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Thursday, November 10, 2016

Waiting on the ghost of Tom Joad President Elect Trump


Dear President Elect Trump, just want to put you on notice that I am stepping up my activism. I planned on being a pit bull for equity and justice in our public schools and our communities. It's not personal, it's not political, it's a man on a bridge thing.
On the campaign
trail you said your support more charter schools, vouchers, and school choice. All three education reforms that have failed Black, Brown, and Poor children, their parents, teachers and local public schools. 
I will not afford you a honeymoon period. I am already standing on that bridge of hope. Already working with my brothers and sisters from SOS March, BATs, United Opt Out, Moral Mondays, Black Lives Matter, NAACP, and progressive union caucuses across the nation.
The plan is to be in the face of inequity and injustice not only in our schools, but in communities.
When you look left, we'll be there,

When you look right, we'll be there,
When you look up,we'll be there,
When you look down, we'll be there,
When you turn around, we'll be there,
We'll be everywhere living the words of John Steinbeck's Tom Joad

" I'll be ever'where - wherever you look.
Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there.
Wherever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there.
If Casy knowed, why, I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad
An' - I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready.
An' when our folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build, why, I'll be there.”
 

We'll be marching everywhere, everyday, and trust on this youll hear us coming, see us coming, and we will wear the wheels of hatred, injustice and inequity down.
We are the people at the bridge of justice,

Jesse The Walking Man Turner



If you are wondering what this man on a bridge is listening to on his morning walk its Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello "The Ghost of Tom Joad" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzRbeHyIomk

3 comments:

  1. In 2014 you were doing a lot of public forums against Common Core with Dr Sandra Stotski (spelling?) but in 2015 & 2016 I didn't hear of any public forums against it, have you given up that fight?

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  2. Still fighting it all Tillet. In some ways the battle against the CCSS in 2014 succeeded. We had no candidates talking about CCSS saving our schools. The fight for our children is bigger than just standards. At every step of the way Ed Reformers are implementing polices that hurt children under a series of alphabet soups. NCLB,RTTT, ESSA, CBE, and others.
    Still oppose the CCSS. Billions of dollars are being wasted on new standards and testing. This is something America has been doing since 1892 when the NEA was asked to ensure high school students were ready for college and to compete globally. NEA's Council of Ten came up with tougher standards and common high schools exams. Meanwhile public schools are being closed to make way for privately run charter schools who do not answer to local communities. High-stakes testing is dominating our schools from K-12.
    Nothing has changed in the fight to save our public schools. I have always fought for children, parents, teachers, and public schools. The struggle has meant challenging the education reform policies of presidents, governors, and policy makers in both parties.
    In short still fighting CCSS, and every other alphabet soup that turns our children and teachers in data,
    Jesse

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