The Magazine of Alternative Education EEducationE RRevolutionR Volume 19, Number 2 EESummer 2007 * $4.95 / $5.95 CDN RR Issue Number Forty Nine Rocket Day at Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education (see page 10) INSIDE An Appeal to Texas Legislature: End the Tyranny of Standardized Testing! l Education in the News Has Pioneering a Future? by A.S. Neill Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education Being There l From the Editor’s Desk l Plus Much More! Education Revolution The Magazine of Alternative Education Summer 2007 - Issue Number Forty Nine - www.educationrevolution.org Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) The Mission of Education Revolution Magazine is based on AERO, which produces this magazine quarterly, is firmly that of the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO): established as a leader in the field of educational alternatives. Founded in 1989 in an effort to promote learner-centered “Building the critical mass for the education revolution by education and influence change in the education system, AERO providing resources which support self-determination in is an arm of the School of Living, a non-profit organization. learning and the natural genius in everyone.” AERO provides information, resources and guidance to students, parents, schools and organizations regarding their educational Towards this end, this magazine includes the latest news and choices. communications regarding the broad spectrum of educational alternatives: public alternatives, independent and private alternatives, home education, international alternatives, and more. The common feature in all these educational options is that they are learner-centered, focused on the interest of the child rather From the Editor’s Desk than on an arbitrary curriculum. by Ron Miller............................................................ 3 Being There Education Revolution School Starter Presentation at Iowa Conference........... 4 The Magazine of Alternative Education with Jerry Mintz 417 Roslyn Road, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577-2620 ISSN#: 110679219 Featured Articles Phone: 516-621-2195 / 800-769-4171 An Appeal to Texas Legislature.................................... 5 Fax: 516-625-3257 by Representative Cheri Isett Email: [email protected] Has Pioneering A Future?............................................. 8 Website: http://www.educationrevolution.org Conference Website: http://www.aeroconference.com by A.S. Neill Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education............ 10 AERO Executive Director: Jerry Mintz by Leslie Mulcahy Education Revolution Editor: Ron Miller Conference Director: Isaac R. Graves Networking the Networks Communications Director: Alexandra Majstorac Kobiljski Website & Bookstore Manager: Isaac R. Graves Main Section................................................................ 13 Education in the News Editors: Carol Morley & Ron Miller Education in the News Current AERO Interns: Daniel Swart, Austin Cavanaugh Main Section................................................................ 15 Printer: Brenneman Printing Inc., Lancaster, PA Home Education........................................................... 16 Correspondence........................................................... 18 AERO Advisory Board Alexander Adamsky, Mary Addams, Chris Balch, Fred Bay, Patrice Creve, Anne Evans, Patrick Farenga, Phil Gang, John Books Etc. Taylor Gatto, Herb Goldstein, Dan Greenberg, Jeffrey Kane, Albert Lamb, Dave Lehman, Mary Leue, Ron Miller, Ann Peery, Main Section............................................................... 20 John Potter, Mary Anne Raywid, John Scott, Tim Seldin, Elina Sheppel, Andy Smallman, Nick Stanton, Corinne Steele, Tom Williams 2 * The Magazine of Alternative Education From the Editor’s Desk By Ron Miller A marvelous essay by Paul Hawken, recently published in Orion magazine (www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/265), is being circulated among activists who are finding much hope and inspiration in it. In “To Remake the World,” Hawken observes that the millions of people now working around the planet for peace, justice, sustainability and conservation, democracy, human rights, and a fair economy constitute a massive grassroots uprising that will almost certainly change the world for the better. Hawken is a visionary entrepreneur, author, and global activist who has spoken with thousands of people about their projects and organizations over the past several years. He has concluded that, “by conventional definition, this is not a movement. Movements have leaders and ideologies. You join movements, study tracts, and identify yourself with a group. Movements have followers, but this movement doesn’t work that way. It is dispersed, inchoate, and fiercely independent. There is no manifesto or doctrine, no authority Ron Miller to check with. I sought a name for it, but there isn’t one.” This description perfectly applies to our “movement” for educational alternatives! Thousands of people are creating spaces for authentic and meaningful learning, giving young people opportunities to experience personal autonomy and democratic communities. Except for some rather loose affiliations among philosophically similar endeavors, there are really no leaders or doctrines, and we’ve never been able to agree on a name. Hawken notes that this cultural revolution is pretty much “eluding the radar of mainstream culture,” and this is especially true of educational activism. In our small, local, independent ventures, we are changing the world one community, one family, even one child at a time. Sometimes the media will run a feature story about homeschoolers, treating them as a curiosity, but the significance of our efforts is almost entirely under this culture’s radar. What is important to remember is that we are part of something larger—much larger. Every example we offer to the world—every homeschooling family and unconventional school and democratic oasis in public education—sows a seed of the new civilization that is undeniably emerging. Whenever we wonder what effect our work might have, let us recall, as Hawken states, that we are aligned with “tens of millions of ordinary and not-so-ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world.” When you sit in a parents’ meeting and parent after parent blesses you for starting the school and some get all teary-eyed when they think of how happy “ their kids are and how unhappy they used to be, it will definitely feel like it's been worth it. Alan Berger Founder/Director, Brooklyn Free School ” Education Revolution * 3 Being There with Jerry Mintz Ray Morley Speaks at IAAE Conference School Starter Presentation at Iowa Conference After 34 years in alternative education in Iowa, much of it as want to start new alternatives or employ democratic process in Iowa’s State director of alternative education, Ray Morley is their schools. retiring. This was the most dramatic aspect of the Iowa Association of Alternative Education conference in Des Moines, Iowa is one of a handful of states with a very dynamic public April 11-13. Many teary eyed teachers and administrators spoke alternative school community and annual conference. The results after Morley’s final keynote talk to the over 350 attendees at the of his work were clearly apparent. Not only do they have this conference. Iowa stands at the forefront in the field of public annual conference but they have another annual one day educational alternatives as a result of Morley’s work. Morley has conference with over 500 attendees. That is one reason why he grown and changed over the years as we have seen him and others are concerned that Iowa has not yet committed to participating in the International Democratic Education hiring a replacement for his position. This seems crucial to Conference. He has embraced the concepts of a spectrum of continuing the legacy he has created during his tenure. There educational choices and the use of democratic process, despite was clear consensus that these kinds of groups are crucial to the pressure to focus on at-risk students and behavior ending the misdirected No Child Left Behind mentality that has modification approaches. crippled the nations schools, orienting them toward arbitrary curriculum and testing rather that individualized learning This was clearly demonstrated by the remarkable breadth of programs. keynote speakers and presenters at the conference. For example, the first Keynote speaker was Ron Newell, the Learning program Although the AERO School Starters’ online course is oriented Director of EdVisions Schools. He had with him the director of the toward independent schools and democratic process, Morley Minnesota New Country School, a pioneering charter school. believes that these ideas are very important for people to The second keynoter was Elliot Washor, one of the founders of understand who are involved with public alternatives. the Met Schools and the Big Picture Company. These speakers all have connections with the Gates Foundation. The Met schools For those interested in taking the AERO School Starters course, it are truly radical, with an individual learning plan for each student is now available on a continuous enrollment basis, which people rather than a set curriculum, democratic decision making process, can take at their own pace. A half dozen are enrolled at any given and a limit of 130 students per school. They have now created