New York State
Alternative Education Association

History

The New York State Alternative Education Association was first conceived by a dedicated group of educators including Dr. Dave Lehman at a "Humanizing Experience" conference in Albany, hosted by the New York State Education Department, in 1984.

The state was divided into BOCES regions for convenience, though at that time, there were very few BOCES alternative education programs. Programs involved were mostly, as Dr. Lehman says, "more in the vein of being independent public schools of choice, doing things differently, schools-without-walls, and so forth." Over the years, alternative education in New York evolved to focus on students who were considered disadvantaged, disenfranchised, and at-risk behaviorally or academically.