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Saturday, June 13, 2015

10 for Eddie, and every other boy that testing killed their love of reading



21 miles down, and 30 more by Monday. Three Connecting The Dot Walking Man events in the next  three days. This campaign for Justice not just tests is rolling along. It sure feels good to meeting and listening to children, parents and teachers coming out to meet me. I am a man on a mission! A man on fire. I am one man walking in the name of love to DC for our children, their teachers and public schools. 

Today’s walk is dedicated to Eddie and all our boys who use to like reading. I first met Eddie when he was in second grade in 2011. Eddie’s mother reached out to me when Eddie had a fight with his best. His best friend noticed Eddie’s name on his school’s data wall in the parent/teacher resource room. Eddie was at the bottom of the list. His best friend tells Eddie you are the dumbest kid in the whole school. Next thing you know they are fighting.  His mother wanted to talk about the root cause of the fight, the data wall and the testing, but the school insisted they only discuss the fight. She wanted to discuss how Eddie a boy who loved reading, began to hate reading, because of all the testing. Eddie started coming to our Literacy Center 4 years ago, we turned around his reading attitude, but he still hates all the testing. I am worry about all the Eddie’s who are being tested 8 weeks of every school year. The price for many is reading has become something they hate. They may even do well on the test, but the testing has tainted their view of reading. If you like to know more about Eddie and his mother follow the above link to the blog I wrote about them on my 2010 walk to DC.
Today, I dedicate my 10-mile walk to Eddie, and every other boy like him who used to like reading,
Jesse

If you want to listen to what I am listening to this morning on my way from Willamantic to Bolton Connecticut...It's Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjEq-r2agqc

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