Finding the Catalyst for the Education Revolution
9th Annual Alternative Education Resource Organization Conference
August 1-5, 2012
Red Lion on the River, Jantzen Beach
Portland, Oregon
Press Releases
The time for an education revolution is now! – June 20, 2012 (doc, pdf)
AERO announces conference professional development hours for teachers – June 28, 2012 (doc, pdf)
About our keynote speakers
- Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation. He is also one of the world’s leading speakers with a profound impact on audiences everywhere. The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED Conference have been seen by an estimated 200 million people in over 150 countries. He works with governments in Europe, Asia and the USA, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. Sir Ken will share his thoughts on shifting the paradigm that many education systems still manifest around the world.
- Naomi Aldort is an international expert on parenting and parent/child relationships and author of the book Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves. Naomi is an expert on raising powerful and peaceful people through attachment parenting and by protecting their innate freedom to be themselves. Her parenting advice columns have been internationally published covering all responsive parenting issues from babies through adults with focus on raising self-reliant, autonomous, powerful, and peaceful people. For her keynote she will be talking about raising self-directed and powerful children who act and learn from their inner passion without coercion or manipulation.
- Former members of Occupy Portland’s Our School project will present a panel sharing practical ways that individuals and groups can organize the education revolution in their own communities. AERO’s Director, Jerry Mintz, will introduce the panel by outlining AERO’s new international representative program. Their panel will end with a group discussion and visioning session to help focus and spur on the education revolution beyond the conference.
- Yaacov Hecht (pictured above) is the founder of the Democratic School of Hadera in Israel, the first to call itself a democratic school. He is also the founder and former head of the Institute for Democratic Education. He is currently the founder and CEO of the Education Cities organization which helps transform entire cities’ education systems.
Workshops and panels for…
Public school educators
- Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation. He is also one of the world’s leading speakers with a profound impact on audiences everywhere. The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED Conference have been seen by an estimated 200 million people in over 150 countries. He works with governments in Europe, Asia and the USA, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. Sir Ken will share his thoughts on shifting the paradigm that many education systems still manifest around the world.
- Identifying Absurdities in Schooling and Learning How to Overcome Them, Arnie Langberg, Jefferson County Open School, Retired, Denver, CO
- Educating for Human Greatness, Lynn Stoddard with Anthony Dallmann-Jones, Fond du Lac, WI
- The World Becomes What You Teach: Catalyzing a Generation of Solutionaries, Marsha Rakestraw, Institute for Humane Education, Surry, ME
- Bringing Democratic Education to the Traditional Public School, Matt Dale, Canyon High School, Santa Ana, CA
- Relinquishing Control: the Coaching Approach to Education, Meghan Carrico and Tina-Marie Meyer, Windsor House School, Vancouver, BC
- Indigenous Wisdom and Modern Science, Vicki Johnston, Robert Muller School, Arlington, TX
- Teaching to Diversity, Vera Goodman, Reading Wings, Calgary, Alberta
- From Defiance to Revolution: Sparking Student Activism, Abdul-Malik Muhammad, Parkway Academy Schools, Wilmington, DE
- Be the Revolution, Michelle Goldbach-Johnson, The Knowing Garden, Hermosa Beach, CA
Alternative and democratic educators and students
- Yaacov Hecht is the founder of the Democratic School of Hadera in Israel, the first to call itself a democratic school. He is also the founder and former head of the Institute for Democratic Education. He currently is the founder and CEO of the Education Cities organization which helps transform entire cities’ education systems.
- Viable Urban Free & Democratic Schooling: A 21st Century Imperative, Kirk Cunningham, St. Charles, Burlington, WI
- Being Village Free School, Jessica Graves, Rachael King, Kathy Crisp, Village Free School, Portland, OR
- Make Real Decisions, Take Real Action: Student Leadership and Self-Governance in a Waldorf High School, Rea Gill, Cary Hughes, & John Buck, High Mowing School & Governance Alive
- Place-Based Education in a Democratic Learning Setting, Marc-Alexandre Prud’homme, University of Ottawa, Vanier, Ontario
- Student-Run Conflict Resolution: How Student Courts Empower Kids While Teaching Moral Reasoning, Mark Jacobs, Longview School, Garrison, NY
- Consensus Decision Making, Kavita Hardy, Arthur Morgan School, Burnsville, NC
- Leading From Who We Are – Authentic Leadership as Catalyst for Educational Revolution, Peter Berg, Education Transformation, Derry, NH
Parents
- Naomi Aldort is an international expert on parenting and parent/child relationships and author of the book Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves. Naomi is an expert on raising powerful and peaceful people through attachment parenting and by protecting their innate freedom to be themselves. Her parenting advice columns have been internationally published covering all responsive parenting issues from babies through adults with focus on raising self-reliant, autonomous, powerful, and peaceful people. For her keynote she will be talking about raising self-directed and powerful children who act and learn from their inner passion without coercion or manipulation.
- Nurturing and Empowering Infants and Toddlers, Tatyana Zaytseva, Connected Nurture, Portland, OR
- Spirituality and Child Development, Lissa Masters, Berkeley, CA
- Autism’s Gifts and One Family’s Cure, Kirsten Holmquist-Sutherland, Seattle, WA
Homeschoolers
- Learning Your Way!, Michael Maser, Dreaming Dragon Consulting / SelfDesign Learning, Gibsons, BC
- Standing on the Shoulders… Sandy Hurst & Pat Montgomery, Upattinas School & Clonlara School
- Funding the Education Revolution, Julia Schiffman, Marin Homeschoolers, San Raphael, CA
- The Future of Alternative Education & Unschooling in Oregon, Shanti Stein, Oregon
- Education of the Image Maker, Jan Quiett, Home School Mentor, Portland, OR
Professors and alternative higher education administrators
- The Role of Higher Education in Alternative Education, Anthony S. Dallmann-Jones, PhD, Marian University, Indianapolis, IN
- Educating World Citizens for the 21st Century: Why World Citizenship Education Needs “Depth” Pedagogies, Saskia Tait, Simon Fraser University & New Earth Institute, Burnaby, BC
- Unleashing the Re-Evolution, Liora Adler, Gaia University International, Morelos, Mexico
- Culture is the Killer App!, Willow Dea & Matthew Rich, Integral Education Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
- The Difficulty with Democracy Stephen Lafer, University of Nevada, Reno & Hasan Aydin, Institute for Kurdish Rights / Yildiz Technical University Istanbul, Turkey
Community organizers
- Former organizers from Occupy Portland’s Our School project will present a panel sharing practical ways that individuals and groups can organize the education revolution in their own communities. AERO’s Director, Jerry Mintz, will introduce the panel by outlining AERO’s new international representative program. Their panel will end with a group discussion and visioning session to help focus and spur on the education revolution beyond the conference.
- The Rights of the Child, Rowan Jang, Windsor House School, Vancouver, BC
- Parents’ Rights And Their Children’s Education, Tunya Audain, West Vancouver, BC
- AERO Community Organizing Skillshare, Jerry Mintz, AERO, Roslyn Heights, NY
- Schools That Change Communities, Bob Gliner (filmmaker), Portland, OR
- The Future is Ours! The Catalyst is Already in Play, David Marshak, SelfDesign Graduate Institute, Vancouver, BC
Find our full conference schedule.
Previous Conference Participants
I so much appreciated your love, commitment, energy, compassion, thoughtfulness, bravery, and creativity in putting on the conference. It had a huge impact on me and my husband.
The conference was indeed a great event–from which I learned a multitude of both the conceptual and directly practical. I feel extremely fortunate in my life to have been able to experience it.
I enjoyed and profited greatly from the AERO conference. I was very interested in the concept of democratic schooling and also wanted to explore other ‘alternatives’ such as unschooling, Waldorf and Montessori, and the conference gave a boost in getting more information and understanding of those concepts. The informality and potential for dialogue, both organized and spontaneous, was significant. It was particularly helpful to interact with some of the leaders in the democratic school movement, as well as the ‘troops on the ground’ who try to make it work every day. It’s also gratifying to see people who are taking this idea seriously.
Photography for media use
Image 1 – “Students during a Youth Panel at an annual AERO Conference” – By Kelly Taylor
Image 2 – “Conference attendees in one of the many workshops that are held during the annual AERO Conference” – By Kelly Taylor
About AERO
The Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) was founded in 1989 by Jerry Mintz. AERO’s goal is to advance student-driven, learner-centered approaches to education.
AERO is the primary hub of communications and support for educational alternatives around the world. Our network includes Montessori, Waldorf (Steiner), Public Choice and At-Risk, Democratic, Homeschool, Open, Charter, Free, Sudbury, Holistic, Virtual, Magnet, Early Childhood, Reggio Emilia, Indigo, Krishnamurti, Quaker, Libertarian, Independent, Progressive, Community, Cooperative, and Unschooling.
AERO’s mission is to help create an education revolution to make learner-centered education available to everyone. One of AERO’s areas of expertise is democratic process and democratic education, but equally important is the networking of all forms of educational alternatives.
Towards this end, AERO provides information, resources and guidance to families, schools and organizations regarding their educational choices. AERO disseminates information internationally on topics such as: homeschooling, public and private alternative schools, and charter schools.
Contact Info
Jerry Mintz
Director, Alternative Education Resource Organization
info@educationrevolution.org
(516) 621-2195
Links
AERO Website: http://www.educationrevolution.org
Conference Website: http://www.educationrevolution.org/conference
Conference Program: http://www.educationrevolution.org/conferenceprogram
Conference Press Kit: http://www.educationrevolution.org/conferencepresskit
Facebook Event
https://www.facebook.com/events/302683683161872
AERO Public Service Announcement w/ Susan Sarandon
Transcript: “Hello to the parents, students, and teacehers listening to this. I want to let you know that you have options in education if you are not happy with your present school. There are good public and private learner centered schools and programs out there that will will treat you and your child with respect. You do not need to put up with boredom or bullying. To find out more about these learner centered alternatives available to you, contact AERO, the Alternative Education Resource Organization, at educationrevolution.org or call 1-800-769-4171. Don’t feel trapped in a school you don’t like. You do have educational options. Go to educationrevolution.org or call 1-800-769-4171.”
Youtube audio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzOuxER3ZQQ
