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

I found my sister in the garden of remembrance for National Substance Abuse Prevention Month

Thank you to those CCSU family members who put this The "Remembrance Quilt Square-Making Event" in Recognition of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month together at CCSU.
I have lost a father, niece, cousins, far too many friends, and a sister to addiction. Yesterday was a busy day, picking up meetings, running out for Literacy Center snacks, and materials for our Spooky Books display. I knew this event was ending at 3:PM. I somehow made it just before 3. I had to make another meeting at 3:15, and then individual confers with four students to discuss their portfolio projects right after that meeting. Squeeze for time I almost did not go to the Remembrance Quilt event.

But love called me to this event. I sat down, filled out the paper required to make my square at one of the three tables thinking I could fill a whole quilt on my own. I remembered them all but decided on my sister Maryellen. I spent some 20-30 minutes making my little square. I have the heart of an artist but have no skills whatsoever. I held it together made my square, went to my meeting, met with my students, and on the way, I cried.

My big sister held my hand going to school, and she holds my heart today. She was nine months sober when she died. At her service, a man came over to me. He said can I talk to you, and show you something. I had no idea who he was, but I said sure. He was from AA, he was her sponsor, and he said your sister wanted you to know she was 9 months sober, and that she never ever gave up. I had no idea she was going to AA.

He showed me pictures of her celebrating those some of those sober days. God sends us these angels to ease our losses. I thanked him, but I did not cry that day. My other sisters, my wife, our daughter, and my nephews and nieces needed an uncle who was strong. I thanked him and locked that memory away.

This hurt from losing loved ones is a heavy burden. Like that man with those pictures that little square healed something in me. I am proud of my Big Sister, and those 9 months. My love for her has not faded, it still grows.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to every single person involved in creating this event,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you want to hear that song that inspired my morning walk today its OOH Child by the Five Stair Steps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dguz0IsCuKU

Some boys become better human beings

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/10/10/hate-crimes-against-transgender-community-newday-pkg-sidner-vpx.cnn?fbclid=IwAR0KRBNmpr-Y61yac8qsoRgZkYEqG5Vz2desfApA6fcF8LB--HcsrsD5_Lc

This story brought back memories of a boy who needed learning.

Dear America,
About this hate that name calls, hits, brutalizes, and even murders. 
Lessons my Mother taught me 101, respect all people.

By the age of 10 years-old,
I had heard every racial slur,
Every sexual slur,
Every hateful word possible,
My Father regularly belted out his hate words every night.

By the age of 10 years-old,
I had heard every racial slur,
Every sexual slur,
Every hateful word possible,
My neighborhood regularly belted out their hate words on the streets every day.

One hot summer evening in that old hood,
I took up those words of hate,
My mother was sitting with some other women,
We kids were playing,
We had no idea our mother's were really watching us,
Then Jennifer a Trans Women walked pass us kids while we were playing.

I don't know if I said it first,
But Francisco and I called Jennifer a Faggot,
We ran after her saying it over and over again,
I don't even think we understood what that word meant,
But, we knew she did,
We knew it was hurtful,
We knew it was wrong.
But, we said just the same,
Hate works that way with children,
Hate works that way with adults,
But, hate did not worked that way with our mothers.

Our mothers took immediate action,
They called Jennifer over,
Invited to sit with them,
They shared a Cigaret together,
Laughed and talked awhile.

Francisco and I watched them sitting, talking and joking together.
We didn't understand why our mothers would be sitting with Jennifer,
Then, they called us over,
Said we like to introduce you our sister and Dear Friend Jennifer,
We love the way she does her hair, and were just complimenting her on her dress and heels,
Then, my mother said Little Jess, what did you say to my sister a few minutes ago,
Francisco's mother added, yes Francisco what were you boys saying to our sister,
We knew we were in trouble, 
Then they said you boys owe our dear friend an apology.

Ms. Jennifer, we are sorry for calling you names,
Jennifer looked at us, and said,
I am glad you two young men have these decent mothers, and are men enough to say apologized,
That word hurts me, and everyone like me,
I hope the next time I pass by you would say hello Ms. Jennifer.

From that night on it was alway hello Ms. Jennifer, how you doing, it's a beautiful night.

I don't know where hate begins in America, but I know where it ends,
It ends with mothers teaching the lessons that need teaching,
With sons, hearing the lessons worth learning.

I'm not perfect, I fight hate every day, it pops up its ugly head in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, houses of worship, and even in the White House.

Dear LGBT sisters and brothers, 
America is still learning,
You are beautiful,
There is nothing wrong with you, 
We are still learning, and
This son, brother, father, uncle, and teacher stands with our Transgender sisters and brothers right to be the beautiful human beings they are.
Some boys grow into better men,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner 
Moral Monday Connecticut Education Ambassador