Pennsylvania Alternate Education Conference

The Pennsylvania Alterative Learning Assn put on a conference this week on the campus at Villanova University. Over 100 teachers and school leaders came to talk about democratic schools, providing learning opportunities in alternative settings, and the challenges they face. Principal Thomas Haley of Lancaster School District's Phoenix Academy led two workshop sessions on the academy, and brought staff, parents and students along to share their stories. We are looking forward to implementing EASE at Phoenix program, the classroom-based Renaissance Program. I had the opportunity to present a workshop for the staff of the Carson Valley School. This school has both residential and day programs and students with a wide range of strengths and deficits. I think the teachers found the ideas behind EASL and EASE to be stimulating and challenging, and maybe we will be able to pursue the project further together.