Alternative Education Resource Organization

IDEC 2003 Conference Summary

July 16-24, 2003: Russell Sage College, Troy, New York

Hosted by The Albany Free School in association with AERO

This is a pre-conference summary. A post-conference report will be posted soon.

Introduction:

In July of 2003, the International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) will meet in the United States for the first time in the 11-year history of the conference. IDEC is one of the most significant international conferences concerning democratic education. Previous conferences in Japan, Ukraine, England, Israel, Austria and New Zealand have involved as many as 500 people from 25 countries. Attendees of IDEC 2003 will include teachers, students, administrators and parents from democratic schools in the US and around the world. There will also be local government and education officials in attendance as well as those from international children’s organizations such as UNICEF and UNESCO.

The Goal of IDEC 2003:

This is a critical time for education in the United States and in the world at large. The education systems in many countries are becoming more and more focused on standardization and a one-size-fits-all approach, creating a situation which only works for a small minority of students. In the United States, the “No Child Left Behind” plan has been passed into law, specifying high-stakes testing for students in grades 3 through 8. Schools are becoming testing factories as teachers must teach to the test to insure the security of their jobs.

The goal of IDEC 2003 is to gather a critical mass of people determined to push the momentum in a different direction, towards an educational approach based on respect, equality and democracy. That is the approach chosen by the numerous democratic schools around the world. At these schools, the realization of human rights for all members is the standard of achievement. Staff work with each student individually, and students and teachers have the opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process of the school. Democratic schools are usually no more than 200 students in size to insure that each student’s voice is heard.

Although there is much focus on standardization, there is also good reason for hope. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, and the Annenberg Institute have provided funds for the creation of small, innovative schools. The number of democratic schools in the US is growing each year. Furthermore, research from the US, UK, and Japan shows that students from democratic schools are academically and socially as well off or more so then those from conventional schools.

The Challenge:

Democratic schools have been founded in a wide variety of settings around the world, from highly developed countries to third-world countries. For instance, Moo Baan Dek in Thailand and Sri Aurobindo Yoga Mandir in Nepal are democratically-run schools for poor, orphaned and abused children. Participation in this conference could give valuable support to teachers and students from these countries in their struggle to expand human rights into the schools.

In order for IDEC 2003 to be a significant global conference, we need the presence of teachers and students from these important schools. Since they do not have the means to travel to the conference, we must raise funds to support their attendance. In addition, we need to make sure the general conference costs are low enough so that these teachers and students can attend.

Conference Schedule (tentative):

Wednesday is the gathering day, and welcome; a time for attendees to talk to and get to know one another.

Thursday will begin the Open Space format, a format used at previous IDEC conferences, in which all attendees help create the schedule for the conference while at the conference. Students and adults alike can add a presentation, workshop, game or other activity to the schedule, this focusing the conference on the specific interests of the attendees. Thursday will also most likely involve excursions to Albany, The Free School and the land owned by The Free School 30 minutes away.

Friday will be a continuation of the Open Space format, plus a possible teach-in or other action against the encroaching high-stakes tests. This begins the focus on the testing issue, which will continue through the weekend. Friday evening will be a main opening night, with a special opening and speakers. For the weekend, we will be reaching out to teachers and students in conventional as well as democratic schools who want to learn more about democratic education and who may be opposed to the tests and want to meet others of like-mind.

Saturday and Sunday will be slightly more formal, with planned speakers, workshops and panel sessions, as well as enough open time so that attendees can discuss, gather and put new items onto the schedule. Speakers will include John Taylor Gatto (author of Dumbing Us Down), Monty Neill (Director of Fair Test), Pat Montgomery (Founder and Director of Clonlara Campus School and Home School Resource Center), and Matt Hern (Author of Deschooling Our Lives. We will incorporate the democratic open space process so that weekend attendees, many of whom may not have knowledge or experience with democratic education, can learn about it by doing. Democratic education and the high-stakes testing controversy will be major issues during the weekend.

Saturday evening may include a a large event in the Schacht Fine Arts Center on location at Russell Sage College. Sunday evening may also use Schacht for a film showing of films about democratic schools and alternative education, including films on Summerhill School, Albany Free School and the trailer for John Gatto's forthcoming education documentary.

Monday through Thursday will be a continuation of the open space format. These days will also feature some pre-planned events, including a few interesting speakers such as Zoe Readhead (Principal of Summerhill School) and Ron Miller (author of What Are Schools For?), and a possible free schoolers symposium with important figures in the free school movement that rose in the 60's and 70's.

Thursday is also the goodbye.

Evenings will be times for film showings, talent show, drumming, dancing, and more.

Speakers Coming to IDEC 2003 Include:

(For a description of workshops and presentations to be held at IDEC 2003, click here).

Attendees of IDEC 2003: (as of March 13, 2003)

Schools that are Registered:

Home Countries of Attendees: Home States of Attendees:

Background of the Host Organizations:

The Albany Free School is a democratic inner-city school founded in 1969. There are 55 students from age 3 through 14, three-quarters of whom qualify for the New York State free lunch program. There are weekly democratic meetings to decide school issues, and student or staff can call a meeting at any time to discuss an immediate issue. Long-time director Chris Mercogliano wrote a book about the school, Making It Up As We Go Along, published in 1998.

The Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO), an arm of the non-profit School of Living, is the networking and support hub for educational alternatives throughout the world. Since 1989, AERO has helped thousands of educators, parents, and students find alternative schools, start schools, and change their schools into democratic learning communities. AERO publishes a quarterly magazine entitled Education Revolution and director Jerry Mintz published the Almanac of Education Choices in 1995, the first complete directory of educational alternatives.

For More Information:

To register for the conference and for more conference information, visit www.IDEC2003.com.

AERO also has a democratic schools and IDEC section on its website at www.EducationRevolution.org/demschool.html.

Please contact Dana Bennis of the IDEC 2003 Organizing Committee, with any questions or communications:

162 Wolf Hill Rd.
Melville, NY 11747
518-928-1234
dbennis@idec2003.com

Thank you,

IDEC 2003 Organizing Committee

 

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