A successful charter school does more than educate and train children: it unites a community. That is the keynote of this bulletin, an edited version of remarks delivered at a luncheon by one of the founders of a charter school in Albany, New York. It describes the process of creating one particular charter school and the lessons learned from the…

The 2001 District Survey of Alternative Schools and Programs is a national study of public alternative schools and programs for students at risk of educational failure. It provides data on topics related to the availability of public alternative schools and programs, enrollment, staffing, and services for students. This report is based on…

This article looks at a rapidly growing form of distance education: virtual schools. Also known as cyber schools, these Internet-based programs enroll fewer than 50,000 students nationwide, but more and more companies are entering this market. Some examples of these virtual schools are the Willoway CyberSchool, which was founded by a former…

This paper shows how the Sullivan House Alternative High School, Chicago, Illinois, incorporated the philosophy of John Dewey into the schools curriculum, discipline, and the relationship between teachers, first as a small school with much freedom, and later as a more structured high school. Dewey, in The School and Society, identified four…

The essays in this collection provide analysis designed to be helpful to all sides of the school choice debate and to those charged with designing and implementing school choice programs. Discussion of the types, politics, and consequences of school choice is followed by discussion of the implications for school finance, accountability, and…

Education, either face-to-face or across distances, is about creating a shared way of thinking about ourselves and our world. Education is not just preparation for life; it is a way of life. Exchanging ideas with students and teachers in other places about science, math, literature, ideas, and beliefs enhances learning because education is…

The Mission of the Idaho State Department of Education is to promote a thorough system of public education by providing leadership and consultation to school districts, the public, and partner agencies. The State Department of Education will assist in delivering excellent programs and services, leading to success for all learners and meeting the…

Describes the progress of the students and teacher of a Radical Education Seminar devoted to exploring and discussing alternative education. (TO)

Describes a district in Minneapolis where students must choose either the contemporary or traditionally self-contained classroom school, the continuous progress school, the open school, or the free school. (GB)

A justification of a city-wide program offering educational options in elementary grades explains that the style of education will be differentiated, not what will be learned. (KM)

Parent involvement in school administration and in the classroom as a volunteer is viewed by a teacher in a non-public, parent cooperative, alternative school. (KM)

By acknowledging and taking advantage of the diversity that exists among teachers, children, and parents, school principals can organize educational alternatives ensuring the survival of the public schools. (WM)

Developments of alternative schools are reviwed, emphasizing differences in five types of public school options and the similarities of these types in respect to their social education programs. (Author/KM)

Looks at the arguments for and against education vouchers and compares a recent New Hampshire voucher program with an earlier voucher experiment in California. (DN)

Presents a first-hand look at the Centro Intercultural de Documentacion, a Mexican experimental college founded by Ivan Illich. Considers the subjects taught, the school organization, types of students, and school philosophy. (Author/DN)