Testing failed America in the 20th, and it is failing America in the 21st century.

There was another age when America was obsessed with testing, an age where progressive Americans worried that our nation would not be able to compete economically in the future, an age where these very progressive people decided they should create tests that would determined who is a burden and who is not. The American Eugenics Movement sterilized over 60,000 women based on their intelligence testing. They became the model for the Nazis "Master Race".
It's wise to study our past, and to look at our policy makers present focused on testing in our schools. Testing failed Americans at the turn of the 20th century, and it is failing our children in the 21st century. History repeats itself, and it's time we learned from it.
Children are more than test scores,
Dr. Jesse Patrick Turner

PS, I am less than two week from beginning my walk from Connecticut To DC. At this point we have 4 radio shows following the walk, and asking for weekly updates, over 17 connecting the dots Walking Man events planned. I can't wait until I start walking, meeting, and hearing from students, parents and teachers along the way. I am a man on fire, a man on a mission, a mission inspired by a love of children, their teachers, and their public schools. I am one man walking in the name of love to DC,
Jesse
PS if you like to listen to what inspired my walk to day...it's Peter, Paul and Mary's "If I had a hammer" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTvr79Oe5w8

Who will stand up against the lies of school choice?

I hear this Psalm in my dreams. "Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?"
I rise every day saying here I am Lord. How could I call myself a Professor of Education without advocating for children, parents, teachers, and our local schools without standing up against those who constantly are assaulting the humanity of our children.
This is National Charter School week, what you won't hear from Washington DC, any Governor's mansion, or the mainstream media is in Florida alone in just three countries we have 200 million dollars in fraud. You won't hear that the FBI is investing fraud involving Charter schools in almost all major cities.
You won't hear that the data indicates only 17% of children attending charter schools are out performing the students they left behind. Not one word will be written about the billions being spent on an education reform where 83% do perform no better or worst on testing. No one in the media is going to tell parents Charters have the highest turn over rate for teachers.
No one wants to stop the money train, the train with no rules, the train that answers to no one, and does more to racially isolate children of color than any other type of school.
I am walking to DC,
Because children and parents deserve more than a lottery,
Because choice without equity is the wrong choice,
Jesse

If you want to listen to what I was listening to on my walk this morning...it's "Here I Am Lord" by Michael Talbott  > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFFhZM4rn-c <

It never been about the numbers, it's about fighting for what is right for children

3000 members today, it's not about the number for me. It's about fighting for our children, their teachers, and their public schools. A little throwback story to a day when we went from over 7,000 members to 1.
In January 2012 our group had over 7000 members. Then Facebook reconfigured Facebook Groups, and force this group down to 1 member on Valentines DAY 2012.
So I pieced up the pieces, continued to fight the good fight, I spoke up, stood up, carry signs to bring humanity back into our public schools. I pushed hard in the face of legislators, BOE members, and Education Deformers pushing high stakes testing on our children.
I held on to our one certain truth here "Children Are More Than Scores"and I continue to fight against a reign of testing abuse in our public schools,. Once again find myself walking to DC to tell those in power our children are more than test scores.
Someday our children, the ones who have been turned into test scores, data charts, and profits are going to ask us why did we let this happen to them...My plan is and has always been we fought it every step of the way, and together with determined parents and teachers we took our public schools back. We did this out of respect for childhood, we did did out of love for you. 3000, or 1 it does not matter, what matters is each one of us reject the silence and the apathy that is turning public education in a mockery of childhood.
Walking to DC In The Name Of Love,
Jesse
http://childrenaremorethantestscores.blogspot.com/…/saint-v…

Friends on May 1, 2015 I am releasing my 2015 walk Youtube trailer about my 400 miles, 40 days from Rural Promfet Connecticut to DC for the BAT Teachers Congress. It will be short, but point people in the right direction for following my walk, or for meeting up with me. People are always welcomed to walk a mile or two with me.
My plan is listen deeply to the stories of students, parents, teachers who feel abused by this education reform policies that have turned education into a game of numbers. Listen to the voices of the people who mainstream media passes over everyday. Their stories matter to me, and they matter to America. I will walk and talk with anyone who comes out to meet me. The plan is to connect those dots of testing abuse from state to state. To take those stories to Congress and the Senate, to the White House, and to testify at the SOS Mock Trial at the BAT Congress.
I am one Man Walking in The Name Of Love To DC,
Jesse
If you like to know what the Waking Man was listening to on his walk today...it's Eric Clapton's
http://www.cmt.com/videos/eric-clapton/46587/change-the-world.jhtml#artist=985
Walking and singing if I could change the world.....