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"As a rule, it appears that standardized-test results are positively correlated with a shallow approach to learning." ~ Alfie Kohn “We’d get a lot more done if we would all just focus!” ~ Marley UPCOMING EVENTS » May 20, 2012, 5pm, Real Art Ways, wth Tom and Amy Valens, Hartford, CT May 21, 2012, 6pm dinner, 7pm film, The Cape Ann Community Cinema, with Tom and Amy Valens, Gloucester, MA July 19-21, 2012, The National Council of Teachers of English Whole Language Umbrella Summer Institute Reclaiming the Joy in Teaching, Learning and Research In the works - Antioch College, Yellow Springs OH, Eugene OR, Fort Wayne IN, Chicago IL, Salem College NC, Kenosha Wisconsin Teachers' Association, Santa Cruz CA, Pasadena CA, Los Angeles CA, University of Colorado in Boulder, University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Brooklyn NY If you are in any of these areas and want to help with an upcoming event, contact us! PAST EVENTS April 24, 2012, Georgia Southern University, co-sponsored by HandsOn Southeast Georgia, the Georgia Center for Educational Renewal, the Peace Studies Faculty Learning Community (Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship) and Henderson Library, Statesboro, GA April 14, 2012, Open Classroom Conference, sponsored by Ann Arbor Open School, Manchester MI April 12, 2012, Ann Arbor Open School, Ann Arbor MI April 10, 2012, Nazareth College Arts Center, co-sponsored by The Coalition for Justice In Education, Rochester, NY March 29, 2012, Fleur Cinema, sponsored by the Des Moines Education Association, Des Moines, Iowa March 25-26, 2012, The International Democratic Education Conference, Caguas, Puerto Rico March 19-23, 2012 -Nuestra Escuela and the Alliance for Alternative Education Puerto Rico March 9, 2012, Edvisions Cooperative, Saint Paul, MN March 8, 2012, Western Illinois University, Macomb IL March 6, 2012, Baker Demonstration School, Wilmette, IL February 16, 2012, University of Alabama, The Foundation for Educational Progress, and Country Day School Huntsville, AL February 16, 2012-Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs Rochester, MN February 8, 2012, MassArt, Boston, MA January 30, Harvard's Civic and Moral Education Initiative, Cambridge MA January 26, 2012, Pacific University, "The Commuity Vision in Education" film series, Forest Grove, OR January 26, 2012, Neighborhood School NY, NY January 24, 2012, Carnell Learning Center Lander University, Greenwood, SC November 13, 2011-Lesley University, Citizens for Public Schools, Cambridge, MA November 12, 2011-Sunflower Creative Arts, Boca Raton FL November 11, 2011- Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum, Providence, RI November 2, 2011- Association of Experiential Education International Conference, Jacksonville, FL November 1, 2011- Mos'Art Theater, Lake Park, FL October 29, 2011-Reel Politique Film Group and Sunflower Creative Arts, Boca Raton, FL October 27, 2011 - Palm Beach Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, Palm Beach, FL October 27, 2011- WLRN 91.3 & WKMW 91.5 Topical Currents radio interview with Joseph Cooper, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches, Marathon, & Key West, FL October 22, 2011, Association for Constructivist Teaching, Houston, TX October 4, 2011, Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society, Purdue University, Lafayette, IN September 29, 2011, Tulare/Kings County Reading Council, West Hills College Lemoore, Lemoore, CA September 26, 2011, -The Lark Theater, Larkspur, CA September 26, 2011, interviewed on Post Carbon Radio Point Reyes and West Marin, CA August 3, 2011, Alternative Education Resource Organization Annual Conference,Portland, OR July 28, 2011 - Save Our Schools National Call to Action, Washington, DC July 24 & 31, 2011- Busboys and Poets Focus-In! Cinema for Conscious Community Film of the Month, Washington, DC July 17, 2011- Busboys and Poets Focus-In! Cinema for Conscious Community Film of the Month, Arlington, VA June 1, 2011 Cinestrat Documentary Film Festival, Finestrat, Spain May 14, 2011, Somerville Theater Somerville, MA May 4, 2011, clips and panel, Temple Beth El, Boca Raton FL April 29, 2011-Mercer University Atlanta, GA April 20, 2011- Jefferson County Open School Lakewood, CO April 18, 2011- Mos'Art Theater Lake Park, FL April 17, 2011 - with Ray Bacchetti at Channing House, Palo Alto, CA April 7, 2011, co-sponsored by Christa McAuliffe School and Discovery Charter School at Blue Light Cinema, Cupertino CA April 1&2, 2011-California Parent Participation Nursery School Convention San Rafael CA March 30 & 31, 2011, 7:30 pm-the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus, sponsored by the Student Education Association of Nebraska, and the Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education Lincoln NE March 25, 2011, Cesar Chavez Education Conference, California State University Fresno CA March 25, 2011-Palm Beach DEC Voice Committee, Cocowood Lakes Clubhouse, Delray Beach FL March 24, 2011-Oriental Theater, February 17, 2011- North Dakota Study Group Annual Meeting, Mundelein, IL
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NEWS » April 24, 2012-- "A Film Review of August to June: Bringing Life to School, by Tom and Amy Valens," Alexandra Miletta: The New Educator, 8:2, 194-197 March 19, 2012- Tri-States Public Radio WIUM 91.3 & WIUW 89/5 airs News Director Richard Egger's 21 minute interview with Amy Valens, and publishes an online article: "Teaching To The Child Rather Than To The Test" March 11, 2012 - News article in the Lifestyles section of the McDonough County Voice: ‘August to June’ teacher visits WIU to promote holistic education model December 2011- The new e-magazine for California's Central Valley, Encompass debuts with It Takes An Educated Community To Escape The Testing Frenzy, by Amy Valens November 2011- Front page article by Amy in the Fall 2011 issue of Preschooler, the Council of California Parent Participation Nursery Schools Newsletter- Parent Participation: It Doesn't Have to End After Preschool! October 27, 2011- Interviewed by Joseph Cooper on WLRN Topical Currents, Miami, FL September 26, 2011 Interviewed by Bernie Stephan and Bing Gong on KWMR, Post Carbon Radio, Point Reyes Station, CA August 5, 2011- Interviewed by Sam Chaltain for CNN Online July 26, 2011-Review in Danucreative by Alethea Crandell March 1, 2011 - Review in CineSource Magazine: "Bay Area Couple Teach From August to June" by Don Schwartz January 26, 2011 - Front page Marin Independent Journal headline: "Film Explores Alternative Method To Teach" and first section article: "Breaking the Mold of How Kids Learn" by Rob Rogers January 13, 2011 - Two page spread about the film in the West Marin Citizen January 03, 2011 - August to June reviewed in The Sante Fe New Mexican December 14, 2010 - Our first university screening was at Zurich/Schaffhausen University of Teacher Education, Switzerland: "We profited immensely from your work through just the first viewing – we were all left with strong impressions that will certainly remain with us. We will certainly use the movie in the future in many different ways." October 19, 2010 - PBS's John Merrow reviews AUGUST TO JUNE on his blog TAKING NOTE: "It’s one thing to deplore the assembly-line model of schooling, with its emphasis on mindless compliance and rote memorization. Far more useful is to see the alternative take shape in front of you. In August to June, we have a visual record of a community of learners, a series of moments -- discoveries and setbacks -- through the school year that accumulate like sparkling beads on a string. The result is as engrossing as it is illuminating." “At a time when a wave of standardization is turning our schools into test prep programs and impoverishing our visions of what schools can be, this film reminds us that powerful, engaging, child-centered, curriculum-rich, community-rooted schooling still lives. Never shouting or preaching, this film is both a detailed depiction of a year in the life of a vibrant learning community and a quiet call to arms to defend and expand authentic education for all children.” “This is such a lovely tribute to what we know kids need.” “The film provides concrete evidence that this kind of education is not pie in the sky, or only for the very rich. It’s being done and needs to be done more. As a parent, my heart aches to think how many more children could have access to that kind of exciting, stimulating, nurturing environment but still don't.” “As a County Supervisor, I am treated to many rewarding presentations of art in all of its media forms. What moved me to single out this work for your consideration is its quiet, forceful illustration of children’s natural capacity to become informed, considerate participants in all aspects of life. That is achieved through the filmmaker‘s patient perspective, capturing seemingly routine class encounters as they blossom into individual discoveries and a social framework that will serve the students throughout their lives. The film welcomes all viewers, requiring no formal understanding of the educational theories at work while exquisitely illustrating the full spectrum of human emotion that accompanies the learning process. As the work progresses, it clearly avoids showcasing shining stars, opting instead to reinforce the potential that lies within each of us when encouraged and supported.” "August To June is an inspiring documentary film about one classroom across one year. With its close attention to all the different ways a teacher works with children, both singly and in groups, the film portrays the full complexity of expert teaching. It also shows how much a teacher can do to support the growth of children as emotional, social, and intellectual beings when parents and school agree to throw off the shackles of standardized testing.” “A powerful and insightful film that is both touching and provocative.” “I can't say enough about how it impacted me as an educator and a human being. I believe it captures the essence of what it means to humanize and personalize the educational process. It speaks directly to the Coalition of Essential Schools focus on habits of heart and mind and student-centered learning as well as the transformational process that creates the climate and conditions for authentic learning to take place in our schools.” FULL REVIEW BY JOSEPH FEATHERSTONE, author of Schools Where Children Learn, Dear Josie, and other books, emeritus faculty leader Michigan State University’s acclaimed teacher education program: "August to June," is a wonderful movie that documents the entire year of an 8-10 year old classroom presided over by a veteran teacher whose husband is the film-maker. The classroom is in a small, long-established progressive, public school of choice out at the rural edges of Marin County in California. The teacher narrates; this is her last year of teaching. I'm particularly struck by the arts-laden work it describes because I am part of a group that is starting a k-8 arts-based charter school in Gloucester, Ma. In our time of extremes of standardization and increasingly obsessive test prep this film demonstrates painstakingly the fruit of a powerful, engaging community-and-arts as well as a child-centered curriculum. This classroom is guided by a number of commitments on the teacher's part that unfold over time: an emphasis on children's choosing and planning; a focus on the arts and a commitment to children as disciplined and avid individual readers and writers; public projects and performances and democratic community discussions that are catalysts and culminations of kids' individual experiences; a tradition of parent participation and parents-as-teachers, taking in a lot from what the community has to offer. The patience with which the film shows the viewer how a culture is established and classroom routines flower into rich learning is extraordinary. Particularly interesting, given the age-old stereotypes of progressive practice, is the way that this teacher really pushes individual children hard, both in subject matter areas and in the crucial zones of what might be called emotional and civic intelligence. She is tenacious and tough, and she is on their case in scene after scene. The teacher has a philosophy and says what it is, but most often the screen shows the viewer precisely how learning unfolds; the film does not need to preach. The result is a series of portraits of individual children growing into active, informed, disciplined, enthusiastic participants in the life of the school, and creating in the process a terrific, democratic community together. The democracy piece, as evidence accumulates in the viewer's mind, is central to this school's practice. These children are used to working hard matters out in public and working together in a way that is very rare in US schools today. The children's growing initiative and educating and rearing of each other; the really outstanding quality of the art work; the music and dance that fill the air of each day; the general atmosphere of hard, hard work and sheer pleasure; and the way the viewer comes to see vital evidence of individual children's intellectual and esthetic and social passages over a whole year's time, make this one of the best films of progressive practice I've seen. It's also a fine portrait of the true necessity and awful complexity of good teaching, and the huge even operatic emotional range and strong stomach the work requires. It's also just a flat-out gorgeous, beautiful movie, a brilliant poem of childhoods in motion over time. Among a myriad of other questions, this film dares to raise is the brave, too generally unasked question of whether children in many of our schools today are happy. It establishes through its multiple stories and varieties of evidence that great curriculum, hard work and opportunities for creativity and an intense and directed social life that respects the individual and draws him/her out are what young children need to grow well. "August to June" makes me reflect that without this kind of record of children's lived experience over time, most other sorts of educational evaluation and writing about classrooms look awfully thin and paltry; here it's impossible to lose sight of the kids or forget them after the film stops. They have signed the air with an individual presence that honors both the film and the education they are getting."
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