Just Saying, another Reading War is the best you have

25 Billion every year for what? 

What do you call education reforms that spend billions on scripted reading programs, but not actual services to Black, Brown, and Special Education Children in our poor communities? Same old systemic racism that profits off the misery of children and teachers in our public schools.

JUST SAYING 

We have been fighting this war for over a hundred years, the casualties of war at this stage are in the millions. The profits are in the billions, and what have we gained? A vicious cycle of one-size-fits-all literacy programs, that increases profits, confuses teachers, and reduces children to data points.

Where is the humanity in endless war?

Where is the humanity in a public school system that spends annually 23 billion dollars more on wealthy predominantly White Schools, than on our poor predominately Black and Brown Schools?
Can we use that 2 billion dollars annually spent on high-stakes testing to give teachers the necessary resources?

JUST SAYING, I imagine something different, and this is what I am fighting for.

Just in case you like to listen to the tune that inspired my first day back teaching...its Barry Lane's "We Found Defiance" https://soundcloud.com/gaetanp/we-found-defiance-barry-lane-live-umass-dartmouth

The data that matters and the data that really matter

 In medical research any new medical or intervention requires research talk and listen to patients, health professionals, and family. New medicines or treatments are only approved with collecting taking and listening to your subjects.  It is not considered soft data, it is crucial data, so vital it would shut any approval process down without it. This is good science. I question any Education Research intervention that does not listen and talk to children, teachers, and parents. This isn't soft data, this is necessary and vital data. 

There is the data that matters, and there is the data that really matters! 

In education research, no one talks or listens to children, teachers, or parents and guardians. Imagine if we asked parents:

How do you feel about class size?

how do you feel about less art, music, and play?

How do you feel about some children getting everything needed, and others are given less? 

What if we asked children about all this testing down to them?

Would they ask for more? 

Would they understand why adults want to rank them? 

Would they ask for less art, music, and play to make room for testing? 

What if we asked teachers: 

Would smaller class sizes help?

Would better school and classroom libraries help?

Would less testing give you more time for teaching?

Is it fair that predominantly white schools get 21 billion dollars more every year than poor predominately schools of color? 

Would student loan forgiveness help,

Would Better benefits and pay help?

Would professional respect for teachers help? 

There is good science and poor science, 

Good science talks and listens,

Bad Science pretends listening doesn't matter. 

 I question any education science that does not talk and listen to children, teachers, parents, and guardians. 

Respectfully,                                                                                                                                                    Dr. Jesse P. Turner
CCSU Literacy Center Director

If you want to know what inspired my blog today? It was the Play For Change Cover of Teach Your Children song https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/235655313607365412/6193250921375836163

Shaking the Tree: A True Olympian

 

This is my school lesson day one.  

Beyond Gold Medals, 

I see a champion, 

I see a podium above the rest, 

I see a hero.  

I know an Olympian.   

I know what courage looks like, 

I know what the Olympian Character looks like.

I know what women standing up for the rights of young girls looks like, 

She is an child Iranian Refugee,

She is an Afganstaini Woman. 

I know what Afghanistan's hope looks like, 

She is a three-time Olympian,  

Her name is Kimia Yousofi.  

She is worth all the Gold Medals together. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/08/02/afghanistan-sprinter-kimia-yousofi-taliban/74652683007/

If you like to listen to the tune that inspired me this morning...it is Peter Gabriel's "Shaking the Tree" 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Q79lls1f0