Kozol to Keynote AERO!
New Free Podcast: Visiting Alternatives Around the World!






Jonathan Kozol Will Be Keynoter at AERO Conference in August!
During the week, as promised, we announced that renowned author, speaker, and education critic Jonathan Kozol would be an 
AERO Conference keynoter,
joining our illustrious list for four others!

Many people have already held their places by registering for the conference. A deposit will also hold the current rate. 

We already have filled half of the workshop slots and will soon inform the applicants that they have been approved. We will start to post them in two weeks. So if you are thinking of doing a workshop or presentation, you should submit the proposal soon, here. Low income attendees can still sign up the low income rate for a while longer. 

Please do commit yourself to coming to the AERO conference, and if you can't, send a small donation toward a fund to help low income people to attend. 

Here are two interviews with Kozol by Bob Greenberg:
New Episode of the Education Revolution Podcast!
In this episode of the Education Revolution Podcast we interview Roopa Reddy. Roopa traveled around the world to see 18 schools in her journey to learn more about learner-centered approaches to education. 

She discussed where she went, what she saw, what she learned, and how it could applied to the public school system.

You can listen to the podcast here.

You can watch her talk from the 2016 AERO Conference here.
7 Reasons to Consider an Independent, Progressive School
By the High Meadow School

For over 30 years, High Meadow School has served as an independent school that practices a philosophy of progressive education. First, here's what that means: 
There are roughly 2,000 independent schools in the United States, with a total enrollment of about 1% of all students (around 700,000 total). Independent schools are different from other private schools in a few critical ways:
  • Mission-driven
  • Self-owned, not-for-profit and governed by independent boards of trustees.
  • Financed through tuition, fund-raising, and endowments
High Meadow has also pursued a vision of providing a  progressive education in a diverse, inclusive community of students, parents and faculty. That means:

Read the rest here.
How Does Life Live?
By  Kelly O'Brien

For over a decade I was a television producer who made independent autobiographical films on the side, but after my second child was born in 2007 with severe disabilities it was impossible to go back to TV work; the hours were too long and I needed to be there for him. However, when he was 3 I went back to school for an M.F.A. in film production and to make a documentary about our family's experience of having a child with special needs. It's called "Softening"; a short version of it titled  "My Brother, Teddy" became an Op-Doc. The experience renewed my interest in making work about family; at least, it affirmed the value of it.

Having children has transformed my creative life in ways that constantly surprise me. Sometimes I wish I could approach the world from a less personal perspective, but I can't. Instead I try to make work that captures the poetry of the everyday and finds universal themes through my family's experiences. Since "Softening," I've been slowly working on a film about my daughters: Emma, 13, and my youngest child, Willow, who is 5.

Read the rest and see the video here.
School Starters Consultation Program Now Open
Every year, between the School Starters Online Courses we off the School Starters Consultation Program. It gives you access to all the resources from the previous course but is unguided. It does include personal consultations and the fee is applicable to the next School Starters course which starts in September. we will take a limit of 10 consulters into this year's program. 

Last week we put up the 10 Steps to Starting a New Educational Alternative.
 
One of our members requested we put this together. It is a very simplified list, all on one page!

Take a look at the new page here!

Pono Learning in Manhattan, which AERO helped to start

 

Links and Calendar
Links
Ongoing
Calendar
Please send us feedback on this issue. also, we would like to have more articles written by AERO members and about AERO school and organizations.  Thank you for your ongoing support. With  your help , we will make learner-centered alternatives available to everyone!

In Service,

Jerry Mintz
Executive Director
Alternative Education Resource Organization

Please consider making a donation to AERO to help support our work. Thanks!