Visit an alternative school instead of taking the test!

Jerry Mintz

For the last two years, in cooperation with Fairtest, AERO member schools have provided a place for students to go whose families have opted them out of high stakes testing. We are doing that again this year for families choosing to opt their children out of the draconian, year-end, high-stakes testing at their public schools. It is every parent’s right to do this. Alternative, learner-centered schools in AERO’s network are volunteering to let students who have opted out to visit their schools during this time. Visiting another school is usually an excused absence at most schools. We have had a great initial response from our network of schools happy to do this. We’re hoping many more are added to the list. If your school is open to this, just write to jerryaero@aol.com. If you are a parent interested in opting out your student from these tests and don’t see a school near you on this list, you can write to us and we’ll suggest one near you for you to contact. But we expect the large majority of schools listed as AERO member schools would be happy to accommodate you.

Here is the list so far:

  • Tutorial School, 400 Brunn School Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505, 505-988-1859, tutorialschool@yahoo.com
  • Brooklyn Free School, 372 Clinton Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11238, Lily Mercogliano, Executive Director, 718-499-2707
  • Parts and Crafts, Somerville, MA, contact@partsandcrafts.org Kelly Taylor, 617-207-8016
  • Voyagers’ Community School, 321 West Farms Road, Farmingdale, NJ 07727, 732.842.1660, Karen Giuffre’, Founding Director, Director@voyagerskids.com, www.voyagerskids.com
  • Mandala School, East Aurora, NY, 716-374-0678, DrJohn@MandalaSchool.org
  • Pacem School, 29 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, 802.223.1010, lexi.shear@post.harvard.edu
  • Liberty Learning Center, Cheri Isett, 2005 Ave T Lubbock, TX 79411, 806-744-9133
  • Princeton Learning Cooperative, www.PrincetonLearningCooperative.org, 609-851-2522, 16 All Saints Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 167, Princeton, NJ 08542
  • Little Lake Learning Community, Melissa Palma, (734) 218-4877, melissa@littlelakelc.org, Physical Address: 3257 Lohr Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, Mailing Address: 560 Little Lake Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, Website: www.littlelakelc.org
  • The NewGate School (Montessori Foundation Lab School), 5237 Ashton Road, Sarasota, FL 34233, 1-941-922-4949, 1-941-922-7660 (fax), Lorna McGrath, lornamcgrath@montessori.org
  • North Star, 135 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035, 413-582-0193, Ken@northstarteens.org
  • Clonlara School, Chandra Montgomery Nicol, 1289 Jewett Ann Arbor, MI 48104, 734-769-4511, Chandra@clonlara.org
  • The Attic Learning Community, Tracy L. Ruef, www.the-attic.org, Bothel, WA, admin@the-attic.org, 425-424-0800
  • The Birch School & Homeschool Resource Center, Kate Fox, Rock Tavern NY, kate@thebirchschool.org, (845) 361-2267
  • Whole Life Learning Center, www.wholelifelearningcenter.com, 10801 Old San Antonio Rd., Austin, TX 78704, 512.944.0279
  • Rainbow Mountain Children’s School, Renee Owen, 574 Haywood Road, Ashville, NC 28806, (828) 258-9264 ext. 11, http://www.rmcs.org/category/directors-blog/
  • Anchorage Waldorf School, Jann Douple Mylet, 3250 Baxter Road, Anchorage, AK 99504, Tel: 907-333-9062 | Fax: 907-338-9362, www.waldorfak.org, enroll@waldorfak.org
  • Youth Initiative High, www.yihs.net, jacob@yihs.net, 608-637-6445, 500 E. Jefferson St. #302, Viroqua, WI 54665
  • Shepherd Valley Waldorf School, 6500 West Dry Creek Parkway, Niwot, CO 80503, 303-652-0130, www.shepherd valley.org
  • Arthur Morgan School, Bridget O’Hara, Admissions Coordinator, 60 AMS Circle, Burnsville NC 28714, 828-675-4262, admissions@arthurmorganschool.org, www.arthurmorganschool.org
  • Billings Educational Academy, Billings, MT, 406-248-4031, Margo Haak, margoloveskids@yahoo.com
  • Mountain Laurel Sudbury School, 147 West Main Street, New Britain, CT 06052, www.mountainlaurelsudbury.org, info@mountainlaurelsudbury.org, 860-828-4077, Contact: Sean Vivier or Marie Sampson
  • Waldorf School of Massachusetts, Bay 160 Lexington St., Belmont, MA 02478, 617-489-6600 x11, www.waldorfhighschool.org, s.morris@waldorfhighschool.org
  • Northwest Free School, 1427 Queen Ave. N.E., Renton, WA 98056, 425-228-0345, northwestfreeschool@yahoo.com
  • Madrona School, Missi Goss, Head of School, 219 Madison Ave., S Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, 206-855-8041, www.madronaschool.org
  • Alger Learning Center & Independence High School, John Lackey, Director, 121 Alder Drive, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, Main Office: (360) 595-2630, Toll Free: (800) 595-2630, Registrar: (360) 595-2670, Fax: (360) 595-1141, www.independent-learning.com
  • Agile Learning Center, tomis@manhattanfreeschool.org, 115 E 106th St., 2nd Floor New York, NY 10029, www.manhattanfreeschool.org
  • Four Winds School, Eloise Michael, 54 French King Highway, Gill, MA 01354, (413) 863-8055, www.fourwindsschool.info
  • Sunset Sudbury School, 4200 NW 66th Ave., Davie, FL 33024, 954-404-7785, www.sunsetsudbury.org
  • The Brooklyn Waldorf School, 11 Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238, (718) 783-3270, www.brooklynwaldorf.org
  • Honolulu Waldorf School, 350 Ulua Street, Honolulu, HI 96821, 808-377-5471
  • Gaia Democratic School, 3754 Pleasant Ave, Minneaoilis, MN 55409. 612 728 1198, www.Gaiademocratic.org
  • Sussex School, www.sussexschool.org, 1800 S 2nd St W, Missoula, MT 59801, (406) 549-8327
  • Pacem School and Homeschool, 4 Trement St, Montpelier, VT 05602, 802-229-9810
  • Tall Grass Sudbury School, 82 Woodside Rd, Riverside, IL 60546, 708-777-1037
  • Deep Root Center, PO Box 424, Canton, NY 13617, www.deeprootcenter.org
  • Longview School, 63 Main St, Brewster, NY 10509, Longviewschool.org, 914-739-3402
  • Skybridge Academy, Austin, TX, Ariel Miller ariel@skybridgeatx.com, 512-739-4956
  • The Grauer Schools, 1500 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas, CA, 92024, www.grauerschool.com, 760-944-6777
  • Village Home Education Resource Center, Portland, OR, www.villagehome.org, lori.walker@villagehome.org, 503-597-9100
  • Mountain Sun Community School, 71 Keystone Camp Rd.
    Brevard, NC, 28712, 828-885-2555, www.mountainsunschool.org
  • Santa Lucia School, 1460 Plum Orchard Lane, Templeton, CA 93465, (805) 434-2217
  • Leeway Sudbury School, 40 Cherokee Ave, San Diego CA, 92104,   (619)900-4436
  • Cobblestone School, 10 Prince Street Rochester, New York 14607, 585-271-4548, info@cobblestone.org, http://www.cobblestone.org
  • Embark Center, 103 Loudoun Street SW, Leesburg, VA 20175
  • Pacific Sands Academy, Danville, CA 94526
  • Your school here! Email jerryaero@aol.com