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The conference was fabulous! You provided us
with a gift we will always cherish for the rest
of our lives.
We walked away with so much
knowledge, insight, and new friends.
C.C.,
South Carolina
The best and most useful conference I have
ever been to!
A.K.,
New Jersey
I was proud to participate.
K.W.,
Maine
I want to say that AERO
has been life changing for me.
K.S.,
Texas
There was a lot to like. Location, services, atmosphere.
I liked that it was a small enough group that we
were able to get to know many of the other
participants. I also liked the atmosphere that
was created through things like the formal
networking exercises and other activities in the
evenings. I felt that these things kept me
relaxed and open to conversation. I thought
that, on the whole, workshops and key note
speakers were valuable.
S.M,
New York
I was inspired and moved
to action in such a way that will be with me for
years to come. This experience is priceless.
M.A., Connecticut
AERO is a shining ray of
light bursting through today's shadowy world,
and I have the greatest respect for the
organization. The conference is the
perfect addition to it. I was very impressed
and had a great time. I also learned lots and
made some sweet contacts.
J.W., Canada
Particularly
helpful to us was the School Starters Workshop.
We always learn a lot from others experiences.
All in all a wonderful time!
B.R., Virginia
Thanks for a great AERO
conference - it has been my first one, and
certainly, the best one [conference] I have been
to. I learned a lot, enjoyed, met some great
people, and was very challenged. THANKS much!
I.D., Pennsylanvia
I just want to take this
chance to thank you for such a wonderfully,
refreshing, learning experience. Your team
really helped fuel my desire to make a
difference in our education system. There's hope
yet!!
J.H., Canada
I really loved meeting so many friendly,
open-minded people, all passionate about
education. I felt at home from the moment I
walked in, and did not want to leave on
Sunday. I also loved being exposed to so many
new ideas and perspectives.
After
attending the AERO conference, I have a much
clearer vision of what I really want to do.
Thanks!
C.S.,
California
As I've come to expect, AERO conferences
meet and exceed expectations and this year's was
no different.
L.F.,
New York
Last year's AERO conference was excellent,
but this year's far exceeded my expectations.
I would say this year's
conference changed my life. Up to the very last
minute of the conference I was meeting
incredible new people who inspired me.
J.H.,
Massachusetts
It was incredible! There were folks like me
who were attending for the first time and folks
who had attended many conferences. Everyone was
incredibly friendly and eager to share their
experiences in schooling their children or
teaching other children. Most people were eager
to bounce ideas off others to get feedback. I
found many great listeners for my own
questioning process.
C.M.,
New York
Thanks so much for a wonderful conference.
It really was so well organized and run. I
personally really enjoy the last-minute
workshops that folks add in. Ironically, I had
all of my days planned out and I think I ended
up going to almost all workshops that were added
at the morning meetings!
M.M.,
Wisconsin
I loved it. Being with so many other people
who understood what I was talking about, I
didn't have to defend myself or the choices I
had made for my child - rather, people were
incredibly interested. For the first time I
understood why people want to go to workshops -
because they were so interesting and thought
provoking, great discussions
S.S.,
Massachusetts
Thank you so much again for the
incredible work you did in making the conference a
life changing experience...My words cant begin to
express the impact attending this conference has
had on my life.
L.D., Maryland
Our time in Troy was terrific, informative,
fun, inspiring... I could go on and on.
A.W., Pennsylvania
It was a great conference.
R.S., Pennsylvania
The conference was really great!!
V.B., New Mexico
First of all I want to let you know I really
enjoyed the conference. I learned a lot from all
the workshops and keynotes and met some wonderful
people. I want to thank you for the tremendous
work you did to prepare and run this event.
M.F., Canada
Thank you for everything you did at the AERO
conference. You worked so very hard. I hope your
efforts have not gone unlauded. I certainly
appreciate what you must have gone through to pull
everything together. Thank you.
M.H., Delaware
I wanted to thank you for all of your work to
make the AERO conference, once again, a delightful
experience.
S.D., Florida
Thank you for a wonderful conference it was
inspiring and very useful.
S.S., Canada
I just wanted to tell you I think you did a
great job in managing an unwieldly octopus of a
task and lots of strong-minded independent
attendees. I was impressed at your personal
attention to my late registration. I really got a
lot of ideas and information that will let me move
closer to the sustainable learning center I'm
working on. Thank you!
M.S., West Virginia
I was impressed with the organization of the
conference and the wide variety of workshops,
keynote speakers, and other activities. There was
truly something for everyone who attended. I came
away with several new perspectives and ideas for
Brooklyn Free School. It was also great to see and
meet many of the people who are interested in
starting their own schools.
A.B., New York
Just this to say that the one day I was able to
spend at the conference this year (Friday) was
entirely worth every penny and ounce of effort it
took to get there. My group went away informed and
refreshed to continue our school-opening journey.
It was great to put faces to so many of the names
I read on this list. Thank you all for taking
these topics to such thoughtful, intelligent,
edifying heights. This list (and the conference)
has been a lifesaver. Thanks to everyone who
brought their experience, advice and spirit.
H.L., New Jersey
I just returned from the AERO Conference in
Troy. It was great. I was exposed to so much
interesting information, but I'm especially
intrigued by using the democratic process in the
school I am co-director of.
J.H., Arizona
The conference was a great experience for me. I
am so glad I went and came home inspired in many
ways. I want to acknowledge the work you (and
others) did to make it happen...As a first-timer,
I was pleased that many adult and youth attendees
generally made an effort to talk to me and make me
feel welcome...The keynotes were interesting and
provocative, and the question/answer periods after
keynotes were particularly good. Again, a
great conference where much was learned and many
relationships were made or reinforced. Thank
you again for making it happen!
C.Z., California
We were there Thursday night through Noon
Saturday and we LOVED it. Specifically, John
Taylor Gatto's and Mimsy's Keynotes, the student
panel, the start up workshops and the Lynn
Stoddard workshop on human greatness were of great
value to me. My spouse Jill loved the workshop on
leading effective meetings as well. The childcare
was wonderful - really made the conference work
for us. Beyond all of the specifics, it was
energizing, inspiring and invaluable for me to be
in one place at one time with hundreds of people
who are all committed to a new future for
education. I am overwhelmingly grateful to have
been there. Thank you for making it happen!
M.C., New York
I think the only thing that stopped it from
being great is it didn't last long enough. it was
filled with interesting and powerful people of all
ages - hundreds of them - and I only got to meet
about twenty. If those 20 are an indication of who
else was there - and they almost surely are - then
I wish it had gone on for at least another 3-4
days; maybe more.
R.D., New York
Just wanted to thank you for everything, me and
my sister enjoyed the conference a lot and got out
so much information and inspiration from it. And
we also met so many interesting people and heard
so many stories and experiences that convinced and
ensured us that we are on the right path.
K.N., Finland
The AERO conference was fabulous!
K.S., MD
The open workshops allowed for the
kind of spontaneous discussions that felt
important and authentic.
G.M.,
Montana
Compared to all other
conferences I have been to this was the one I
found the most useful and interesting.
S.C., South Africa
I was a new attendee and
I'm so thankful that I had this opportunity, as a
new father. Of course, my dilemma now is choosing
what alternative to "traditional" schooling will I
choose...I look forward to next year's!
M.S., New York
I learned a lot about
Education but much more about myself. Thanks :)
O.R.,
Pennsylvania
Thanks so much for a
wonderful conference. We could tell you all had
worked so hard to make it a great experience for
everyone. We learned a lot and we were inspired!
M.M., Maine
I thought the conference
was very informative. As a new attendee to
alternative and independent education conferences,
I was surprised and impressed by the divergence in
alternative education thinking. Hearing the
keynotes (especially Alfie Kohn & John Gatto),
with a smattering of workshops in between was
highly enlightening.
B.G., New
York
I'm starting a school
this year!
C.E.,
Pennsylvania
I thoroughly enjoyed the AERO
conference at Russell Sage college in June. It
lead me to explore many topics. You put together a
great meeting with fascinating people. And I was
thrilled by the talk of John Gatto.
J.G., New Mexico
I watched two DVD's from your AERO conference
last night - I felt heartsore not to have
been there.
S.C., South Africa
This was truly the only place where when I had
a conversation, people inherently understood me
and asked me to elaborate on my ideas- how
empowering is that! Ideas are still buzzing
around in my head!
K.M., Ohio
[After the AERO conference] I concluded we are
so far ahead of the curve in relating to
youngsters, that the gap between us and the
Education Combine is still huge. I'm glad I
brought my sons to the conference. They actually
got to meet other educators who do what I do, and
talk the way I talk! Thanks for a pleasant and
informative experience.
G.B., New York
I'm so happy to find a group of people (like
myself) who are thinking and questioning and
acting on the answers they find rather than simply
complaining and unthinkingly continuing to feed
the machine. I took a good look at the children at
the conference, and what I saw and heard amazed
me. These children are alive, happy and exactly
what I would expect children to be (the exact
opposite of their glassy-eyed, dull-minded
counterparts in [traditional] public school).
(no name was associated with the comment)
I don't recall anyone ever informing me of the
availability of any of the options I learned about
over the weekend. I'm more than glad that they are
there for others. It was a wonderful weekend and I
would do it again in a heartbeat
S.E., Connecticut
Although I enjoyed meeting others who were
interested in educational alternatives, it was the
joy on my daughter's face (and her reluctance to
leave!) that pleased me most.
S.S., New York
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