Calling all Freedom Teachers to the Selma Jubilee Education Summit in 2020

I am an old school teacher, holding on to that prize

Dear Mr. President,
Do you think we old school teachers can be silenced by your hate in the White House?
Got my eyes on that sacred Edmund Pettus Bridge come March,
Got my eyes on Selma Alabama's Education Summit,
Got my walking shoes ready,
Got a freedom fire burning in my heart.


Gonna protect that vote,
Gonna rally teachers to the cause,
Gonna give it my all.

I am still working on becoming the teacher I dream of being,
I know this teaching dream does not end at the classroom door,
That dream teacher defend in me defend his students:
In the classroom,
In the Schoolhouse,
In the community,
In the nation,
In the world.

Yeah, I am going back to 2020 Selma Jubilee Education Summit,
Why, because
I have much to learn,
I have much to do,
I have two good feet for marching.

Imagine the lessons in my classroom about voting rights,
Imagine the lessons in my classroom about civil rights,
Imagine that at 64 that fire still burns in me.

I shall one day be the teacher I have always dreamt of becoming,
Selma stirs that freedom fire,
And that freedom fire,
Gonna keep this flame burning all the days of my life.
Some day I am going to be that teacher,
That teacher my heart has always dream of being,
Selma feeds my teaching dream,
Selma lifts my heart,
Selma gives me hope.

Calling all you freedom teachers to come to Selma this coming March.
We got a freedom flame to light,
Lessons to dream about teaching,
Lessons need learning,
Voting rights need protecting,
Freedom needs protecting,
Hope needs feeding,
Teachers need lifting.

I'm going to feed my teaching soul this March in Selma,
Got my walking shoes on,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner
Moral Monday Connecticut Education Ambassador

If you like to hear the tune that inspired my morning walk its Mavis Staples "Eyes On The Prize"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZWdDI_fkns

Just in case one or two of you Freedom Teachers want to join me on that Edmund Pettus Bridge...here is a link to Jubilee events https://www.selma50.com/complete-schedule

This Chicago Teachers Strike Is Not About Money, It's About What Right For Children

Last night I told 19 Connecticut teachers, to look to the Chicago teachers for leadership that matters in public education. I said I have no faith in our nation's policymakers, legislators, CEOs, presidents, governors, mayors, non-elected school broads, billionaires, commissioners and secretaries of education to save our public schools.

The endless flow of campaign contributions pushing failed high stakes testing education reform is a cabal of the greedy who have turned public schools into profit margins and testing factories.

I have walked for 40 days from Connecticut to DC twice to protest this cabal of profiteers that hijacked childhood and our profession. Like these Chicago teachers, I am a teacher who was forced to become an activist for justice in our public schools. I marched on Washington. I marched on my state's capital, I have joined two United States Department of Education Occupies with United Opt-Out, I have traveled multiple times to the Selma Jubilee Education Summit with BATS, UOOs, and SOSers to stand up for our children, their teachers, and our public schools. This July I met with some CTU leaders in Chicago. I claim brotherhood with these Chicago Teachers. Call me their number one fan!

This is not the time to hold our heads down. This is the time to lift them up, to move our profession to boldly stand up against these hijackers of childhood. We may not see it yet in our local unions, but it is building. Labor leadership either leads a bold stand to save our children, our fellow teachers, and our public schools, or it gets out of the way.

If this resistance is not led by teachers? Then who? Parents need and expect us to stand up for their children.

Teachers we are the heroes we have been waiting for. I see heroes rising in Chicago, teachers fighting for smaller class sizes, a living wage for Para-Professionals, and for nurses and social workers in every school. This is not about money, this is about doing right by their children.

I ended by saying teachers, start pushing union leadership to follow the lead of Chicago. If they refuse, then vote for new ones. Chicago is less about a strike it is a teacher revolution to save our public schools.
Call me another revolutionary marching save our children, their teachers, and our public schools.
I stand with these Chicago Teacher Revolutionaries,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner
Connecticut Moral Monday Education Ambassador

July 2019 lunch in Chicago with CTU's Michelle Strater Gunderson & CSU-AAUP 

Call me CTU's Number One Fan!

If you are wondering what song inspire my morning walk in the rain...its What's Going On cover by Play For Change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEp7QrOBxyQ

Don't You Know, Talking about a Teacher Revolution

CSU-AAUP and CTU Lunch July 2019

It began in Chicago

In Chicago, the Teacher's union is on strike,
In Chicago, the Teacher's union is standing up for their rights,
In Chicago, those beautiful glorious union thugs are fighting for,
School Nurses,
A Living Wage for Paras,
For Wrap Around Services For Children,
For Smaller Class Sizes,
Better schools for children.

Put in it writing,
The Rank and File are saying Mayor put it in writing,
In Chicago, those Union Thugs are at it again,
They got their sights on equity,
They got their sights on healthy schools,
They got their sights on respect,
They got their sights on better schools,
They got their sights on temples of hope in their schools.

Solidarity,
Shout it out your windows,
Whisper it in your hallways,
Call it out on every street corner,
Tell it on every mountain top,
Tell them, teachers everywhere stand with these beautiful Chicago Teachers.

Chicago teachers are talking about a public school revolution,
Teachers everywhere talking about a better schools revolution,
Tell America,
Tell every mayor,
Tell every policymaker,
Tell every governor,
Tell every non-elected school board member,
Tell those Commissioners of education,
Tell that DC Sec of Education,
Tell those Wall Street Profiteers,
Tell them in the White House.

We hear these Rank and File Sisters and Brothers in Chicago,
It begins in Chicago,
Ends everywhere,
Teacher unions shall lead this fight for better schools,
Union Strong shall lead the way.

I stand with Chicago's Rank and File,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you are wondering what song inspired my morning walk today its Tracy Chapman "Talking About A Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv8FBjo1Y8I