reporters from major newspapers rushed up to me to give me their cards. They are doing stories on the national standards. JM
Lynn Stoddard , author of Growing Greatness, sent this e mail message in response to the above:: "I want to publicly thank Jerry Mintz for the brilliant question he posed to Secretary Riley at the National Press Writers Conference, and urge us all to stand up for the needs of individual learners. Secretary Riley's answer was typical of those who are infested with the political/corporate philosophy of assembly line education. It is a terrible disease that will not be cured until we can help these people see the damage that is being done by trying to standardize students. I believe this philosopy must take part of the blame for a large number of the dropouts, suicides, and those who turn to crime and drugs. Our jails are buldging at the seams, and the cost is a heavy burden on all of us.
As most of you already know, the view of non-educators who run the school system is of students who are passive recipients of knowledge -- students who are not responsible for their own learning, but who are raw material to be shaped according to the "experts" who develop a curriculum that is to be imposed upon them by workers (teachers) who serve their masters in educational factories called schools. This process is degrading to teachers, students, and parents. It ignores the knowledge and skills these people have and imposes the will of people who are far removed from the scene.
I believe it is time for teachers everywhere to express their indignation for being treated with such disrespect and to declare their independence from state imposed curriculum. Only in this way can we begin to meet the needs of individual learners -- learners who are not "raw material", but who are creative thinkers who build themselves through personal inquiry, and have unique gifts to develop and use for the benefit of all of us. We can replace high standards for uniformity (an oxyoron) with high standards for developing diversity. It is time to organize a movement. I feel that there is no way that we could serve our country better than to rally around a different vision than the one that is taking us to destruction."
FLASH! Education Revolution Radio Show is Moving to Prime Time! We just got good news: Our radio show, the Education Revolution, on the Talk America Network is now on prime time Prime Time! Starting September 7th, we are on the air every Sunday at 9 PM Eastern time. The show goes to over forty stations and on the internet, at www.talkamerica.com.
We don't have the current list of stations yet, but others can be added in your community if they want to carry the show. E mail me or call to find out if you have a station carrying the show in your area.
Our sponsors include the Clonlara Home Based Education Program, Ron Miller's Great Ideas in Education Catalog, Arthur Morgan School, The Meeting School, Summerhill School, Horizons School, Stone Soup School, and Stone Mountain School. We have room for a few more sponsors.
To call into the show, dial 800 298-8255, any Sunday from 9-19 EST. Excerpts of the Education Revolution interview with David Colfax are in the Changing Sechools section of this issue. This will give you a good idea of what the show is like.
Special offer to AERO-GRAMME readers. Get The Almanac of Education Choices for only $12 ! (The usual price is $20) We bought out the supply from Macmillan! (Macmillan still sells the older hard cover version for $110) Send a check to AERO or do it by credit card by calling us at 800 769-4171. Add $3 for postage.
Report on the International Democratic Education Conference in England This was the fifth annual meeting of IDEC. The first one was organized at Hadera School in Israel in 1993. It is a gathering of teachers and students of democratic schools from all around the world. What made this particular conference unique was that it was organized entirely by students. The key organizers were Jessica and Rachel, 17 and 16 years old, of the Sands School in Ashburton, England, in Devon, where this conference was held from July 7-18.
Even though this is always an exciting conference, some have felt the process was a little flawed in the past because the conference itself did not reflect the democratic approaches of the schools involved, and had too many "talking head" adult workshops. Jessica and Rachel decided to try to rectify this by organizing a conference entirely by students. The pair kept the cost as low as possible so that as many schools as wanted to could participate in it. They were able to get a 10,000 pound grant to help them with basic expenses! They used some of these funds to rent a nearby camp site, and a big tent as a central meeting place for the conference, minibuses for transportation and field trips, as well as food. The cost to participants was 50 pounds for the ten day gathering! It was decided that instead of a two or three day conference, this would be a ten day event. It was held during the summer so that there could be a sort of living situation of the participants, not only to discuss the democratic schools, but also to create a temporary international democratic school at Sands School. I had been in regular communication with Jessica and Rachel through mail, fax, and telephone.
We brought three American students on the trip. One of them was Mariah Moates. She is a 14 year old homeschooler from Virginia and had been wanting to go on an AERO trip for a long time. Her great interest is ballet and dance. In anticipation of the trip, she had read the book Summerhill, knowing we were planning to go to the Summerhill School after the Sands Conference. A second participant was Jeff Donovan, 13, a homeschooler from Spokane, Washington. The third American was Stephen Sanford from Missoula, Montana. He had participated in the international summer camp in France last summer and wanted to go on another adventure with AERO. He's 12. Seven years ago, I helped his mother establish an alternative school in Missoula. We were joined at Sands School by the fourth participant in our group, Nicolas Malaquin, who had also attended last year's summer camp in France. His parents drove him over from their home in France. He is 13. Other people whom we had contacted to arrange for their participation in IDEC included Albert Lamb, an American living in England, who is a former Summerhill student and teacher and whose children also had gone to Summerhill. We had also contacted Oleg Belin, a teacher at the Stork Family School in the Ukraine.
Our group went by train from London's Heathrow Airport, arriving in Totnes about three hours later. The Sands School is right in the village of Ashburton and has several acres of grounds which include several buildings, a basketball court, a tennis court. And they had resurrected their table tennis table just for me so I could teach table tennis to the participants. Most of the people were camping out at the campgrounds. Our group was able to stay in the school with our sleeping bags. Groups began arriving from places such as Israel, Austria, and representatives of schools in New Zealand and Japan.
Most of the Sands School students participated. Nothing was really scheduled for the first day and people just met and talked. The next day's meeting was one of the most extraordinary I've seen at any conference. The girls had hired a parent of one of the Sands students to help them through a process in which the entire curriculum of the conference/demonstration school was to be co-created.
We met in the large tent. Three large bulletin boards were plced in front of the group. On one of them were written the dates and times available for presentations. The second one was blank except for the days of the week. We were asked to write down any ideas we had for workshops we could give or ones which we would like to have given. Then one by one each person explained what these presentations would be. Then they were placed on the second bulletin board until the entire space was filled up for the first five days of the conference. In addition, on a third bulletin board, people placed other activities which were not really time sensitive but which they could offer or would like to see offered. This then became our schedule. Incredibly, virtually all of these events came to pass. They included such diverse activities as rock climbing, David Gribble's workshop about the schools he visited around the world, cave exploring, a trip to the moors, swimming and cliff diving, pottery and sculpture, a workshop I did on the decision making processes at different schools, a trip to visit the Park School, an elementary alternative in Totnes, as well as the Open School which is a distance learning and homeschooling center, and a visit to Schumacher College, all of which are on the grounds of the former Dartington Hall School. Schumacher is an environmentally oriented seminar center.
There was a also an ongoing workshop in a new sport called Tamburelli which is similar to badminton and uses a shuttlecock but the bats are made of modified tambourines. The kids there absolutely loved this sport and I think it would be worthwhile for us to bring it to other places in the world. Right now there are only a few hundred participants. Adam Cohen, one of the students at Sands School, was promoting this sport. I also had an ongoing workshop in table tennis and taught perhaps 25 or 30 people during the conference. We even had two tournaments.
Mariah's workshop on homeschooling was well attended and created great food for thought. She had been taking college classes since she was 10 years old and on her own had become interested in reading Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies, as well as becoming a serious dancer. Some of the older Sands students who attended her workshop wondered if they would have the same self-discipline to do a similar thing. Sean Bellamy, the head teacher of Sands School, and I also discussed this and wondered if there were some aspect of homeshcooling that might be missing or needed to be incorporated into the process of democratic schools to further empower learners to go off and really pursue their own directions.
Two days into the conference, Albert Lamb arrived and did a workshop on Summerhill. Jessica and Rachel were quite disappointed that no Summerhill students or staff had come to the conference and also no representatives from Sudbury Valley School in the United States which had been one of the founders of IDEC. There were some organizational problems with the conference, but I think these were far outweighed by the unique form which the conference took.
Wonderful international friendships were created. Mariah talked long hours into the night with students from Israel and has been invited to come there and visit. Jeff organized one of the the table tennis tournaments. I taught table tennis to about 25 people. I love teaching it because it is really an international language as well as cross-generational.
During the conference we tried to make use of Sands' computer communications but their good computer had been stolen a while back so the one we used was not very good for e-mail. Nevertheless, we set up a discussion coordinated through the Open School about democratic education vs. homeschooling. On the other end were students who were studying through the Open School, including one young man who had Tourettes syndrome doubted whether he could function in any school. The Sands students who were participating in online discussions invited him to come visit and felt that the students there would be understanding of his situation.
More that half the time we had serious problems with the computer and getting e-mail, but one day when we were setting up the follow-up discussion, on the second day, we didn't have any technicians there except for the youngest student at Sands School, a 10 years old. He proved himself to be quite fluent in this new language, having grown up with it. He did a very good job connecting us up with the Teliweb Network, which is sort of an alternative to the internet being used in England for students.
On another day a group of us went to Nathan Gribble's house to connect on the internet to the MOO that Puget Sound Community School has set up to see if people would like to talk to us at the conference. We did have a good discussion with Andy Smallman, the Director of PSCS.
We had a meeting to discuss where next year's conference would be. It seems they have put it pretty squarely in my hands. Several ideas were thrown out, including having it in the United States, Russia or in the Ukraine. We need to start working on this right away.
In quality, I think it would be really hard to top what happened in this year's conference. It was a true demonstration of an international democratic alternative school and a tribute to the vision and organizational ability of the students who helped create it. It is important to maintain this kind of level of student involvement in the creation of the conference.
After the conference we brought our group by train to Albert and Popsy Lamb's house for a couple of beautiful days in the Cotswolds, after which we visited Summerhill School for the last several days of their term. One of the students, Stephen, subsequently decided to become the first American student at Summerhill in several years. He's probably there as you read this.
After the Summerhill end-of-term party, we went first to a meeting with a group in Lewes who want to start a new school, then to Brighton, on the ocean, and finally to London for a final two days. In Brighton station there was no place to leave our luggage, because of fear of the IRS blowing things up. In order to see the waterfront we were forced to wheel our baggage, piled high on the luggage cart, a mile and a half to the bottom of the hill!
David Higgins of the Chase School, arranged a flat for our group to stay in while we were in London. There we saw the expected, such as Westminster Cathedral, the Tower of London, etc., but other favorites were the Hard Rock Cafe, feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, and getting portraits made in Covent Garden. If students, parents or teachers are interested in joining AERO trips in the future, contact the AERO office.
Growing Without Schooling, Founded by John Holt, Celebrates with a 20th Anniversary Conference They had never done anything quite like this before. They didn't know if anyone would come, to a fancy conference in a big hotel. Well, 700 people did come, from all over the world to Waltham, MA, from August 8-10.
The speakers were a virtual Who's Who of the homeschool movement, including John Taylor Gatto, the Coxfaxes, Cafi Cohen, the Kasemans, Nancy Plent, Seth Rockmuller and Katherine Houk of ALLPIE, Linda Dobson, Mark Hegener, and GWS staff members Susannah Sheffer and Pat Farenga. Day Farenga was the chief coordinator. I enjoyed meeting people I hadn't seen for a long time, like the Heuers, or for the first time, such as Jean Reed, who has taken over for the late Don Reed.
I was asked to lead two discussion groups. The first was entitled "International Homeschooling and Alternative Schools." Although it was a late evening discussion, more that 40 people participated, including representatives of England's Education Otherwise and Japan's Japan Otherwise. In the discussion it became clear that homeschooling in now a world-wide phenomenon, and quite a struggle in some places.
The last workshop of the conference was a demonstration of democratic decision-making process with the homeschooled teen-agers. About 15 attended, but the "demonstration-discussion" soon became a process to create a homeschool organization of homeschooled students which would be organized and led by them. As the conference ended, parents came by to try to collect their children from the meeting, some of whom were not ready to leave. In the end the group created LOYO-Learn On Your Own, and agreed to continue their work through e mail and a newsletter. Any interested students are free to join. Write to AERO or send a message to jmintz@igc.apc.org.
MAIL AND COMMUNICATIONS Edited by Carol Morley
We are reprinting, with permission, the following abstract of the dissertation by Joy Rosenzweig of the Claremont Graduate School, 1997: The Life and Times of Innovative Colleges and Universities: Factors Affecting the Endurance and Transformation of Institutional Reforms in Higher Education
"This investigation examined the history and durability of educational innovation at six colleges and universities that were founded in the 1960s and 1970s as alternatives to the mainstream of American higher education. The goal of the research was to understand how and why innovative or experimental campuses preserve their founding missions or dreams in a changing -- often non-supportive -- social, political, and economic climate.
"Four- to five-day site visits were conducted at six distinctive institutions across the United States: Pitzer College in California; New College of the University of South Florida; Hampshire College in Massachusetts; University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; University of California, Santa Cruz; and The Evergreen State College in Washington. Altogether, 151 interviews were held with founding or long-time faculty members, administrators, students, alumnae/i, and trustees. Interviews were supplemented with observational research and archival document review. Data were analyzed inductively both within and across sites.
"The results of this study demonstrate that smaller innovative campuses are more likely to maintain their distinctive missions than larger public universities. The findings suggest that innovation is more likely to endure at institutions where there still is a significant presence of charter professors, where faculty are recruited on the basis of their interest in innovative approaches, where academics are rewarded for distinctive teaching and curricular development, where organizational hierarchies and departmental structures are minimized; and where there is administrative support for innovation. The results also indicate that affiliation with a consortium of institutions, a later start-up date, the ability to adapt and change, and community support may enhance the survival of a distinctive campus.
"At the same time, the pressures and constraints imposed by a public university system, enrollment declines, and increasing student-to-faculty ratios have been found to inhibit the endurance of innovation at alternative institutions. Among the most fundamental challenges facing distinctive campuses are the retirements of founding faculty, campus image problems, student attrition, onerous faculty workloads, faculty immobility, and the ability to remain both innovative and innovating. The general implications of these findings point to the need for national recognition and promotion of creative alternatives in higher education." Joy Rosenzweig; 1365 SunnyField Circle; Upland, CA 91784.
Mail from Dave Lehman: "Dear Jerry, Just received AEROgramme #21 and quickly skimmed it cover to cover and I want to let you know how impressed I am with your continued efforts to expand this communication link! The sections are great, easily read, informative, and timely - carrying the message that education/learning/teaching can be different, can be better. I was particularly pleased to see the 'Teachers, Jobs & Internships' section expanding - this is a resource to which I will increasingly be referring those who ask if such a service is available. We have "interns" almost every year (actually an area I am working on expanding) and they look for a venue to advertise themselves. And, congratulations on the radio show! I'll have to try to catch it." Thank you for your endorsement of our work! Dave reports that the Alternative Community School this September will begin its 24th year with 260 students and a waiting list of almost that many. ACS; 111 Chestnut St.; Ithaca, NY 14850. Tel: 607-274-2183. Fax: 607-274-2351.
Our readers may be interested in a feature in the May 1997 Mobilization for Equity publication entitled "Ten Student Rights Will Ensure High Standards for All." The rights, listed here, include more detailed explanations in the paper. "All children are entitled to... 1. Have parents, advocates, and concerned educators involved in all decisions affecting their education. 2. Integrated and diverse classrooms that support different learning styles and abilities. 3. Developmentally appropriate and culturally supportive curriculum and teaching strategies offered in languages they can understand. 4. Full access to a common body of knowledge along with the opportunity to learn higher-order skills. 5. Assessment and grading strategies that enhance individual strengths and potential. 6. Support services that address individual needs. 7. Schools that are safe, attractive, and free from prejudice. 8. Attend school unless they pose a danger to other children or school staff. 9. Instruction by teachers who hold high expectations for all students and who are fully prepared to meet the challenges of diverse classrooms. 10. Equal opportunity for education supported by greater resources for schools serving students most vulnerable to academic failure." The National Coalition of Advocates for Students; 100 Boylston St., Ste. 737; Boston, MA 02116-4610. Tel: 617-357-8507. Fax: 617-357-9549. HTTP://www.ncas1.org.
The staff of The Enterprise School decided the need for information management had become critical. To meet this need, they developed a fully integrated, easy-to-use software package, Foundations for Education Information Management Software for Alternative Schools and At-Risk Students. It's an all-inclusive, interactive software package including intake, history, discipline, report cards, progress and meeting notes, and contracts. Contact Michele Surwit, Principal; Enterprise School; 1529 Beulah Rd.; Vienna, VA 22182-1920. Tel: 1-703-281-2232; 1-800-270-7328.
There is a 6 hour video set of edible wild plant classroom instruction plus demonstrations, field trips, a cooking class and a "weed feed" banquet called Dining on the Wilds. 280 wild edibles from all over North America are studied including their identification, habitat, seasons, edible parts, food preparation, herbal usage and nutritive value. There are also sections on edible flowers, herbs, mushrooms, and poisonous plants. It is available from Outdoor Eduquip; 24414 University Ave #34; Loma Linda, CA 92354. Tel: 909-796-8501.
Michael Sunanda of Open Eco Sky suggests the following additional questions for our educator's survey: 1. How many current or planned programs now focus on nature, being outdoors in it? 2. What creative project and nature trips do students do, % of total learning? 3. How much native Indian studies do they want, learn, research, and enjoy? 4. What plants and animals do the students get direct contact for? POB 2081; Pahoa, HI 96778.
If Alternative Schools Are the Answer ... What's the Question? is an article by Robert Fizzell and Mary Anne Raywid in Reaching Today's Youth, Vol 1, Issue 2. The article defines three types of alternative schools: The Innovative School; The Reform School; and The Beef 'em up and Send 'em Back School. The authors say that the reasons these schools differ is because of their core beliefs which spring from the way they view which problems are being addressed and who is being served. The four major areas of disagreement which characterize the basic contrasts between the three types of schools are: Broken Kid vs. Broken System; Traditional vs. Nontraditional Curriculum; Custodial Role vs. Educational Role; and Educational Services vs. Social Services. The same issue included an essay by Troy Sean Welcome called You Can Always Find Someone To Talk To in which he describes how one counselor in his public junior high school was so responsive to him and respected him that they developed a bond. Sandra Druitt, the counselor, was always there when he needed him, even at his lowest points. Reaching Today's Youth; 1252 Loesch Rd.; PO Box 8; Bloomington, IN 47402.
In June there was a meeting of a group interested in establishing a democratic school in the New York City area. The group, inspired by 103 year old, world-famous artist Alfred Levitt, will be meeting again the in Fall. Anyone interested in attending should contact the AERO office.
Skipping Stones is accepting entries for their 1998 Honor Awards which recognizes exceptional contributions to ecological and multicultural education in books, magazines, and educational videos. For an entry form and explanation of categories, etc, contact them at PO Box 3939; Eugene, OR 97403. Tel: 541-342-4956.
A new survey by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) shows that at least 280 four-year college and university campuses now do not use ACT or SAT results to make admissions decisions for many applicants. That represents an increase of more than four dozen test score optional schools since 1995 and a rise in the total by almost one hundred since 1994. In addition to the 280 schools on the list, FairTest found that hundreds of other undergraduate institutions have de-emphasized standardized exams in their admissions processes but have not yet taken the step of dropping their test score requirements. For a free copy of the updated list, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to "Tests Optional" at FairTest, 342 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139, or e-mail: http://fairtest.org.
The Folk Education Association of America (FEAA) is considering changing its name to the Organization for People's EducatioN (OPEN). The change must be approved by FEAA's current membership. A mailing will be sent asking members for comments and approval or disapproval. FEAA publishes the newsletter, Conversations; 107 Vernon St.; Northampton, MA 01060.
An article entitled Janusz Korczak and Children's Rights by Michael Parciak, Chief Architect of Korczak City on the Internet, was printed in the Newsletter of Medford Education International, Inc. (Vol. 3, No. 5). Korczak, who lived in Poland, built and ran an orphanage for 200 Jewish children which became the Warsaw Ghetto. He was "an advocate of the rights of children and was always far ahead of his time. He was a living active example of innovative and progressive pedagogy and development .... In an exemplary way, Korczak realized within these homes his ideals of democracy, social life and justice by creating the children's court, the children's newspaper, and children's elections." For more information on his life and methods, contact MEI; 214 Stark St.; Medford, OR 97504-7132.
According to YALP!, newsletter of The Children's Learning Project, the present American education system embodies 15 general principles: "1. Children must be forced to learn. 2. Learning requires teaching. 3. Schools are the primary site for learning. 4. Learning is individual, not social. 5. Rewards and punishments are decisive motives for learning. 6. Children should be segregated by age. 7. Knowledge and skills can be learned outside the context of their use. 8. Children's school work must be continuously judged and graded by people other than themselves. 9. Knowledge must be divided into subjects studied in standard daily units of time; and should be organized in a temporal sequence through which children progress in a linear, orderly way. 10. The knowledge and skills needed to succeed in high school require eight years of elementary school. 11. The knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college requires four years of high school. 12. The responsibilities of educational leadership begin and end when children enter and leave school. 13. Adult notions of logical organization should dictate the organization and structure of schools. 14. Central authority should make all important decisions about curriculum and define what children should know and be able to do at specific ages. 15. Only a uniform educational system will produce a minimum uniformity of learning outcomes." The CLP; 1525 E. 53rd St., Suite 408; Chicago, IL 60615.
The summer 1997 edition of Skole was full of interesting articles including an interview with with Jonathan Kozol (on his night in jail for an anti-war demonstration: "It was one of the most interesting evenings of my life."); John Potter; Mario Cuomo; John Taylor Gatto ("If any American dream is universal, owning a home is it -- but few government schools bother teaching you how to build one. Why is that?"); Thomas Armstrong, PhD ('Why I believe Attention Deficit Disorder is a Myth'); and 'Just for Fun,' a hilarious letter by Christopher Leeds to the IRS ("I am responding to your letter denying the deduction for two of the three dependents I claimed on my 1994 Federal Tax return. Thank you. I have questioned whether these are my children or not for years. They are evil and expensive .... This year they are yours!"). I'm still laughing. Skole; 72 Philip St.; Albany, NY 12202. Tel: 518-432-1578. Fax: 462-6836. E-mail: MarySKOLE@aol.com.
I*EARN is a program that teaches grade school students reading, writing, arithmetic, technological and planning skills, collaboration, and community involvement. A video produced by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory documents how three New Mexico schools are implementing I*EARN (International Educational and Resource Network). The students use computer networks to communicate with other children in over 400 schools in 22 countries. The video is available from Southwest Ed. Development Lab.; 211 E. Seventh St.; Austin, TX 78701. Tel: 512-476-6861. Reported in R & D Watch, May 1997; Cedar; 2000 L Street, NW, Suite 601; Washington, DC 20036.
The FairTest Examiner reported in its Spring 1997 issue that "President Clinton Continues to Push for National Tests." The tests Clinton is calling for are for 4th grade reading and 8th grade math and will be about 80 percent multiple choice. Reaction from education organizations has been generally favorable. For a pack of articles presenting the case against national tests, send an SASE to National Tests at FairTest; 342 Cambridge, MA 02139-1802. Department of Education materials on the proposed exams are available on the internet at http://www.ed. gov/nationaltests.
LUNO (Learning Unlimited Network of Oregon) now can be reached online at luno@cse.com. They would like to contact and to share information and programs with others who have common concerns, especially for a Network of Independent Learning Centers. LUNO; 31960 SE Chin St.; Boring, OR 97009.
The summer 1997 edition of Rethinking Schools, An Urban Educational Journal, focused on Global Sweatshops. In it are articles about Paulo Freire; Teachers Unions; Standards, Funding and Promises; How Our Schools Could Be; Splits in the Wisconsin Voucher Movement; and Taking Action against Disney. 1001 E. Keefe Ave.; Milwaukee, WI 53212.
A new book by Laurel Tanner examines the practices and policies of John Dewey's Laboratory School from their inception to today. Dewey's Laboratory School: Lessons for Today provides practical guidance on how schools today can introduce reforms the way Dewey originally and successfully practiced them. Topics covered include Dewey's Developmental Curriculum; Dewey's School as a Learning Community; Looking at Reform the Dewey Way; and Teachers' Reports. Teachers College Press; Columbia University; New York, NY 10027.
An account of author Rabbi Yehudah Fine's efforts to help kids struggling in the harsh street subculture of New York City has been published in a book called Times Square Rabbi: Finding Hope in Lost Kids' Lives. Rabbi Fine uses an eight-step program for self discovery and renewal based on the teachings of Hebrew philosopher Maimonides. The stories in this book illustrate how crisis can produce transformation, and how one person can make a difference in the lives of others. Available from Hazelden; PO Box 11; Center City, MN 55012-0011. Tel: 612-257-4010. Fax: 612-257-5101.
Michaelia Morgan wrote telling us about her trip to Summerhill in England with her eight-year-old son. They stayed at a nearby Bed and Breakfast, but spent every day for two weeks at Summerhill. Her son was the only American child there. She says: "He was so busy playing his first day there that he took no meals ... I saw he was satiated in other ways." She offered yoga, massage, and sign language lessons which were well attended and received. She goes on to say: "I became quite close to one student, William Lambden -- whose last term is ending this month -- and when it came time for us to leave, he said he wished we could stay. Frankly, I felt the same way .... So, I said to William, 'You ask Zoe this time" and he did. Again, she agreed and I guess we set a record visit at Summerhill -- 2 weeks ... I was basically blessed out of my mind. Why? Because of the friendships I'd made with some of the beautiful hearts. When I asked one 16-year-old, Hajime, where he would go after Summerhill and he told me University in England, I stopped short and then asked him (thinking of his gentle, open heart) "How will you do it, dear Hajime? University is so different from Summerhill." He gestured widely with his arms and remarked happily, "I have a lot of space -- I am stress-free." I almost cried on the spot." Michaelia and her son are now back home in Pacific Grove, CA. Editor's note: One of the students on the AERO trip to England will be attending Summerhill this year. Contact the AERO office for a Summerhill brochure.
E-mail from Arnold Greenberg filled us in on the progress being made on Liberty School. They have a 4 acre site with a house and a large carriage house (which will become an internet-based library). They are building a school for 30 students which they hope to have ready in September. These first students "will experience something no other students in the school's history will know. Starting it." They are holding many fundraising/informational events to raise funds for a matching grant. He would appreciate any advice or help. His e-mail address is grnbrg@downeast.net.
Woodbury Reports is a networking newsletter for professionals working with children and young adults. The focus is on emotional growth schools and programs which are designed to be less expensive alternatives for children with behavior or emotional problems. For more information on this newsletter, contact them at PO Box 1107; Bonners Ferry, ID 83805. Tel: 208-267-5550. E-mail: Lon@woodbury.com.
Robert W. Klous, Th.M, has put together a very large resource directory which includes Alternative Health Care; Spiritual Growth Resources; Home Education Resources; Counseling Services; Government Reform; Education Reform/OBE; Public Policy/Think Tanks; and much more. The book, Traditional Values in Action Resource Directory, highlights 7,400 organizations providing over 10,000 services including e-mail, web site, publication, and CEO indices. It is available from Christian Values in Action Coalition; PO Box 663; Concord, VA 24538-0663. Tel: 804-993-3484.
PUBLIC ALTERNATIVES Legislative proposals regarding charter schools during the '97 sessions were made in 13 states. California, Minnesota, Michigan all proposed to repeal caps on charter schools statewide. Kansas, Idaho, New York, and Tennessee proposed to study or to establish charter schools. In New York, AB 960 establishes an Alternate Teachers' Certification program which would allow individuals who have demonstrated subject matter qualification to be certified without having completed course work. This information is from Vol. 1, No. 4 of Opportunity, The Magazine of the Education Leaders Council; 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 204; Washington, DC 20036.
The Goals 2000 program in particular and how education policy can affect individual liberty and cultural diversity in general are examined in Stephen Arons' book, Short Route to Chaos. Arons presents specific suggestions for reform based on the principle that education, like religion, is a matter of conscience in which families should be free to choose how their children will be educated. Arons asserts: "The Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994 .... is a classic example of how government - mandated education reform can become its own worst enemy" (p.4). He also proposes discussion about a possible education amendment to the Constitution. Incisive and well-documented, this book presents a compelling argument for preventing government agencies from controlling the content of schooling. University of Massachusetts Press; Amherst, MA 01004.
The Summer 1997 issue of Holistic Education Review featured an article by John Gust called This Is What We Can Do! about Gust's experience with his seven and eight-year-old students in the Watts section of Los Angeles. In their xperimenting with applying Goulet and Dolbec's (1989) Ends / Means Trajectory Systems Design Methodology to the democratic learning community in his classroom, the students described how their school and neighborhood would be if it were their "dream school." They used these descriptions to create posters which they put up in their neighborhood. Some of the students' ideals: "We would be special; There would be no violence; There would be no drugs; There would be no guns; There would be no pollution; We would care about each other; People would be happy." After much cutting through red tape, petitioning, and meetings, the class teamed with the 4-H to design and build a new playground. They called the project "Caution: Children At Work!" One of the 4-H leaders was invited to Washington, DC to explain the program to Henry G. Cisneros, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was also at a press conference where he was interviewed by reporters from CBS and NBC. He even received a letter from President Clinton thanking him and the 4-H group for all their good work! Holistic Education Review; PO Box 328; Brandon, VT 05733-0328.
From Fine Print: A Careful Look at School Reform of May 1997: A new policy of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as part of its eligibility review process, began asking high schools to submit a brief description of their courses. On the basis of these descriptions and criteria it developed, the NCAA decided which courses would be acceptable preparation for college. The new rules, called "A New Game Plan," has resulted in some students who are National Merit Scholars, honors students and learning disabled students who excelled being declared ineligible to compete in college athletics! Center for School Change; Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs; 301 19th Ave. S.; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, MN 55455.
From The Center for Education Reform, May/June 1997: In circulation around the country is a report the National Education Association commissioned to analyze where it has gone wrong and what it can do to get back on track. "An Institution at Risk, An External Communications Review of the National Education Association, (January 1997) is an ASTONISHING acknowledgment of the waning influence of the NEA and unions in general, and the recommendations call for not exactly a substantive change in what they do, but better PROMOTION of the programs they have and co-opting the language of the 'opponents.' The authors, the Kamber Group, liken the NEA status today to that of Britain's before the Battle of Britain." One quote from the report: "Stake out a clear risk through a crisis strategy that seeks to win not by silencing the opposition, but by co-opting the other side's turf..."
From The Center for Education Reform, April,1997: "Take Cover --- Charter Numbers Rising this fall! The Center has done an informal survey of new charter states and is pleased to report that more than 190 charter schools are approved to open this fall." This issue also reports that Ted Kolderie has started the Charter School Friends Network. The network is run by Jon Schroeder and will create a support network of charter groups, resources, and advocates. Jon can be reached at 612-645-0200. The Center's address is 1001 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 204; Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-822-5077.
More about Charter Schools in the Charter School Newsletter of Summer 1997: "There are 491 charter schools currently operating nationwide. An additional 206 are scheduled to open in September 1997. Over 105,000 children nationwide attend charter schools. In 1997-98, 165,000 children will attend charter schools. (National Data from Center for Education Reform)" The newsletter is published by the Pioneer Institute; Charter School Resource Center; 85 Devonshire St., 8th Floor; Boston, MA 02109.
The following editorial by Jerry Mintz was printed in Newsday, Sunday, May 18, 1997, titled There's No School Choice in NY. "The case of Sergey and Nadezhda Zhivotenko, who sent their child to a public school of their choice, and were prosecuted for it ("Parents to Pay in School Switching," May 7), is an example of a crime being created by where you happen to live, rather than by what you did. If they had lived in Minnesota, their act would not only have been legal, but quite commonplace. In Minnesota, the law allows parents to choose any public school they wish for their children. It is not only in the area of choice that New York is well behind the curve of educational change. NY is one of a dwindling number of states with no charter school law allowing groups of parents, teachers and students to start innovative public schools and programs. And although NY has fairly good laws for parents who want to home educate, it does not give the children of these tax-paying home educators the right to make use of public school facilities. If we want to have a better education system we have to break up the monolithic monopoly of the public school system and allow families to choose what is best for their children, and not make criminals out of those parents who want to make those choices."
The May 1997 issue of the Pennsylvania Alternative Educators' Association featured an article by Dr. Barry Kanpol called Critical Pedagogy. In it, he defines critical pedagogy and says that "ultimately, critical pedagogy is democratic in intent and equates a high moral fiber to social justice. Also, critical pedagogy is undergoing some transformation itself. Not wanting to 'outline' its moral platform for fear of being too rigid, critical pedagogists are struggling with the question of what is a moral and just platform of an educated society, one that is both critical of the injustices that are ever pervasive as well as visionary of social justice for the 21st century." PO Box 201; Quakertown, PA 18951.
U. S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education this year are encouraging parents to get involved in their children's education with their America Goes Back to School initiative. They suggest that every American spend more time reading with a child, educate students to prevent substance abuse, expand after-school programs, recruit and organize tutors for help after school, coach a child in math, sponsor a career, work study, or internship, volunteer to assist teachers, help to bring technology into the schools, and learn more about taking the 1999 national tests in 4th grade reading and 8th grade math. Jerry notes: "Sounds like moving toward homeschooling." This information came from Community Update; US Dept. of Education; Washington, DC 20202-0498. Web: http://www.ed.gov/G2K/community.
HOME EDUCATION NEWS E-mail from Shad Sterling described for us Grace Llewellen's camp. Grace wrote the book, Teenage Liberation Handbook. The campers were in the 12 to 19 year age range. The price (depending on registration date) was $250 or $275. They spent 2 nights at Honeyman State Park and 5 at Camp Myrtlewood. The funds can be raised by the campers themselves by selling for Genius Tribe/Lowry House. Shad's new e-mail address is Polyergic@aol.com.
Kate Kerman reports that Phoenix Farm, near Keene, New Hampshire, has celebrated the first graduation of a farm homeschooler. Goroh "Waycool" Matsui celebrated her successful completion of high school with the Upattinas program on May 23rd, with songs, clown, a space shuttle cake and an exchange of written appreciations. Goroh has been accepted at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she plans to major in space studies. Another Phoenix Farm homeschooler, Peter Cline, is biking from Seattle to Maine - as of mid-August he had traversed a number of more than mile high passes and is on the flatlands of Montana. Phoenix Farm, 350 Troy Road, Marlborough NH 03455 (603) 876-4562 or bababear@galaxy-g.mv.com.
A book based on the findings of Dr. Brian D. Ray's second nationwide study of homeschooling in America, has recently been published. A wide range of topics is covered including the high academic achievements of homeschoolers; their social activities; impact of family income; and the progress of homeschool graduates. The book, titled Strengths of Their Own, is published by NHERI Publications, the book is available from them at PO Box 13939; Salem, OR 97309.
A published songwriter/professional recording artist is teaching songwriting and/or guitar (acoustic and electric) to 3 to 13 year olds in your house or his. He has six years of alternative education experience and 25 years experience in the music business. His approach is unequivocally child-centered. If your child is interested, call Steve Rosenthal at 201-437-8296 or write him at 179 W. 48th St; Bayonne, NJ 07002.
Snakefoot, a homeschool resource center, reports in their Spring 1997 issue that their negotiations with the Rockbridge County school to participate in a dual enrollment with homeschoolers has failed to materialize. Now, they are looking instead at attaining private school status and hope to relocate soon. This year, Snakefoot's 8 students get together one day a week with 16 homeschoolers to participate in creative writing and science workshops. The students and homeschoolers range in age from 7 to 16 and the program has been rewarding for both groups. Snakefoot Educational Association; PO Box 189; Lexington, VA 24450.
Both sides of the issue of whether or not homeschoolers should be able to participate in classes or extracurricular activities in public schools are presented in the May/June 1997 issue of Greenhouse Report. Yvonne Bunn wrote "Access: A Threat to Home Schooling" in which she asserts that access means more governmental regulations which threaten homeschoolers' freedoms and control over their education. Access also will put home educators in a weakened position and expose them to unwarranted intrusion by social services. Will Shaw presents the case for access in "Access? Yes." He argues that as members of the tax-paying community, homeschoolers are entitled to access to the schools, whether they choose to use them or not. He believes that the fears that homeschoolers have are baseless, but that in any case, if access is allowed, homeschoolers still have the choice not to participate. North Carolinians for Home Education; 419 N. Boylan Ave.; Raleigh, North Carolina 27603-1211.
Billy Greer compares Unschooling to organic gardening in an article called "Organic Learning" in Issue No. 8 of F.U.N. NEWS "I believe the term refers ... to a 'holistic' approach in which the entire organism is considered and not just individual components...Sometimes I see our home environment as the garden and our children as the plants; other times I see our children as the garden and knowledge as the plants. Each perspective has its merits. In either case, one of our goals is to produce self-sufficient learners with deep, strong roots to acquire their own knowledge and to provide a solid base for continued future growth." F.U.N. NEWS; 1688 Belhaven Woods Court; Pasadena, MD 21122-3727. E-mail: FUNNews@MCImail.com.
Two stories about groups, each with a specific focus, created and run by kids, were in Issue #115 of Growing Without Schooling. Maureen Carey of Massachusetts reports that her 11-year-old daughter, Aidin, and 7 of her homeschooling friends have been meeting twice weekly in a study club. It started when Aidin and 2 friends, who wanted to tackle more academic work, decided to get together to study and work. Since then, the group has expanded and now includes a literature class. Kate Dennis of Michigan says that she has been leading a book discussion group with five of her friends. They meet about once a month. Books are read on the homeschoolers' own time, then at the meetings they discuss the book and perhaps watch films of the books and discuss them too. They write short summaries of the books they read in preparation for the discussion. Kate says she enjoys the responsibility of leading the group. GWS; 2269 Massachusetts Ave.; Cambridge, MA 02140.
NATHHAN News is a newsletter of the National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network. The Summer 1997 issue printed articles on Nathhans's building project; "So, Why Do You Homeschool?"; Putting Together an I.E.P. - Ideal Education Program; Is Your Child Properly Socialized?; and Healthy Eating. The newsletter also includes resource reviews, a resource list, and classified ads. 5393 Alpine Rd. S.E.; Olalla, WA 98359. Tel: 253-857-4257.
Christian McKee has been unschooling all his life and recently put together a college admissions portfolio with his parents' help. It was so successfully received that Christian was accepted at four schools and received an almost complete scholarship to Kalamazoo College, his first choice. As a result of that success and to be of assistance to other unschoolers, homeschoolers, students, and young adults who may want to apply to college, Alison McKee, Christian's mother, has documented their experiences in a book, From Homeschool to College and Work. Information covered includes: Getting Started; The Documentation Process; Compiling the Data; The Portfolio; Common Concerns and Questions. Also included are Portions of an Actual Portfolio; Enclosures Included with Typical College Applications; Samples of Attachments to the Portfolio; and Resources. Available Bittersweet House; PO Box 5211; Madison, WI 53705-5211.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND CORRESPONDENCE RUSSIA EFFE (European Forum for Freedom in Education) held their 15th Colloquium in St. Petersburg May 10 - 15, 1997. The theme was "The Teacher of the 21st Century." Workgroups included "The Competency of the Teacher in the 21st Century"; "Parents and School"; and "The Beautiful School." Presentations were made on Peace Education; Museum Pedagogy; Religious Education; Women's Education; and City as School, among others. EFFE: Annener Berg 15; D-58454 Witten.
BRAZIL In Brazil, poor children and street kids are rejected by society and have even been murdered by death squads. Ironically, Brazil has also spawned a most innovative effort to rescue these children from the cycle of violence to which they are exposed. Children for Social Change: Education for Citizenship of Street and Working Children in Brazil by Anthony Swift investigates the pedagogy of love, respect and solidarity evolving by street educators and society's outcast children. This response is rooted in liberation theology, the work of Don Rosco and the ideas of Paulo Freire. It's placing children commonly branded as delinquents at the forefront of the struggle for children's rights. Both educators and children are exploring new dimensions of citizenship, challenging the pursuit of individual well-being at the cost of abandoning others to lives of poverty. Book available from Educational Heretics Press; 113 Arundel Dr.; Bramcote Hills, Nottingham, NG9 3FQ.
ENGLAND An article by Anthony Swift about excluded and endangered children was printed in the summer 1997 issue of Education Now. Swift noted Britain's "frequent spasms of angst about its children," most recently "a threatened strike by teachers demanding the exclusion from their school of violent and uncontrollable pupils. In the past year alone, ... 13,419 children were permanently excluded from school in the UK" in addition to the 100,000 already disaffected and marginalized children there. In all the debates, articles, blame casting, and admonishments, "scarcely a word has been breathed of the two unfashionable experiences children need most - love and respect. It is as though, in our consumer and market focused culture, the very terms are lost to us, let alone how we might accomplish what they stand for." Education Now; 113 Arundel Dr.; Bramcote Hills; Nottingham NG9 3FQ.
The Spring 1997 issue of Education Now printed the following about The Open School of London: "The Open School ... is a national educational charity tackling problems of access and underachievement and supporting children's learning through new technology and innovative materials. Since 1991, The Open School has pioneered distance learning for young people using fax and e-mail. Teletutoring provides support to a variety of students (in school, in hospital, at home or in other situations) where educational access is either limited or where classroom teaching is inappropriate. A range of programs is offered: direct teletutoring to students - often customized to an individual's needs, training for teletutors, or consultancy to help LEAs and others to develop their own distance learning solutions." They can be contacted at Park Road; Dartington, Totnes TQ9 6EQ. Tel: 01803 866542. E-mail: openschool @dial. pipex.com.
Roland Meighan has compiled a book based on his twenty years of researching home-based education entitled, The Next Learning System: and Why Home-Schoolers are Trailblazers. In an article he wrote in his newsletter, Education Otherwise, he says that "It has already been said that this book enables home-schoolers to hold their heads high. They are ahead - it is the others who are behind and risking their children in an obsolete schooling system." The book and newsletter are available from Education Otherwise; PO Box 7420; London N9 9SG. E-mail: http://www.netlink.co.un/users/e_o.
HUNGARY E-mail received about the Rogers School in Budapest informs us that the school moved into two rooms of another alternative school for the summer. They have managed to find a building to rent in September for the start of the new school year. Till then, there are still many hurdles to get over, and we wish them well in their new "home."
NEPAL Cynthia Edwards reports that she has helped to establish a new school in Nepal in which, "No child is turned away for lack of money, with active parent involvement, and with a curriculum which teaches rural children skills they can use in their daily lives. As far as we know it's the first of its kind in Nepal." They are trying to "raise $3000 to help the 83 children currently attending, plus lay the groundwork for future permaculture education there. " They would like to start a School Linking Program. For more info: Jarkajot Permaculture Program, GPO Box 10908, Kathmandu, Nepal, or Cynthis Edwards at ce@terracom.net
NETHERLANDS, FRANCE News: Schools for Tomorrow June, 1997 reported from EFFE News that in the Netherlands, "69% of primary school children and 78% of pupils in secondary and higher education attend institutions which are independently run and yet financed by the state." The Dutch Education Council has recommended a proposal which would make it easier for non-Dutch ethnic groups to establish their own schools if the proposal is passed by Parliament. The proposal will also make it easier for parents and teachers who wish to use special pedagogical methods to establish new schools. The same issue gave an short explanation of the Freinet Movement which was pioneered by Celestin Freinet (1896-1966), a French Resistance worker. He based his movement on democratic, cooperative and active learning. "After WW2, his methods were accepted by the French educational establishment as a valid alternative to traditional methods. His approach includes children's own weekly work plans, self-assessment, investigation and presentation to peers, pupils' councils, a children's journal and interschool correspondence." Teachers in France are permitted to follow Freinet methods; however, there are no schools there which are entirely Freinet run. Human Scale Education; 96 Carlington; Near Bath, BA2 8AW.
DENMARK An efterskole is a boarding school in Denmark for students in the 9th and 10th grades. From February to May, 1996, Joyce Johnson did some research about these schools and wrote about them in an article in the Yancey Common Times Journal (Jan. 8, 1997). "At an efterskole, classes, work, leisure time, family time are all linked together to form a community. This community provides security and demands responsibility to the group. One of the fundamental principles is that one is free to shape one's own life, but one is also responsible, not only to oneself, but to the community as well; with freedom goes responsibility. This gives students self-confidence and a sense of their own worth."
JAPAN Nat Needle writes: At Kyoto International Learning Center, I am teaching a seminar called "Educational Alternatives" open to people of all nationalities. Last term we used Ikue Tezuka's book about the public alternative schools developed by Giichiro Yamanouchi, which were based on involvement with the adult community and connection with nature. Children planted a forest, and raised carp ( a delicate task) under the guidance of adults in that mountain village. (The book is called School with Forest and Meadow). Now we are using the book edited by Matt Hern, called Deschooling Our Lives, which includes articles about Albany Free School, Sudbury Valley School, Summerhill, and many homeschoolers and other pioneers. Later this term, we will use the book edited by Dayle Bethel, called, Compulsory Schooling and Human Learning,, which includes both Japanese and American perspectives (articles by Kazu, Pat Montgomery, and many other luminaries). Needle-Wakabayashi family alternative education news: Mihoko and I maintain a Saturday afternoon "holistic English" program for kids of all ages where we do drama, cooking, outdoor stuff, music, arts and crafts, and FOOLING AROUND (hide-and-seek and messing with bubbles are popular sports). I find it's best not to overdo the planned activity, and instead to leave room for things to happen spontaneously, like running up and down the street, which thrilled little Asa no end. Unfortunately, our "Let's Play in English" approach is a tough sell in this culturally conservative city! 8 Shokaku-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612 JAPAN
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
Melissa Tyson, behzad.bigdeli@pss.boeing.com Can anyone help me find information regarding the opening of a free private school? I am fascinated by the subject and would very much like to know what it takes to run such a place.
Lindy Barnes, brnstorm@primenet.com Greetings! I had typed "Alternative Education" in a search engine box, found your site, e-mailed you and now have Aero-Gramme #20 as a sample issue. Tomorrow, assuming the difference in our time will allow it, I am going to call and place an order. I am a middle-aged college student attempting to earn my teacher certification. I think my time and my money would be much better spent studying Liberal Arts and then teaching children who really are in school because they want to be and not because they are forced. I am also a full-time teacher's aide and our children are mostly bored to disruption. Well I think you know what I am talking about.
Wendy Dix, bentley@surfsouth.com I work with Communities In Schools, a non-profit org. that targets kids at risk. I'm the project director for a rural public primary and alternative school. Thanks for the info.
George Varghese, v_george@hotmail.com Hello! I'm from India and had heard about the Sudbury Valley School and their system back in India from a friend who runs a school on similar lines. This school in the Nilgiri Hills in India is for rural and tribal children and is situated in a small town in the hills. Education here is almost free since very few of the people there can afford to pay for it. Keeping fees very low also encourages the kids' parents to sent them to school, rather than making them work to supplement the family income. This school is run entirely with contributions from well wishers and grants from other support organisations. Currently, since the monsoon (rainy) season is on in that part of the world, the school is in vacation and a programme for training tribal teachers is going on. These tribal teachers would then go back to their villages and start schools for the local children and impart education in regions otherwise untouched by schools. It would be a great help if a school or a group of well-wishers in the US could get together to support programmes being conducted there. It sounded like a great idea where one school in the U.S would support a school in a backward area in India so that the rural & tribal students had a chance for a better life. Otherwise, anyone could sponsor a child for a full year by donating $120(About Rs.4000 in Indian Currency). Do get in touch with me for more details -George Varghese.(617) 577 7530 (res)(617) 374 8618 (off)
Drew Ridama, garcia@mpx.com.au HI, I'm an Australian teacher traveling around the world on a bit of a fact finding mission. I've just spent 4 long years in the regressive English system and badly need to find myself working in a environment that respects children. I'm looking for information about progressive schooling in the states, considering visiting a few schools, and checking out work opportunities while I'm here. I'm also drawing up a proposal for the kind of 'learning centre' that I'd like to open myself one day. Hopefully, whilst I'm in N.Y. I'll get a chance to look you guys up and check out what appears to be an impressive range of information.
Sveta Shepard, rubytrue@hotmail.com Thank you for realizing that education is more than a room full of unwilling students ignoring an unhappy teacher. You are making a difference. Thank you.
Maria Stephens, ssteph7259@aol.com I'm a veteran mother and new school creator/teacher currently in transition from Oregon to So. Calif. coast. Would like to see network similar to John Holt's New Schools Exchange ( of the '70's ). Desire to share ideas and encouragement with others setting up or looking for more humane, holistic places and people for our precious children.
Andrea Proulx, andrea-proulx@uiowa.edu I'm a third year Ph.D. candidate at the University of Iowa studying communication in personal relationships and education. I'm putting together the seeds of a dissertation looking at family relationships in home schooling families. I have a hunch that home schooling families do a lot of interesting work breaking the traditions of education in America and breaking-negotiating new family roles. I think this is fascinating. If you are a home schooling family or would just like to talk more about these issues, please feel free to e-mail me.
Perry A. Castelli, Ph.D., PACastelli@AOL.COM Interested in additional information on Summerhill. I am a former inner-city school teacher (music)from Cleveland, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland. Am currently teaching at the university level in the area of foundations of education (history, philosophy and sociology of education). Neill and Summerhill are still a part of my lectures/discussions. Would like to learn more about the current status of the school.
McNeal Holmes, mcneal@ou.edu I am so glad to find this site! My mother named me McNeal after A.S. Neill.
Harry Bennett Was doing research for a speech on the failure of the K-12 California public school system for a college speech course I'm in the process of taking this semester. Both of my children are in a Independent Study program through the Southern Kern County school district which is handled in a very similar fashion to home schooling. The program has been the best alternative I've found here. Students, typically those who are not being adequately challenged by the traditional school program, are given an opportunity to become part of a educational program which allows them to continue acquiring the necessary basic skills and promotes student involvement in areas of their choosing. This approach has allowed both of my children to excel beyond their peers and advance over two years beyond in the areas of science and mathematics.
Vince Jones, vjones@ysaofpa.org Looking for any info to improve my alternative program--contacts, resources, etc. We service referrals from local public schools, 15 max student body. Facility is small-community involvement/assistance a definite focus.
Tamara Rosenberg, 4320 Old Dominion Dr, Arlington, Va 22207 I am 16, and while working over the summer at a library a year ago found a few books on Summerhill. I was immediately interested. All my life I have never really liked school. It was always boring, and everything I was being "taught" seemed pointless. So when I found the books on Summerhill I thought my prayers had been answered. But unfortunately my mom said "no" to going to Summerhill. It's okay though. I would have been too old anyway. So instead of going to Summerhill, I want to go to college and major in psychology and one day open up my own school based on A.S. Neill's ideas.
Joseph T. Casazza, joewanna@msn.com Am interested in contact with serious individuals interested in starting an alternative to public education K-12 school. Am a certified teacher and practicing school administrator.
Martin L. Pryor, mpryor@redlands.nsw.edu.au Keen to explore any avenues to expand my teaching expertise...finding increasingly that existing educational situations do not work! Cross-referencing with lots of investigation into futures research and happy to hear from anyone with similar concerns. Thanks for a wonderful resource for someone "down under". Hope I can access the Radio Show sometime soon.
Eric Kling, erkling@msn.com I am doing research on the Summerhill School, A. S. Neill, and the students who attended the school. Any additional information would be greatly appreciated.
Kimberly Ann Pawling, Kapfsu@aol.com I have e-mailed Jerry Mintz requesting information on this organization and all other information that I can obtain for my graduate research project at Florida State University. I am a Special Education major: learning disabled/emotionally handicapped field. I am VERY EXCITED about school reform/ alternative ed./ charter schools/ private industry in public ed. ! I now want to teach in one of these environments or become a key player in one of these movements - hence, my research project at FSU!
Lois Ann Handrich, lahandrich@cmds.com I was a high school English teacher for 18 years. I left teaching because I no longer felt I was being a 'great' teacher. I kept many options open and decided to just stop and see what might happen. I now work for a company which designs, develops, sells and supports administrative computer software for higher education. I recently applied for a school board position. I will learn in the next week whether or not I was chosen. My concern about and interest in education is interwoven in the fabric of my life. I am always looking for ideas about how the educational process may be improved. |