We are the guards at our prison gate of self ignorance

It is a new day, and this day like every day today offers us another chance to learn and grow.

Thich Nhat Hanh the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, founder of the Plum Village Tradition, and author of over 100 books said:
"The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love. He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self, feeling guilty or proud of that self, and he offered revolutionary teachings that resounded like a lion's roar, like a great rising tide, helping people to wake up and break free from the prison of ignorance."

I love how he dismantles the notion of the separate self, and the need to wake up, and free ourselves from that prison of self. That notion of breaking free of our private self, and waking up speaks deeply to my sense of faith. It reminds of another quote from that Great Soul Marcus Garvey:

“We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, for though others may free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is our only ruler; sovereign.”

There is so much to learn from others, and all we really need do is open that self prison of ignorance gate...Remember we are the only guards at that gate, and none, but ourselves can free our minds.

Peace, Love, Joy, and may hope always follow you all the days of your life,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner
If you like to listen to the song that inspired my walk this morning it Leon Bridges cover of that Sam Cooke song "River" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_paZpQvca0 

Children are not failing you are failing them!

An interesting conversation, I had last week with an Ed Consultant sharing Connecticut Smarter Balance Test Scores "I am tired of the evil eye looks from teachers at my PDs. I am only sharing the data that shows children are failing. They need to get over it and start doing something different."

My reply: Perhaps they are wondering when policymakers, CEOs, and legislators are going to catch on, It is not the children who are failing. It is 20 years of your policies that are failing! Maybe those eyes are wondering you are going to give up on those old and failing policies. Perhaps we are all wondering when you realize your status quo is failing our children.
 

Maybe our nation's policymakers need to get over it and start doing something different. Perhaps giving teachers in Black and Brown schools the same resources and supports they give to those White Affluent schools?

Not one of us should be satisfied in a system that gives more to wealthy schools than to poor schools.

For 170 plus years the data has shown wealthy schools not only score higher on standardized tests, but they are funded better. Big Hint America, Black and Brown children are not falling through the cracks, inequity is pushing them through your immoral status quo cracks. 

I have often wondered what would happen if we switched this status quo funding around.
What if we gave Black, Brown, and Poor schools all the bells and whistles?
What if we flooded poor schools with art, music, librarians, social workers, counselors, play, and project-based learning?

What would happen if we took away recess, Physical education, art, music, librarians, counselors, and project learning from wealthy White Schools?
Switch it around, and let us see whose scores would be rising, and which children would be having behavioral issues.
But, better yet do the right thing. Give every school the resources and supports needed to reach all children.

Equity is not some children get more, and others less.
Equity is not school choice policies that demand poor schools compete against each other for limited resources. You can't blame children, parents, teachers, and public schools for this School To Prison Pipeline endorse and supported by our courts, our legislators, and racists for 170 years and counting.

Equity is giving every child what they need to succeed. I have not met policymakers fighting for genuine equity. It always ends being about test scores and standards without equity.

Any education system that gives more to some, and less to others. Is IMMORAL and CORRUPT.

If you are not fighting it, then you are part of the problem,

Dr. Jesse P. Turner Education Ambassador Moral Monday Connecticut 

If you like to listen to the song that inspired my morning walk today its Cosby, Still, and Nash cover of Teach Your Children by Play for Change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZIx55cFf-o

Teachers Don't Believe The Hype

Teachers don't believe the hype!

Some days,
I can't see hope,

Some days,
I can't feel hope,

Some days,
I can't even walk.

On those days, I think about

These policymakers, CEOs, and Education Deformers trying to convince teachers that we need more rigor, grit, tougher standards, and testing to help the children we teach.

Do not be fooled, teachers who make a different lead with love, compassion, and humanity, not grit.

On these days,

I get up,

Get out of bed,

And I think of the children and teachers I work with.

They lift me,

They inspire,

They compel me to bring humanity into my classroom.

Today is not one of those days without hope.

Today I shall begin reflecting on Leo Tolstoy's Short Story "Three Questions"

There was a king who wanted to be good. It occurred to that king who wanted to be good,
He needed to know the answer to three questions:

A good king needs to know what is the right time,

Needs to know who were the right people to listen to, and above all,

Know what is the most important thing to do,

Such a king would be wise, just, and would always make the right decision.

Tolstoy reminds me as long as I understand that teaching is about

1. Knowing the right time is when we are next to the ones we teach, 

2. Caring enough to deeply listen to the ones next to us,

3. The most important thing to do is always do the right thing for the ones we teach.

Tolstoy reminds Me,

I am a teacher,

Teachers are never hopeless,

Teachers need the right questions much more than they need the answers.

Today, I shall reject the hype of standards and testing will save our children,

I shall teach with the only standards that have ever really mattered in the classroom,

Hope,

Love, and

Humanity.

Now, I am ready to teach,

Dr. Jesse P. Turner
Moral Monday Connecticut Education Ambassador

I teach children, not data! 

If you want to know what song inspired my morning walk today...its Barry Lane "More Than A Number" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Vf8cwTWRY