Semper Fidelis Dr. Gentile

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Before No Child Left Behind, before schools were racing to the bottom, before the Common Core, and High Stakes Testing came to save our schools. Teachers and students could be innovative, creative, and work on good works. This is one of those "Good Works" project I use to do with children and teachers. This one was called "Heroes Walk Among Us" Middle School students would identify heroes in their communities, invite them to speak at their schools, and they produces little movies about them. They filmed their hero interviews, filmed them at work, and interviewed their people who knew them.
The student above is interviewing two United States Marine Honor Guards at the

Iwo Jima Memorial in New Britain Connecticut on Memorial Day where Dr. George Gentile just laid a remembrance wreath for his fallen brothers.

Our students loved Dr. Gentile, and each year new students would select him. He never grew tired of it, and neither did we. Dr. Gentile United States Marine and Iwo Jima survivor valued those good works, and he understand good works matter more than test scores. He died before the Common Core Standards came along and passed before testing became everything. Although we miss him dearly, I am glad he is not here to see how high-stakes testing ended our good works.

Rest in peace Dr. Gentile. I am doing my best to fight against this madness overtaking our public schools. I have drawn the line in the sand, marched into every battle, and I am still standing. I am able and ready, because I met you, because I shook hands with a gentle Iwo Jima Marine who always honor his fallen buddies, and lived his days doing good works.

Semper Fidelis,

Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you are wondering what song this walking man was listening to on his walk this afternoon through woods? It was "I rather go blind" by Playing For Change.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw1kwnnpTw0 <