If you are not asking questions about COVID Funding for Schools? You simply don't care about children!

 

Last night, I was part of a panel discussing "How to spend the $90 million" coming from the new COVID Relief Funding to the Waterbury Public Schools in Connecticut. 

I wonder how much money other Black, Brown, and Poor school districts are getting? and even more important, "where is that money going?" 

I thought about Art, Music, filling libraries with Culturally Relevant Books, helping after-school lift programs, and building better sports programs. You know, the stuff that motivates, engages, and makes children want to come to school. Then, I remembered... the same people who spend  $2 billion every year on standardized testing ~  they will be in charge of this new funding. 

There was a time before high-stakes test scores defined school success in America. 

A time before test scores were the sole determination of the success of our nation's children. Schools were not perfect. 

Our education leaders, community leaders, and legislators valued poor schools.

They valued them with great art and music programs. 

Schools with impressive libraries, great after-school activities, and sports were viewed as successful schools. 

Today... all that matters are a school's test scores. 

Nearly $2 billion every year goes to standardized testing in America.  None of that $2 billion goes to creating great art/music programs, great libraries, or after-school programs for Black, Brown, Poor, and Special Education children.  Right now, America is providing billions and billions of much-needed COVID relief funds to Black, Brown, and Poor School Districts across the nation, over the next sixty days... "How will they spend this money?" 

If you can't see the damage high-stakes testing is doing in the name of education reform in America ~  You just can't see!

If you don't understand the damage of COVID Relief funding not lifting art, music, after-school programs, libraries, and sports ~ You just don't understand! 

If you are not asking how school districts will spend billions and billions of COVID Relief dollars ~ You really just don't care.

Respectfully,

Dr. Jesse P. Turner 

Uniting to Save Our Schools 

If you are wondering what tune inspired my morning walk today? It is the cover of Teach Your Children by Play For Change > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZIx55cFf-o <