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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Where is the humanity?


I am tire of Main Stream Media's love affair with education reformers and their mad quest for finding proof points for their high-stakes testing and more rigorous standards policies. I am not waiting for them to come around any longer. I am drawing my line in the sand regarding our public schools. My line is not complicated or complex, from now on any policies regarding our public schools must clearly point to the humanity in those reforms.
Does focusing on high stakes testing demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
Does forcing schools to compete against each other demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
How does a labeling a child Proficient, Above Proficiency, or Below Proficiency demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
How does policy that focuses on standards not children demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
How does giving some schools extra funding, extra resources, extra supports while closing down our poorest and most needy schools demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
How does requiring some teacher education candidates to meet higher standards from day one, while you fast track others, who are allowed to meet those standards two years later if they decide to stay in teaching demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
How does placing special needs children in front of computers to take non validated assessments demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
How does closing community schools in poor communities demonstrate humanity? 
It does not!
How does reducing the success of a child, a teacher, or a school to standardized test scores demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
How do smaller class sizes and greater access in our wealthiest schools to:
Specialized support services,
Art teachers,
Music teachers,
PE teachers,
School nurses,
Social workers,
School psychologist,
School libraries,
Extended day after school programs,
Daily recess breaks,
Time for play,
BUT not for our poorest schools demonstrate humanity?
It does not!
This is my line in the sand: If you can't show me the humanity in your policies then expect me to use every act of Civil Disobedience available to me oppose your policies.
Respectfully,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If people are wondering what I was listening to on my walk over the Avon mountain this morning? It's Dudley AKA Origin new track to document some of the struggles in public education in September 2015.  >  http://originalrap.bandcamp.com/track/september-2015 <
Bravo Mr. Dudley Albany Public School teacher AKA Origin

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