Josh Cook, the new editor of Educaton Revolution Magazine is hard at work on a new website and magazine redesign. Part of his efforts include reaching out to new writers to help them share their experiences in an education alternative. If you or a friend are interested in contributing to Education Revolution’s online or print editions, email alternativeeducation2012@gmail.com for more information.

This year, as in past years, our Start a School 101 online course for starters of new educational alternatives will be co-taught by Chris Mercogliano. The course is beginning to fill up but there are still many openings. This week I have been dialoging with dozens of potential students. It is an amazing variety of people from all over the world. We will have several recent school starters joining the course this year to offer their insights and experiences as the current crop get started. Also, we will have regular video/chat and radio sessions to discuss key issues while starting a new education alternative. Click here to get more info and sign up.

AERO is now fully stocked with every work by Chris Mercogliano so this week we’re running a special on his books–up to 44% off. For thirty years Chris worked as a teacher and director at the Albany Free School. He described how the school was created and how its philosophy developed in Making It Up As We Go Along.

The Albany Free School school never turned down students for financial reasons and did not allow students to be on psychotropic drugs no matter what label they came with. They simply worked through their problems. Chris described how they did this in Teaching the Restless.

In the more recent In Defense of Childhhood he described how the whole concept of childhood is threatened by forces in our society and their implications.

Finally, Chris wrote what has become AERO’s best-selling book, How to Grow a School. This recounts how and why those interested in free schools should create their own learner-centered educational alternative.

In addition, AERO’s latest book Turning Points includes a chapter by Chris and if you are interested in reading an excerpt from it, you can find at the end of this email.

Here are some interesting links that we’ve found this week: This one is a story about how West Virginia has implemented some of the education reform approaches from Finland. At Fairtest.org, read how SAT scores have actually been dropping as the teach to the test approach is being pushed harder.

Thanks and if you have any questions or comments please reply or write to Jerryaero@aol.com. Let us know what you think about AERO’s new projects including the look and feel of our weekly newsletters. We’re open to suggestions for how to make AERO’s communications as interesting and informative as possible.

Yours,
Jerry Mintz
Director
Alternative Education Resource Organization