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Friday, July 1, 2016

Special Peoples March "Get On The Bus" Sunday radio hour 6-7 EST




Dr. James Miller has graciously given Jesse The Walking Man an hour to host his show.
Special One Hour July 3, 2016 6 to 7:PM radio show. Jesse The Walking Man Turner  "Get On The Bus"
Edition of "The War Report on Public Education. Link for the show  https://bbsradio.com/thewarreport


Never in the history of public education have public school children had to endure a decade and half of education reforms that have dramatically failed them at every level. Never has the data pointing to these reforms as failures been so dramatically clear. Never before has an education reform policy crippled and left large urban and poor rural public schools in chaos. For 15 years test and punish and competition policies have crushed working class children, and those living in poverty. Current public education policies have left children of color and poor children behind. Why it's profitable for market based education entities. Such as Charter schools and testing companies.
What did forcing the public schools of largely Black, Brown and poor to compete for resources achieved?
The greatest inequity every seen since Plessy v Ferguson (1896).
The greatest racial isolations since before Brown v the Board of Education.
At every level these market based reforms have failed Black, Brown, Immigrant, and Poor children, their parents, teachers, and their local public schools.  Never before have children at any level had to endure teach to the test education using testing standards meant to fail 60-70 percent of them.
WHY are our elected officials and policy wonks staying the course?
Because education reformers who are part of the movement to privatize public education contribute mass amounts of money to candidates in both parties.
In other word our children are pawns for the BEST Government MONEY can buy.

We get it Walking Man. Who is on the "Get On The Bus" show?

Four in your face education warriors who have always fought for equity and justice in our public for all children. Four "On the Bus "Peoples March for Public Education and Social Justice" Leaders. 

1.  The mighty Jamaal Bowman is the founding principal of Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School located in the Eastchester section of the Bronx New York. He is a passionate activist for social justice. He is often referred to as the Bronx's most loved Bronx Principal, and passionate advocate for Public School children, parents and teachers. Principal Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School is not a Charter, not a Magnet, but a regular NYC Public School leading the way for others. Jamaal always leads with our work with children must be led with love. Here is the link for Principal Bowman rock the house opening keynote at New York 2015 "Call to Educational Justice Conference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz8GgrScqjc
 
2.
The Teacher's Teacher: 
Gus Morales: After serving America in the military Mr. Morales began his teaching career as an English teacher at Maurice A. Donahue School. Just as he stood strong with his fellow soldiers he stood by his fellow teachers. By the start of his third year in Holyoke, Morales began criticizing educational reforms in the district, from data walls to the level of testing in the classroom. He stood up during his tenure year. The year we tell every new teacher stay low, be silent, and do what you are told. As an outspoken member of the Holyoke Teachers' Association, he was named president-elect of the teacher's union in the spring of 2014. A month later, his contract with the district was non-renewed just before the end of his third year. Districts are not required by law to give teachers a reason for non-renewal when he or she lacks professional status. Morales claimed it was retaliation for his union activity. All you need to really know about Gus Morales is: he has never stopped serving his nation, and he will never be silent in the face of abuse of children, parents and his fellow teachers. Gus Morales is a teacher's teacher.  TEDX "The Educratic Oath http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/The-Educratic-Oath-Gus-Morales 


3. The Truth to Power voice Ruth Rodriquez is one of the Administrators for United Opt Out. She served on served on the Save Our Schools March National Committee. She is a well traveled social justice activist that like that Johnny Cash "I Been Everywhere Man" song. She goes wherever the fight is against inequity and injustice in our public schools. She is a past President of Boston's Citizens for Public Schools. She served on Governor Deval Patrick Readiness Project with the MCAS/Assessment subcommittee. When the Governor called Massachusetts educators together to celebrate his high stakes testing plan Ruth grab the microphone, and challenge him and everyone else in the room: Dear Governor Patrick, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve on your Readiness Project with the MCAS/Assessment subcommittee. I’m saddened that you did not accept our recommendation and have decided to continue the MCAS punish-style measures. But I challenge anyone in this room, including you, governor to immerse yourselves for one year in Spanish, and then take the MCAS in Spanish, for that is exactly what you are asking English language learners to do.” Link to her CPS presidential address http://www.citizensforpublicschools.org/editions-of-the-backpack/special-backpack-issue-fall-conference/countering-the-attacks-on-public-education/ 

4. Our voice of truth and reason, the voice of jusitce first Dr. Ricardo D. Rosa is a member of Save Our Schools, United Opt-Out and the Badass Teachers Association. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, an activist, writer and researcher working with youth." Dr. Rosa's work is situated in pedagogy of liberation and deeply connected to the lives of Black, Brown, and Poor communities. Link for Dr. Rosa's TEDxCCSU talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai9esk0vvPI

Almost forgot your Special Host for the War on Public Education Jesse The Walking Man Turner
Jesse The Walking Man Turner: Dr. Jesse Turner is the Director of the Literacy Center at Central Connecticut State University where he teaches advanced clinical graduate courses for literacy specialists. As part of the community engagement mission, the Literacy Center provides tutoring by certified teachers, free of charge to local children every year. Jesse works closely on a daily basis with children, parents, and their teachers.  He is an activist and advocate for public school here in the USA.  He has spoken to audiences across the nation about the problems created by the No Child Left Behind Act, (NCLB) since 2002.  Dr. Turner is opponent of Race To The Top, (RTTT) policy, Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA), and has publicly attacked it policies as being harmful to communities of color, the poor, and special needs children.  As long as the only data that matters are test scores than our children lose. It does not matter if the Federal Government or our states control the testing hammers. Children are more than test scores, and any education policy that reduces them to test steals their humanity from them. 

In 2010 Jesse created the Facebook group “Children Are More Than Test Scores” as a way to connect individuals and communities struggling against the NCLB law. He walked 400 miles in 40 days from Connecticut to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness of the negative impact NCLB/RTTT was having on children, parents, teachers, and schools. With a core group of mazing activists, he met on his walk, and online Jesse helped build the coalition that would eventually become Save Our Schools.
In 2015 Jesse walked once again to Washington D.C. to protest public education polices that actually increased inequity in public schools.  He has written numerous articles, Chapters, on assessment, and is an Associate Editor for the New England Reading Association Journal.  His work includes advocating for children, parents and teachers, chairing conferences, writing grants, and organizing community based projects. Dr. Turner is a member of the NAACP and of Moral Mondays Connecticut.

It is simple to me testing and choice without equity is not only the wrong choice. It is an immoral choice. A moral people can never be indifference people.
Now some people wear blinders of indifference, they only see their small world, their small space, and yet they wonder why injustice strives. Pastor Martin Niemöller poem about the indifference of a nation during the rise of the Nazis warns us against wearing the blinders of indifference. 

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

PS readers, it not just a get on the bus day. Pleas e join Internet radio host Dr. James Avington Miller Jr. for a two hour show devoted to spotlighting the many ways teachers and parents are fighting back against the War on Public Education and the Machiavellian Agenda destroying education.

The guests for our first hour are four of the courageous teachers from North Carolina who were arrested for protesting the draconian policies in their schools. Our guests are Anca Stefan , Alexa Goff, Dawn Amy Wilson, and Lisa McCool-Grime They will tell us why they marched to the state capital, how they were treated by the Governor of NC, and what has happened since their arrest.
Our second hour will be hosted by Jesse The Walking Man Turner and is our "Get On The Bus" Edition of The War Report on Public Education. Dr. James Miller has graciously given Jesse Turner - The Walking Man - an hour to host his show.
The show will talk about the People's March on Washington that will be taking place in DC on July 8th and the events following the march on July 9th and 10th. 


If you like to listen to the song I am listening to today preparing for next week's Peoples March for Public Education its.. Andra Day's "Rise Uphttp://yhoo.it/298gZxL 



Dr. James Miller from the War Report on Public Education. His show has given voice to the voiceless for the past three years. He is a Public Education Hero.



Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Public notice to all under preforming elected officials


Dr. Mark Naison from Fordham University recently reported our elected officials were concern about our public schools. He explained their Education Reform plan to underfund our schools, and force our poorest and most needy schools to actually compete for limited resources based on test scores. He reported you are willing to save tax breaks for the wealthy, the connected and the powerful.



We were shock of course about your lack of listening skills. So we the people gather together to evaluate your performance. We found it severely lacking to say the least. Here is what we found:
Hello Local Public Elected Officials,
Let us be blunt with you. In these difficult times, we are not going to vote for officials unless they show results. The data clearly points to below expectations performances. You are in need of a rigor, grit, and tough up intervention program. Now I'd like to be kind and say those results could be demonstrated:
Higher wages for working people,
Make the wealthy pay their real share of taxes,
No more welfare for giant corporations,
Fully funded schools,
Wrap around services, and sport programs,
Adult educations classes in our public schools in the evenings,
Free health care for everyone,
Fair housing for working people,
No more public money going to franchise teams for stadiums,
End non-profit status for profit for NFL teams.
There are many others as well, because you have definitely forgotten you work for the people. You have not done anything for the 99%, and it going to be hard to turn around, I have to be very blunt on this you have been found lacking. We are putting into our turn around program for crappy legislators. If you can't turn it around by the next election, we are just going to vote you out.
Sincerely,
Your employers, the voters
PS a bunch of us are headed to DC to deliver this message to you personally at the Peoples March for Public Education and Social Justice on July 8.
Power to the people,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you like to listen to what this Walking Man listened to on his walk this morning..its Natalie Merchant's "This House Is On Fire" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w5yFE7t8MI



Saturday, June 25, 2016

The few, the happy, those Saint Crispen brothers & sisters

He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

In less than two weeks, I will enter into that evil breach of test and punished.
I shall rally, march and stand with the few, the happy, that band of good brothers and sisters who answered the call,
To rise against this tyranny that closes our public schools to open for profit Charter schools,
That reducing our children to data, and
Demoralizing teachers and parents.
I could not imagine standing anywhere else, but with the few, the happy, and the willing,
Arm in arm into that breach,
Should to shoulder,
with my brothers and sisters,
At that sacred sight the Lincoln Memorial in DC,
On the day of truth to power July 8.
For deep in my heart I know:
This day shall be the turning point.
This day shall be breach taken, the day truth rises,
I happily join my fair Saint Crispin's brothers and sisters.
My feet are already marching to battle,
Some day historians will write of those who rallied on 7/8/2016,
Educational historians will write this where victory against tyranny began,
Generations from now teachers will say these few brothers and sisters stood against inequity and injustice for you today.
Tell it on every mountain top the just are marching to DC,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you want to listen to the tune I am singing today its Sara Bareilles singing "Brave"..
You can be amazing, You can turn a phase into a weapon or a drug....I just wanna see you be BRAVE..
  > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNd_YXJXZOA <