Dear Mr. President

In the spirit of one of my greatest heroes, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois who pen public letters to President Wilson. I pick up that public letter writing here.
 
Dear Mr. President, during this booming economy. While giving billionaires more tax breaks, and in between all this talk about your hotels being the most beautiful in the world. Perhaps you might want to pay attention to what is happening in our public schools?
You might consider calling Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos over to the White House to give you a report on the status of public education in America.

Something Secretary DeVos may not have mentioned to you. A majority of states are spending less on their public schools than before the 2007 recession. 29 States spend less on schools than before the 2007/8 recession. Perhaps you can ask Secretary DeVos to travel to those 29 states and explain to them that spending less on our public schools is an economic catastrophe in the making.

May I make a suggestion, take back those tax breaks, and use those tax revenues to help our struggling schools.

Recently I met a man on the train from Philadelphia to Hartford CT. He asked me what I did for a living. I explained I was an educator. Somehow the conversation came around to a lack of investment in our public schools. I mention that 29 states are spending less these days. I quoted Horace Mann: "Money for schools now, or for prisons later". It turned out he worked for a firm that runs private prisons. He looked me in the eye. Then he said let me say this: "Profits are profits, and prisons are money makers, and schools are money losers...Trust me, sir, there are some on Wall Street and in government who are cheering on more prisons." His words were blunt, but they were also honest. Our conversation ended when he got off at the New York City stop. Of course, his words were eye-opening to say the least.

You might also suggest Secretary DeVos visit Chicago where the teachers are on strike not over wages, but for Chicago's children. She might begin a conversation there with students, teachers, and parents. Since she has never worked in a public school and lacks any real experience working with public school teachers, students, and parents my thinking is Chicago would make a perfect place to begin her studies.

Often I find myself wondering what would In the spirit of W.E.B Du Bois would be writing if he were here with us today. Then, I realize his words, his works, and his spirit walks with me, and millions of others every day.  I too am a man of letters to presidents, I have written to President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, and you. It's not political, it's moral, it's not Blue vs Red. It's not personal, it's what is just and fair for all.  I owe it to that other letter writer, and to that not yet kept pledge line "With Liberty and Justice for all." I have no doubt that someday that unkept pledge shall become real, and I will have no need to write letters to my presidents. 
May I make one more suggestion? Perhaps your cabinet and Secretary DeVos might consider reading and studying Michelle Alexander's book "The New Jim Crow and the school-to-prison pipeline."

Trust me, more prisons will not make America Great Again.
Respectfully,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner
Moral Monday Connecticut Education Ambassador 

If you are interested in listening to the song that inspired my morning walk today it's Buffalo Springfield's " For What It's Worth" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp5JCrSXkJY

I stand in the shadows of love for these Fighting Chicago Teachers

In August 63 in DC,
At the age of 8 years old,
I march with my grandfather
Heard the Dreamer's dream.

At the age of 10,
My father lifted his hand to strike my mother,
At 10 years old, I took the blow.

At the age of 11 years old my mother and I homeless and hungry,
At the age of 12 years old a teacher intervenes, and my older sister steps in,
At the age of 13 years old, I was back on track,
Maslow's hierarchy in place for the 6,
By 18 years old my mother and I had a place of our own,
Smarter and wiser at a younger age,
I was University-bound,
Took a little longer than most,
A rising star, bound for glory.  

At 25, I entered my first classroom,
At 25, I found my purpose.

At 28 years old I married Carolyn Cullen,
At 33 Erin Beth was born, I cut the core securing her in my heart until I am no more.

At 51 I earned that Ph.D.,
At 64, the fire stills burns,
The mission remains strong,
The load may be heavy,
If you think I can't carry this load?
Then you really don't know this teacher.

If you think teachers don't carry every moment into their classrooms?Then you don't know anything about teachers.

If you think teachers bow down to standards and data points?
Then you don't know anything about teachers.
These Ed Reformers, Ed Scammers, Make a buck CEOs, have no idea about what teachers carry with them into their classrooms.

If you think these Chicago Teachers can't carry the children they teach?
Then you don't know Chicago Teachers.

Teachers carry it all, it's what guides every lesson,
It's what gives them strength,
It's what they carry that makes them fighting teachers.

In October 2019, I stand with these Fighting Chicago Teachers,
I stand with them until I can stand no more.
Shout on every street corner,
Tell it on every mountaintop,
I stand with my rank and file sisters and brothers in Chicago,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you want to listen to the song that inspired my walk this morning its bill Withers Lean On Me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-59COFjB6Sk

I am scared

For the first time in my professional career I am worried about my profession.
Teachers work an average of 57 hours a week and get paid for 37, and still politicians are complaining about their pensions and health care.
Budget cut after budget cut seeks to offer them less.

High-stakes testing is demoralizing teachers all across America. These tests are expensive, time-consuming, and show a vast disrespect for what teachers already know about the children they teach.

Inequity is so deeply rooted in our public schools that no one blinks an eye about the fact America spends more money on its wealthy schools than its poor schools.
Class sizes in Black, Brown, and Poor Public Schools keep rising. 

Librarians, School Social Workers, Gym Teachers, School Nurses, Art Teachers, Music Teachers, and Para-Professionals are being cut with every new budget in Black, Brown, and Poor communities. If you need the truth on inequity just follow Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig blog Cloaking Inequity.

Billions and billions are being spent on high-stakes testing, online learning scams, virtual schools, and school choice programs without equity.
In our poorest public schools, teachers are under-resourced, given little or no supports, and are blamed for just about every problem poor schools are having.

Recently, I asked every baby boomer teacher I know how are they doing? These are a group of friends who loved teaching. They want out!
I have looked at the data for teacher education enrollments across the nation. They are down in big numbers everywhere. As Dr. Tim Slaker has been saying this is not a teacher shortage, it a full-blown teacher exodus.

What are our policymakers and legislators doing about it?
Listening to CEOs, Political Think Tanks, Testing Companies, and clueless Education Reformers.
What are they not doing?
Listening to teachers,
Listening to students,
Listening to parents,
Listening to teacher educators.

Why, well you will need to follow the money trail people.
Teachers don't give large campaign contributions to political parties.
Students don't give large campaign contributions to political parties.
Parents don't give large campaign contributions to political parties.
Teacher Educators don't give large campaign contributions to political parties.

Greed is destroying the teaching profession, our public schools, and causing harm to our nation's children.

I am going to say something out loud that scares me.
I am afraid about the future of my profession, and I am worried about the harm being done to our children.

I am not leaving,
I am not running from this fight to save our teachers, our children, and our public schools.
I am running to the fight,
I am digging in,
I am going the distance, but I am scared.

What scares most is if I fall, who takes my place?
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you like to listen to the tune that inspired my morning walk this morning, its Bruce Springsteen's "Jack Of All Trades" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1GU1qQ1zQ