The Weekly Newsletter of Educational Alternatives - www.EducationRevolution.org
AERO Conference: Registration Now Open - June 26-29, 2014 in NYC Area
Early Bird Ends in 4 Days, but here are Other Reasons you should register ASAP!
Remember, those registering in the next 4 days will also get a six month AERO membership or extension (see below).
Dorm Room Crunch
I was told today that there will be other groups on campus so there may be a limited number of dorm rooms available and they may run out of them. So as soon as you register or even before you should reserve your dorm room. It's not $300 a night, as are some of the hotels around the NYC area, but only $55 for a bed in a double, and $65 for a single room. 
 
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.

School Visit Update
We've started reserving spots for people who want to visit Brooklyn Free School, Manhattan Free School and Pono in Manhattan on June 25th. There are presently some openings for all three but they may fill up soon. Let us know which you would like to sign up for. You must be registered to reserve a space. 
Email jerryaero@aol.com to reserve your spot.
   
REGISTER NOW!
For the next four days only, we are making a special offer to people who are ready to register for the AERO conference at our final early bird rate. If you register this week you will get a free six month AERO membership, worth $40 for an individual and $75 for a school or organization. We'll send you all the membership information which gives you the code for a 10% discount for the conference and the AERO bookstore, and all other membership perks, like free job ads, etc. One way to do it is register with a $50 deposit for an individual or a $100 deposit for a group. Then, when you receive the code, pay off your balance using the code. If you have already registered, just e mail us and we'll extend your membership.


If you look at the list of 60 workshops, you'll see many people there who might otherwise be keynoters, such as Peter Gray who keynoted last year, and Don "Four Arrows" Jacobs who has previously keynoted AERO conferences and will come from Mexico.

 

Don't forget to register this week!
 
Will your school take in students who opt-out?
The headline story in one of this week's Newsday was about the larger number of parents choosing to opt out from the high stakes tests. It's amazing that this issue has become so mainstream. I'm very thankful to the anonymous bureaucrats who continue to push more and more draconian tests at everyone. Now almost everyone understands how damaging they are.

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. Of course this could also work well for them as people discover our alternatives.

If you can offer refuge to people opting out of the test, please email me at jerryaero@aol.com so we can add you to the list, which will be released in our next newsletter in a few days. People will be asked to contact you first to see if you have space. We will automatically include your school's name on this year's list if you were previously included as a courtesy. If you'd prefer not to appear on the list this year, please let us know.

From FairTest:
Testing Resistance & Reform Spring (TRRS)
unites activists engaged in grassroots boycotts, rallies, opt-out organizing, town hall forums, petition drives and legislative campaigns.

We have a new, action-oriented website that provides resources you can use: http://www.resistthetest.org. It includes a mapping tool that makes it easy for parents, students, teachers and community organizers to post and find local actions anywhere in the United States. We invite you to use this website to build your campaign and connect with likeminded people across the nation. We can post your event to the event map if you prefer, or help you do so. (Contact us at trrs@fairtest.org.)

(TRRS) seeks to ensure that assessment contributes to all students having access to a high-quality education. The alliance unites grassroots campaigns around three fundamental goals:
  • Stop high-stakes use of standardized tests.
  • Reduce the number of standardized exams.
  • Replace multiple-choice tests with performance-based assessments. (Our full statement of purpose is on our website.)

Please circulate this information. If your organization is not yet a Partner group with TRRS, please become one. And be sure to post your testing-related events to the national map.
Sponsored by FairTest, United Opt Out, Parents Across America, Save Our Schools and Network for Public Education. Join us as a partner organization! (See the list of partners along with fact sheets and other useful material on our website.)

 

News, Resources, & Calendar
Do you have a news or resource item you think Education Revolution newsletter readers would find useful? Send it to jerryaero@aol.com.
 
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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. 

March 27, 2014 
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