The Alternative Education System has become an ever changing forum with each Collective Counsel meeting that takes place.  In the beginning, the notion for a new education system seemed like a good idea.  It still is, but how do you get people (lots of them) to understand the importance of the future of our country and that it starts with our children's education?  Well, it takes education!  What a concept. 

The AES has to start somewhere, just like a garden starts with seeds.  So in keeping with the garden theme, with every meeting the CC has, it is planting seeds.  And maybe one day if enough seeds have been planted, the AES will grow.

Here are the meeting notes-
The Collective Counsel - Meeting Notes - 
Friday, February 18, 2011
Meeting held at Mission Viejo Library Conference Room
In attendance: Tracy Madlener, Donna Bixby, Betsy Montague, Nowell Bauer, and Isla Redding.

* Collective Counsel founder, Tracy Madlener, updated attendees on the purpose and mission of the CC (Revised handout given to all attendees.)

* The overall mission of the counsel is to INFORM, CONNECT, and INSPIRE.  As stated in the handout, written by Tracy: "We are here to share information.  Alternative education resources are not found in the 'yellow pages,' and to find like-minded people in your community that support your ideas are hard to come by.  The Collective Counsel creates an opportunity, in a positive environment, to connect you to others that share your vision as they have similar visions as well.  We are here to encourage and inspire each other.  We are here to help lift each other up to the next level and to give our thoughts on what is important in education today."

* Meetings in the future, will have a specific theme and/or topic(s) for discussion.  All topics will be related to "Alternative Education."  The goal of meetings will not be to promote one educational method (i.e. Homeschooling), but rather to provide an awareness of the various educational choices available today, so that parents can make their own choice.  

* Meetings in the future, will be "forums" that connect participants with similar areas of interest and by the topic(s) being discussed.   Anyone is invited to attend--however, there is an expectation that all attendees will actively participate in meeting topic discussions and have a desire to get involved and make a positive contribution to alternative education.  Attendees should not attend meetings/get involved to advertise a business to the group or for the sole purpose of making a profit.
  
* Attendees to all meetings will be added to an alternative education leadership directory, that will be used to keep track of participants, their areas of interest and connect new participants with already established sub-groups or projects.  One suggestion was to create an on-line directory so participants may fill out their own profiles and update as necessary, keeping the information current.

* Encouraging new meeting participants is welcomed by word-of-mouth right now; After a few projects get started and the forums become more established, there may be an open invitation via email or website.

* For meeting participant introductions, it was suggested that participants come prepared with an "elevator speech," a short introduction that includes a brief, personal/professional background and specific areas of interest.

* Attendees at 2/18/11 meeting, introduced themselves and shared their areas of interest.  Participants also shared ideas for future meeting topics on index cards:
* Suggestion: Provide a goal-setting workshop/seminar, that will help parents establish goals for their child/children both short-term and long-term (To enhance child's educational experience.)
* Suggestion: Provide a conference on alternative educational options; bring in experts on different topics; tie to UCI?; have a nominal fee.
* Suggested topics for future meetings: 1) How to get your teenager a work permit, 2) Website learning, 3) What do we have at our finger tips?  Solutions?, 4) How alternative educators determine their end goals.
* Suggested topics for future meetings: 1) One-stop/shop website for alternative education (In the works?), 2) Homeschooling through high school (workshop?), 3) Promoting more backyard homeschool groups, like LRHSN, 4) Starting a directory of alternative educational options, resources, classes, websites, seminars, conferences, networks, groups, organizations, businesses, etc.--to be used on one-stop/shop website.   aes

 
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There will be a Collective Counsel Meeting this Friday.  Please join us as we put our heads together to come up with solutions to help families gain knowledge about options when educating their children.

Collective Counsel Meeting
Friday, February 18th
2:30 to 4pm
Flo Jo Park
22760 Olympiad RoadMission Viejo, CA
Meeting under the covered picnic area, it's supposed to rain.


aes
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National School Choice Week has come to an end.  But the Collective Counsel is barreling full speed ahead.  The Town Hall Meeting last night was not filled with families looking for options as I was hoping for, but the room was filled with community educators and leaders from all over Orange County.  The Town Hall Meeting became a very much needed Round Table Discussion and an understanding of all who were present became crystal clear.

Revisiting the meeting in my mind this morning, I was surprised that there weren't more families at last night's event.  The State of California ranks 47th out of 50 states for education... 47th!  You would think with ratings like that the meeting would have been jam packed.  It makes me wonder what parents are thinking or what they're doing.  Is 47th okay to them?  I'm sure it's not, I mean, there's always an excuse, it was around dinner time, getting home from work time, kids schedules time, homework time, blah, blah, blah... But that's okay.  The Collective Counsel will be here when they finally realize there is a choice.   aes
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For those of you seeking options when educating your children, come on down to San Juan Capistrano where there will be a Town Hall Style Meeting this Thursday for the National School Choice Week.  A few members of the Collective Counsel will be sitting on the panel answering questions.  Here's the link... School Choice Week  
Spread the word.   aes
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The Collective Counsel for Alternative Education had its first meeting this past Tuesday.  The analogy that best describe the framework of this meeting is simple; an unfinished puzzle that has members of the counsel excited and a strong willingness to put the pieces of this puzzle into its proper place.

The first step has been completed as the counsel clarified the need/goal and identified where to start.

The mission has officially started.  Make it happen.   aes  
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The more I speak with others, the more I realize what I'm good at.  I am good at helping families find what they are looking for when it comes to educating their children.  Giving them a choice at what resources are available to educate their children is my specialty.  Why am I writing this?  So that I know what my part is in the AES.

I have been meeting and speaking with so many people in the community about our education system that my voice goes hoarse by the end of several meetings.  The look on the faces of the people I meet with are always the same, in wonderment.  Can it be done?  Can this person standing in front of me do what she says she's going to do?  And by the end, in most cases, I have their full support.

The vision is grand and nation wide.  But I know I must start at the local level.  The Counsel will now be formed.  The AES Collective Counsel will obtain information about the many facets of alternative education and use this information to guide families about their choices within the system.

Make it happen.   aes


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Like I said on my last post, I'm contacting anyone and everyone who wants change for our kids' education.  I am most impressed with Michelle Rhee's quick response to my emails and thoughtful comments on the topic of the AES.

The AES is a new idea and plans are being made to get things started.  Think Tank meetings will begin after the holiday season.  Stay tuned...  aes 
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Spread the word 12/08/2010
 
Okay, here's the latest update...
I have been contacting anyone with an email address who is associated, known to want to make a difference and everyone in between that is interested in change for our education system.  There are many letters to write and I've only just begun.  Wether I get a response or not, I am going to get the AES on the lips of many.  Spread the word.   aes
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A few days before Thanksgiving I got the opportunity to meet with a 20+ years staff member of the public school system.  I have enormous respect for her and her views are important to what I am trying to do.  The meeting was an eye opener for me and the knowledge of how funding works in the public schools is invaluable.  Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but at least I know what obstacles I have to face when trying to fund a new system.  Not only is funding a HUGE obstacle, but this meeting also taught me that there are those who believe that a new system is not within reach.  I left this little get together a bit deflated.  My idea of tax credits for those wanting to educate their children not through the public system was being questioned, as it should, but somehow I felt like I lost.

Fast forward about a week... My mind started spinning again after feeling disheartened from my previous meeting.  The vision of an alternative system has been morphing with each piece of information that I receive.  Good or bad, the information is used and processed, but the final goal is the same; to create an alternative system that is available to all families.  I have formed many allies in the most unusual places and when I least expect it, they lift me up.  The latest lift and biggest compliment was given to me by an educational specialist that I never met and she has labeled me as a "Radical Free Thinking Rebellion!"  Isn't that what it takes to make change?  Thinking outside of the box?  I think I like my new title!   aes  
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First of all, thank you for stopping by.

What is the Alternative Education System (AES) and what is it all about?  It is a vision that I have for a new system in educating our children.  To explain who I am and what this is all about will take a telephone sized book and lots of typing.  Since most of us (me) have a short attention span when on the computer, and I lack on typing skills, I will break it into small size bites so it's easier to swallow (easier to type!).

Our education system in America is antiquated and needs to be updated for our children to be able to succeed as adults which will affect our entire country.  At first, my thoughts were to see the system torn down and rebuilt starting from scratch.  But the more I think about it, I realize that the school system is a dinosaur, it's too big to tear down and there are those that still need this system regardless of its flaws.

So keep the old, and bring in the new.  This is the beginning of the new system.  It will happen.  And I'm going to journal it here.   aes 
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