The Weekly Newsletter of Educational Alternatives - www.EducationRevolution.org
AERO Conference: Registration Now Open - June 26-29, 2014 in NYC Area
Exclusive Report from AERO Member School in Kyiv, Ukraine
The kindergarten at Stork Family School in Vinnitsa, Ukraine
AERO has member schools in Ukraine, two of which are in Kyiv. So we were concerned about their welfare and recently talked to Yaraslav, whose democratic homeschool resource center we visited in 2010, on our way to helping the Stork Family School in Vinnitsa, celebrate it's 20th anniversary,

Yaroslav said, "We were closed only one day in one school and two days in the second school. All is good, nobody was hurt.

I've went to Maidan (the square in Kyiv) when things became peaceful. I saw barricades, made of everything at once, a lot of people in different outfits and good mood. You could see that those were the people who went out to demonstrate for their right to freedom and democracy. You could feel it, actually. There were a lot of campfires (for warmth) and wood for it and a lot of smoke everywhere so if you closed your eyes you could feel like you were at a barbecue. But when you opened them, you could see the real situation

It's just the economics is staggering after all those events. Now, everybody is back at school so we are moving on."

He further wrote to us:
Park school (or DIXI-school - as we named it this year, www.parkschool.com.ua) is doing fine - I am trying to get schools to the next level of student's learning and mutual satisfaction. Coursera courses are extremely valuable for me now - got me thinking and changing a lot in the system. The resource is just absolutely great. So, I'm in the process of intensive learning myself, passing the knowledge to the teachers and upgrading the system.

Unfortunately, I believe due to the recent events, the economic situation in the country really got worse and we lost some kids because their parents couldn't afford the tuition. So we are struggling to keep moving financially right now (I'm laying off one teacher) but we'll pull through, I'm sure of it. I didn't have those problems even in the financial crisis of 2008-2009, but now I feel it.

A couple of words about the general situation in the country. I didn't ask every one of 46 million Ukrainians about their beliefs, but I and all my close and distant friends strongly and unanimously believe two things.

First: educated and middle-class and upper-class people in Ukraine rose up against the corrupt government and overthrow it (it's really people, not opposition party) and are satisfied with the new government and the changes in the country that are being made by it and general mood after the Revolution.

Second: there's some conspiracy about the situation in Crimea. Two things are clear: Russia destabilizes the situation there, Ukraine doesn't want to give Crimea to Russia and doesn't react to provocations but doesn't have clear positions as well. What are people in Crimea thinking about that - I don't know - too much propaganda is around. What is the Russian plan? - I don't know either. I know for sure that Russian-speaking Ukrainians never were in any danger for all these years.

There's not a person that I know that thinks differently. Hope that everything will come to terms. It's just unfortunately, I don't know how.

By the way, with new government, it seems to me that the situation with home schools and home education in general might get better. They are very open at the moment. I know at the moment about the existence of about six homeschool centers in Kyiv and region!

We will have our first conference (more a workshop) for about 20 people on the 30th of March

All the best to AERO!

Best wishes,

Yaroslav

Jerry Mintz to Keynote CA Parents Conference March 15th

Note from Jerry: If you are in the San Francisco, Santa Cruz,or San Jose area, I will have a car and could visit this week. Email me ASAP at jerryaero@aol.com. 

 

California Parents Discover Educational Innovations at EXPO 

Outside of traditional schooling, what educational options do parents have in California?

The Education Options EXPO is an event where parents of PreK-12 students meet with representatives of public and private alternative schools and home schooling groups to learn about the educational options available for their children.

The purpose of the Education Options EXPO is to empower parents and PreK12 students by introducing them to educational experts, innovative programs, and new ideas for learning in a comfortable and friendly environment to ensure that each student reaches the full extent of their unique potential.

Guest speakers include:
Mr. Jerry Mintz, Founder, Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO), Roslyn, New York; Mr. Steven Horwich, Founder, www.ConnectTheThoughts.net, Los Angeles, CA; Mr. Vicente Lopez, Staff, Diablo Valley School, Concord, CA;
Ms. Kimberly Etter, iLEAD Charter School, Lancaster, CA; Ms. Shauna Reisewitz, Founder Pacific Sands Academy, Mountain View, CA.

With so much innovation happening in the working world, the time has come for parents to discover the innovations in education. This EXPO will empower you as parents as you consider what is the best educational approach for your child. Come get your questions answered by those who are leading the educational changes in California. Learn what every parent must know.

Event Details: 10am-2pm on Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 1195 Clark St., San Jose, CA 95125.

For more info visit www.EducationOptionsEXPO.com or call (415) 939-6768, Dave Rodriguez.  

 

See the 60 Workshop Descriptions - 18 States & 8 Countries Already Registered
Except for a few more workshops that we know are still coming, the workshop list is basically closed now, with nearly 60 incredible presentations. But you can always email me jerryaero@aol.com) personally to see if something can be squeezed in. And remember that during each session we will have two rooms available for spontaneous workshops. This is a unique feature of the AERO conference.

Take a look at the variety and depth of them. And we have several of the most popular presenters coming back again, even from great distances. For example,

People have already registered for the conference from 18 states: WA, NY, MA, NC, CO, TX, WY, MD. MI. NV, VT, CA, NJ. VA, AK, NE, AZ, WI, provinces of QC, BC and ONT, and from Australia, Singapore, Malta, Puerto Rico, Israel, and Singapore!

We are in negotiation with 18 year Adler Yang, alternative school student from Taiwan, to show the world premier of the film that he has worked on for five years at the AERO conference. We'll keep you apprised.

Our standard early bird rate of only $250 per person will be in effect for the month of March. Furthermore, if you are or become an AERO member, with all the perks and privileges that entails, you get an addition 10% off the registration rate when you use the coupon membership gives you. This brings it back down to $225 for the full four-day conference. Rates for volunteers, presenters and students are still only $200. Find out more about the conference and register at our low rate here.

Please Note: We would like to spread the word to your networks about the conference. Lets get more people involved, including your teachers, parents, students and other community members. Special group rates can be arranged. We can also use volunteers!

 
Ned O'Gorman, 84, Dies; Poet Founded Innovative Harlem School
Ned O'Gorman the renowned poet and pioneering founder of the Children's Storefront school in Harlem in 1966, has died of pancreatic cancer. I had heard about his work for decades. His school was private but tuition free, funded by benefactors he had recruited.

According to the New York Times story, "In 1998, the Storefront's trustees, seeking to stiffen the curriculum and build an endowment, saw the freewheeling Mr. O'Gorman as not suitable for the task. They grew frustrated with his reluctance to find a successor, even as he said one was needed, and finally compelled him to retire. He attributed the ouster to his "poetic inability to contain myself."

He then started another school in Harlem, more than thirty years after starting Children's Storefront, which continues to this day. I finally met him shortly after he had started the school. He had gone an unconventional but legal route, not trying for approval from the state. The school still had to meet building standards and he was constructing a second exit at the time I met him.

So a warm goodbye to a poet and pioneer. May he rest in peace.

Read the full NY Times article here.

IDEC 2014 - South Korea

Learn more about the 22nd annual International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) by reading their first English-language newsletter here (PDF).

 

The conference will take place July 28th - August 3rd in Gwangmyeong, Korea. Registration opens March 17th.

 

You can find out more at www.idec2014.kr or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theIDEC.

 

News & Resources
Do you have a news or resource item you think Education Revolution newsletter readers would find useful? Send it to jerryaero@aol.com.
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 9, 2014 
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