| Brooklyn Free School Announced as New AERO Conference Keynote |
|
Continue reading below for the description of Brooklyn Free School's new keynote featuring staff and students from the school.
Brooklyn Free School Stories
Jerry Mintz
Back in 2003 AERO hosted the first International Democratic Education Conference to be held in the United States. After the conference a group of New York City area educators wondered why there were no democratic schools in NYC and began to make plans to start one. We had our first meetings at Renaissance Charter School in Queens, eventually meeting in various apartments in Brooklyn. We broke into two groups. One worked on starting a public democratic school and eventually presented an elegant 50-page proposal to the NYC Department of Education. It sat on a bureaucrat's desk until we insisted on a meeting, but it didn't fit their idea of what a new, innovative school should be.
The other group started Brooklyn Free School and coalesced around former NYC assistant principal Alan Berger. Alan guided the school through its first ten years.
 | |
Cast of The Sound of Music BFS troupe at performance this week.
|
BFS has had a waiting list since it opened its doors. It has also had a sliding scale tuition, so children from a wide spectrum of backgrounds could attend. It has done extensive and effective fundraising, and with tuition has been able to give its teachers a living wage. Four years ago Brooklyn Free School bought its own 5 story building in the Clinton Hill Section of Brooklyn for $1.7 million!
BFS has garnered extensive publicity, which you can see below. It is a wonderful model for anyone planning to start a new alternative. The keynote will include new director Lily Mercogliano as well as several student presenters from the school. Lily is also a graduate of Albany's Free School, which her father, Chris, taught at and directed for 30 years. So it is with great pleasure that we present BFS as a keynoter for this AERO conference.
Learn more about Brooklyn Free School:
KEYNOTE TALK
Seeing Race in Our Community: How Brooklyn Free School Builds Equity in a Democratic School
Lily Mercogliano
Students and staff will share their own personal experiences unpacking race and racism in their free school community and working to build an anti-racist school.
Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is a k-12 democratic free school in it's tenth year located in Brooklyn, NY. At BFS, students play an active part in running the school by serving on school committees and holding an equal vote in the school meeting system. In addition, students choose what classes, activities, and people they want to engage with daily. All community members are responsible for actively participating in the school's democratic process.
|
Volunteering, Financial Assistance, and Group Rates
For those that need registration assistance, consider becoming a volunteer at the AERO conference. We still have great need for volunteers. Contact [email protected] to discuss these options and to arrange special group rates.
Schedule, Reserve Workshops
Last year some of the workshop spaces were overcrowded so this year we are generally limiting them to 40 participants with only those who have reserved in advance getting the last few seats. So check the tentative schedule now and let us know which workshops you'd really like to be sure to go to. You must be registered to reserve them.
|
| What weird reason caused this alternative school to close? |
|
 This obscure story is the perfect excuse to remind you that Jefferson County Open School is one of the more unique alternatives in the United States. The open school is a leading public, democratic school in Colorado which has been operating since 1969.
Rick Posner, a former teacher of the school, wrote an important book for all alternative educators on the lives of the school's graduates.
Learn more about how Jefferson County Open School has ignited a lifelong love of learning in their students for forty five years here.
|
List of schools taking in students who opt-out
|
As we did last year, Monty Neill of FairTest has strongly endorsed the idea of AERO network schools offering their schools and programs as places to go for people opting out of the tests.
If YOUR SCHOOL can offer refuge to people opting out of the test, please email me at [email protected] so we can add you to the list. People will be asked to contact you first to see if you have space.
We have more than 50 schools on the list. The link below will bring you to a continuously updated list. If you are a parent and don't see an AERO school near you, write to us directly and we'll suggest one. Generally almost all of our schools would be willing to help with this.
If you are a parent or a school that has used this list, please let us know!
|
Do you have a news or resource item you think Education Revolution newsletter readers would find useful? Send it to [email protected].
New
|
 |
Thank you for your ongoing support. With your help, we will make learner-centered alternatives available to everyone!
Sincerely,
Jerry Mintz
Executive Director
Alternative Education Resource Organization
|
|
The Ten Signs You Need to Find a Different Kind of Education for Your Child
| |
Many parents don't realize that the education world has changed drastically since they were in school. Schools and class sizes used to be smaller, dropout rates lower, in-school violence almost unheard of, and teachers weren't terrified of showing affection to their students, or of discussing moral values. Of course, even then, school was far from perfect, but at least the teachers-and usually the principal-knew every student by name, something that is increasingly rare today.
Because our public school system has deteriorated considerably, many parents, teachers, and individuals have taken it upon themselves to create public and private alternatives to that system; and it is important for parents to know that they now have choices.
So how do you know that it's time to look for another educational approach for your child? Here are some of the signs:
1. Does your child say he or she hates school?
If so, something is probably wrong with the school. Children are natural learners, and when they're young, you can hardly stop them from learning. If your child says they hate school, listen to them.
|
|
|
|
News, Resources, & Calendar
