For George and all those union carrying first responders who ran into those towers on 9/11.

For brother George whose courage remains unquestioned,
For brother George who lives his life above the cheating,
My promise to you and the survivors and the fallen is I have not forgotten 9/11.
Reading this New York Times article below on cheating by

high achieving students. It mades me wonder about our nation's failure to give students something more than a test scores to look up to. 

Their is a real legacy left to us by our nation’s First Responders not rooted in cheating, but in the courage to do the right thing. This is what schools should be teaching not how to do better on some meaningless test. Article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/education/studies-show-more-students-cheat-even-high-achievers.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

The real legacy of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's Race To The Top is not equity, or a closing of the achievement gap, but simply a culture of cheating. Neither NCLB, or this race of Duncan's has any moral foundation to it. His foundation is simply better test scores make better people. 

Let me say I disagree Mr. Secretary.

This coming Monday we shall remember those who lost their lives on 9/11/01.
Let's not forget that many of the ones running from those burning towers were most likely individuals with high test scores. The ones running out were the stock brokers, corporate lawyers, CEO's, and most likely not members of any of our nation's unions.
So brothers and sisters who ran in to save them?
Which ones dared to rushed in even after the first tower fell?
Which ones were walking people down the stairs as the world came tumbling down around them?
Let me tell who they were,
They were police officers, 

The emergency medical technicians, 

And fire fighters. 

The ones with union cards!
You know the ones whose test scores never won acceptance in to our Harvard(s) and Yale(s).
The ones like my old team mate Fire Captain George Bueno whose lost one of his crew.
Captain Bueno who had to fight for his pension for years after 9/11. 

I say test scores have nothing to do with making us better people, but hearts of courage do.
Imagine if our nation's public schools immersed our young people in a culture of courage rather than a race to the top.
America’s 21-st century is at a cross road in public education. One road calls us to follow ed reformers who consider children data and human capital. They offer a legacy of numbers.

The other road calls parents and teachers to leave something greater.  

We are being asked which legacy to we want our public schools to pass on to our nation's young. I want an American legacy rooted in courage not testing and cheating. I want a legacy of something greater than testing. I want future generations to know the courage of the ones who run in while others run out. 
Two from the heart brother George,

Jesse The Walking Man Turner

Happy Labor Day to the Chicago Teachers Union 2012

This one goes out to all my brothers and sisters in the Chicago Teachers Union this Labor Day. CTU is on the verge of striking, and they need our support.

I am asking teachers everywhere to post pictures on Facebook wearing red to show your solidarity with them. You can also buy a tee shirt, or make a donation to CTU:
 > http://www.ctunet.com/ <
President Kennedy said: "Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours, and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor."
I say if you want self-seeking groups look to Wall Street and their political buddies.
Love,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you are wondering why CTU is striking for go to: http://www.ctunet.com/quest-center/research/the-schools-chicagos-students-deserve

If you are wondering what the Walking Man is listening to on his walk this labor day it's Bruce Springsteen singing Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yuc4BI5NWU

I am an SOSer, a street fighter against the tyranny of pain known as NCLB

I am an SOSer

I am going to Washington DC, 
again.

I am relentless,

I am unwavering, 
and

I am still marching.

I am Jesse The Walking Man Turner.

Bruce Springsteen sings in Rocky Ground

"Rise up shepherd, rise up
Your flock has roamed far from the hills
Stars have faded, the sky is still
Sun's in the heavens and a new day's rising

The angels are shouting "Glory Hallelujah" 

I am a Shepard rising up. 

I am traveling over rocky ground

Glory Hallelujah!

I am calling for A Gathering of Shepards' 

I clearly remember that day, 
some 45 years ago ~
when my father abandoned us.

I was 10 years old, 
This time, I took the slap that was meant for Momma.

I fell to the ground,
 but I got right back up ~ ready for the next.

He knew it was time to go.
And so he did.

Before we knew it,
 we were on the streets.

Momma tells me I was born fighting for life. 

We knew Thanksgivings without a turkey,

The Christmas without a tree,

The winter without heat, or electricity,

Lived in emergency housing,

Know that a loaf of wonder bread and a jar of mayonnaise can be a Thanksgiving feast for the hungry.

"There go I,  for the Grace of God ~ one of Mom's constant sayings.

I was taught to be grateful for what I have,

There is always someone far worse off.

Our schools and libraries were warm, 
reading is magic by candle light ~ in a house without electricity.

My teachers made a difference, everyday.
Just by being there to teach.

Who says "Poverty doesn't matter?"
Poverty Matters America!

Momma and my teachers taught me to stand up for what is right.

I learned about justice and hope at home and in school.

I found heroes on the book shelves at my local library.

I didn’t have much, but I had Momma, teachers, and books.

Growing up without a male role model is hard, 
but I found Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mocking Bird”. 

Atticus Finch, 
moral hero of heroes 
in a narrative that can be found at every local library.

I read it with Momma every night for two weeks straight ~ by candlelight.

Momma cried when Tom Robinson died, 
we both fell in love with Boo Radley, the reclusive hero.

Harper Lee’s book was the first family read in our home.

To Kill A Mocking Bird ~ a narrative to take to the bank.

Narratives 
the kind of books 
that these Education Reformers and their Common Core Cheerleaders say 
children need less of.

These reformers who say we need to test everything.

These reformers who say we need computerized tracking systems 
and 
tests for every subject.

  

During these days of tight budgets 
one might wonder
"How will these reformers pay for their reforms?"

Their plan is to make schools compete like Greyhounds. 
Run them until they drop.

Increase class size.

Underfund libraries.

Hire drive by "pension-less" teachers who come and go.

Attack teachers.

Attack Schools of Education.

Attack democratically elected Boards of Education.
Attack everyone who dares to fight back. 

In the words of Atticus Finch

“They're certainly entitled to think that, 
and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... 
but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.  
The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule 
is a person's conscience." 

Momma was right ~ I was born fighting for life.

Momma your boy was also born to fight injustice.

America ~ reading narratives can give poor boys a conscience!
Perhaps, Who Knows, 
is that why they want to replace narratives with non-fiction?

Tell it on every mountain top 
the Walking Man is coming to DC ~ year # 3. 

Send it in a telegram to Secretary Status Quo Arne Duncan, 

I will fight the injustice of his policies.

His policies that reduce children to test scores.

His policies that remain quiet, as poor communities have to slash the budget of their library in order to pay for Duncan's unfunded mandates... 

His policy that forces special education teachers to spend their days 
writing reports, attending meetings, 
and not teaching children in need.

His policy that allows for the madness that increases class size 
in order to pay for computerized testing.

Washington DC policy that spends billions on Duncan's mad Race To The Top.

Policy where some children win,
 and some lose,
 in schools that are forced to compete for limited resources. 

Tell the world,
 I am going to DC, again.
Just to tell our nation's leaders,
 and those fake DC reformers, 
that children are more than test scores. 

I am still walking,

I am still marching,

I am still blogging,

I am a proud SOSer,

A fighter against the tyranny of Race To The Top.

It’s simple, America.
Silence and Apathy are not acceptable,
especially when it comes to our children.

Meet me in DC at the Save Our School People’s Education Convention 
Friday August 3rd to Sunday August 5th, 2012.

Just another Shepard 
traveling on Rocky Ground,

Jesse ~ The Walking Man ~ Turner.  

The song taking me all the way to SOS's People Education Convention in DC this Friday August 3, 2012 is  Bruce Spingsteen's Rocky Ground

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J_Fcrthxws