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Conference Schedule Now Posted

By  Arianna Prothero

Florida is poised to become the first state to offer private-school  vouchers specifically to students who are bullied or physically attacked in their public schools.

The Florida legislature passed a sprawling education bill this week that, among several other unrelated provisions, creates a new scholarship program for students who suffer from harassment or violence to attend private schools-paid for with tax credits-and further boosts the state's already expansive private-school choice offerings.

Supporters-who argued that bullied students need to be able to escape schools that aren't protecting them-predict the idea will catch on with parents and lawmakers beyond Florida, and potentially kick off a wave of similar legislation beyond the state.

By  John Merrow

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos needs to get out of the office more.  Her lack of awareness of American public schools is embarrassing, although apparently not to her.

She made a surprise visit to Marjorie Douglas Stoneman High School in Florida, the scene of the Valentine's Day slaughter of 17 students and teachers, this week. The Secretary had a quick walking tour of the murder scene, then met briefly with some students.  Student reporters say she took no questions, but her PR people claim that she answered 'several.'  She then held a press conference for reporters, which she abruptly terminated, walking off in mid-question after taking only 8 questions.

"She wasn't informative or helpful at all. It's nice that she came to give us condolences, but we are so done with thoughts and prayers. We want action," Senior Kyra Parrow said. "She didn't come to inform us or talk about how we are going to fix this issue;  she just came to say that she came. That disappoints me."

Exclusive, special to AERO from Peter Foti:

The Hungarian Democratic Education Society held it´s very first conference on the 4th of march in Budapest, Hungary. We found an excellent partner in the Teacher Training Institute of the Eötwös Lorand University. A great organizing committee of 7 members prepared 36 presentations, workshops, round-tables, and a big "school meeting.".More than 300 interested people registered. We also organised a coffee drinking place. This was sadly not used enough, because the program was too tightly scheduled, and there was not enough time between the programs! We had a "school meeting" but it was only a half an hour long.  Many people wished it could have lasted longer. For this occasion not only adults came, but also the children, who had their own program. The Hungarian democratic education society was founded in 2011, but now we were ready to have such an event, because now we could also speak about Hungarian attempts to organise democratic education in kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools.

We want to congratulate the people in Hungary who have organized this significant event. I was brought there in 2012 to help people who wanted to start educational alternatives in Hungary (see photo). They even published my book in Hungarian. I am pleased that they have made so much progress! JM

See pictures of the conference here.

Why do we adults in American society continue to "not see the forest for the trees"? Most of the school shooters are current or recent students themselves. Obviously something was/is wrong in their worlds! Why are we not asking young people all over the nation for ideas on what might be driving the shooters to do this, and what might be ways to improve the situation?!!

 

Schools should put a temporary halt to the prescribed curriculum and let this conversation happen - until we get some good understanding and some real answers!!

 

And community people should be brought into our schools, to work collaboratively with school personnel, to help our young people sort through all the feelings they are experiencing!

 

Roger Dennis

IT IS TIME

Dear Jerry,

In the aftermath of the shooting at the Florida High School in Parkland, FL, on February 14, 2018, that killed 17 innocent people including students and teachers, a friend of Marcia Talmage Schneider called her from Albany to draw her attention to  the article in New York Times on February 19, 2018, by Julie Turkewitz, titled "School Shootings Put Teachers in New Role as Human Shields" . Below is what Marcia would like to share with the Korczak USA members.

Peace, Mariola

Click here to see original AERO essay that was published in Newsday.

Several new job openings were announced this week including such places as the SelfDesign Graduate Institute, the Aurthur Morgan School, the Antioch School, The Outdoor Academy, School Around Us,