Dear Next President, do something

Novelist John Berger said: "The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied...but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing."
There was a winter when I was 11.
A time when my mother and I slept on this exact bench in the Erie Lackawanna. No one bothered us back then. Today there are signs hanging on every one of these benches that say only ticket holders can sit here. Saying there is a two hour limit.
A time when we rode the Path Trains not to go anywhere, but to stay warm.
A time when everything we owned was held in two old worn and battered suitcases.
A time when a feast was mayonnaise sandwiches.
A time when an angel was a teacher who gave me gloves, a hat, and socks.
A teacher who always brought two sandwiches for lunch, one for him, and one for me.
A time when an angel wore Blue and a badge saying sleep here Mam no one will bother you.
A time when two angels worked at the public library, and said please take this coat. Someone left it and never returned. It was never worn. Look the tags are still on it.
A time when those angels gave me books and cookies everyday, and called me by my name.
A time when a newlywed sister said Mom he needs to live with us for until you are back on your feet.
A time when prayer became my best friend.
A time when a nation went to war with poverty.
A time when things became better.
A time when darkness did not have live forever.

Dear Next President,
Poverty is not a crime, but a nation that does nothing about poverty is criminal.

Do something!

Build new bridges,
Build new tunnels,
Build new highways,
Build new hospitals,
Build new schools,
Build new parks.

End tax breaks for nothing,
Give tax breaks to companies expanding their work forces,
Give tax breaks to companies building factories and mills here.

Put tariffs on imports,
Put America back to work,
Raise the minimum wage to 15 today.

Make health care a right,
Make a pathway to citizenship,
Make the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes.

Do something besides putting signs on our benches, ticket holders only.

Wanted a nation that cares for:
It's poor,
It's young,
It's elderly,
It's veterans,
It's handicapped,
It's poor.

Wanted a President that did something more than talk.

If you want to listen to what the Walking Man is listening to today...Love Rescue Me by Playing for change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz6d60ysb-Y

I see hope in you

Hope does not divide us. Hope brings us together. Hope does not live in Congress, the Senate, the White House, or our Governor's mansions. Hope is not traded on Wall Street. Hope lives in the people. Hope grows with every handshake, every hug, and every helping hand. Every time I think hope is lost I turn to you. I find hope in the people.
The people who walk, get on the bus, the train, drive their cars to their jobs.
You know the jobs:
The jobs that keep our bridges, tunnels, and highways open,
The jobs that keep the trains running on time,
The jobs that save lives in our hospitals,
The jobs that put vegetables, fruits, and bread on our tables,
The jobs that keep our phone lines open,
The jobs that keeps the lights turned on,
The jobs that pack the trucks and deliver the goods to market,
The jobs that pure our coffee, pump the gas, and always say thank you,
The jobs that put the fires out,
The jobs that carry the sick and dying to our emergency rooms,
The jobs that pack the shelves with the goods we need to live our lives,
The jobs that clean our streets and highways,
The jobs that clean our clothes, our homes, and offices,
The jobs that fix our cars, our trucks, our buses, our trains, and washers and dyers,
The jobs that patch our roofs,
The jobs that build our homes,
The jobs that cook our meals,
The jobs that keep our streets safe,
The jobs that keep our schools running,
I see hope on the faces of the butcher, the baker, and the candle stick maker.
I see hope in you.

If you like to listen to the song that inspired my walk over the mountain today..its Dick Gaughan "The Workers' Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBMgauayxnU

Ask the children!

You don't need a Ph.D to understand that education that is highly focused on standardized testing kills the motivation to learn in children.
You don't need a Ph.D to understand that 49 states spending more money on their wealthy schools than their poor schools is wrong.
You Don't need a Ph.D to understand that rigor, grit and no excuses education reforms dehumanize children.
You don't need a Ph.D to understand market-based education reforms have not succeeded making schools more child friendly.
You don't need a Ph.D to understand that Charter School lotteries have more losers than winners.
You don't need a Ph.D to understand that our political leaders are in the pockets of ed reform lobbies.

All you need to do is ask our children.
All you need to do is ask their parents.
All you need to do is ask their teachers.
Ask the children,
Dr. Jesse Patrick Turner

If you like to know what this walking man is listening to...its Barry Lane singing More Than A Number https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Vf8cwTWRY

I'll keep on walking, talking and marching.

Above is a little slide show from The Peoples March for Public Education and Social Justice 

For nine months I feared the Save Our Schools Coalition would not be able to pull off a march and a conference in DC. It kept me awake many nights, it was always on my mind. But, my bigger fear was doing nothing as legislators and policy makers passed ESSA. 
Since my first walk to DC in 2010 to protest NCLB. I found an endless alphabet education reform soup, (RTTT, CCSS, ESSA, and CBE) of destructive education reforms demoralizing and dehumanizing public education. 
What I loved about this year's march is that it brought racial justice, economic justice and public education together. 
Three days after, my fear is that Americans so rooted in silence and apathy will not wake up in time to save our public schools. Will not wake up in time to make justice for all the standard of our nation.
So I guess I'll keep on walking, keep on talking, and keep on marching,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you like to hear the tune I listened to on my walk this morning...its Barry Lane singing Walking Man
https://barrylane.bandcamp.com/track/jesse-turner-the-walkin-man

I could have been anywhere today

Today I could hear James Weldon Johnson in my head
"Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won."

I could have been anywhere today,

"Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet"

James you warned the road would be stony,
James you warned the chastening rod would be bitter,
James you warned our feet would be weary,

I come 500 miles today James,
I stood under the 100 degree Washington DC Sun,
I marched under that hot sun,
I sang under that hot sun,
I dance in the afternoon rain.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, they're closing down our schools today,
But, they're putting for sale signs on our public schools today,
But, America's Senators and members of Congress are dinning with hedge fund managers today,
But, Governor and mayors are slashing schools budgets today,
Charter School pirates are buying our local schools today,
Secretary John Kings and his alphabet boys and girls at the United States Department of Education are cooking new soups NCLB, RTTT, ESSA, and CBE today,
But, they're pushing Grit to children today.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, they're pushing Rigor to children today,
But, they're pushing more testing to children today,
But, they're planning to end public education today,
But they're planning to Charterize it all today,
But, they're selling data scams to parents today,
But, they're turning children into data today.
I could have been anywhere today,
How could I be anywhere else today?

I could have been anywhere today,
But, James Weldon Johnson is in my head here today,
" Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won."
I could have been anywhere today, but how could I not be here,
Here with our nation's children,
Here with Our nation's parents,
Here with our nation's teachers,
Here with our our nation's education warriors,

I could have been anywhere today,
Ring every bell,
Shout it in every hamlet,
Call it out in every town,
Shout it on every street corner,
Tell on every mountain top,
How could you be anywhere else?

I could have been anywhere today,
But, this is where my people today ,
But, this is my people came to sing today,
But, this is my heroes spoke today.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, this is my people marched,
I could have been anywhere today.

"Lift every voice and sing,

Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won."

I could have been anywhere today, but I had a song to sing,
A song of struggle,
A song of hurt,
A song of hope,
A song of my people.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Rev Barber called,
Diane Ravicth called,

Gus Morales called,
Yohuru Williams called,
Brother Jitu called,
Barbara Madaloni called,
Bob George called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Jonathan Kozol called,
Denisha Jones called,
SOS Called,
United Opt Out called,
NPE called,Opt Out Florida Network,
Anthony Cody called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But Marla, Priscilla, and Melissa's BATs Called,
CELT Called,
NCUEA Called,
The Detroit Teachers called,
The Massachusetts Teachers called,
AFT Teachers called,
The NEA BAT Caucus Called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Bishop Selders called,
The Newark Students Union Called,
The Youth Dreamers called,
Sam Anderson Called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Jamaal Bowman called,
Michael Flannigan called,
Ceresta Smith Called,
Ruth Rodriquez called,
Ricardo Rosa called.

I would have been anywhere today,
But, the Chicago Teachers union called,
Asean Johnson called,
NYSAPE's Lisa Rudely called.
I could have been anywhere today,
But Jesse Hagopian called,
Dyett Hungers Strikers called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Barry Lane Called,
Jeremy Dudley called,
Michelle Gunderson called
Terry Moore called,
Becca Ritchie Called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Bess Altwerger called,
Rick Meyers called,
Tracy Drum Called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, our nation's children called,
Our nation's parents called,
Our nation's teachers called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Morna McDermott called.
Jo Lib Called,
Rose Reyes called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Lincoln Spirit called.
Dr. Martin Luther Kings called,
Pete Seeger called,
Hope called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, James Weldon Johnson called.

We could have been anywhere today,

We could haven ended Test And Punish today,
We could have ended their alphabet soups today,
We could have taken our public schools back today,
We should have had the whole nation here today,
Where were you?

Respectfully,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you are wondering what song is in this head of mine in the AM hours of July 9, 2016...it's Wintley Phipps singing James Weldon Johnson "Lift every voice and sing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feeUVUo5xBE

I could have been anywhere today

Today I could hear James Weldon Johnson in my head
"Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won."

I could have been anywhere today.

"Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet"

James, you warned me the road would be stony,
the chastening rod would be bitter,
our feet would be weary.

I came 500 miles today James.
I stood under the 100 degree Washington DC sun,
I marched under that hot sun,
I sang under that hot sun,
I dance in the afternoon rain...

I could have been anywhere today,
But, they're closing down our schools today,
But, they're putting For Sale signs on our public schools today,
But, America's Senators and Members of Congress are dinning with Hedge Fund Managers today,
But, Governor and Mayors are slashing schools budgets today,
Charter School Pirates are buying our local schools today,
Secretary John King and his Alphabet Boys and Girls at the United States Department of Education are cooking new soups NCLB, RTTT, ESSA, and CBE today,

I could have been anywhere today,
But, they're pushing Rigor to children today,
But, they're pushing Grit to children today
But, they're pushing more testing to children today,
But, they're planning to end public education today,
But they're planning to charterize it all today,
But, they're selling data scams to parents today,
But, they're turning children into data today.
I could have been anywhere today.
But how could I be anywhere else today?

I could have been anywhere today,
But, James Weldon Johnson is in my head here today,
"Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won."
I could have been anywhere today, but how could I not be here?
Here with our nation's children,
Here with our nation's parents,
Here with our nation's teachers,
Here with our our nation's education warriors,

I could have been anywhere today,
Ring Every Bell!
Shout it in Every Hamlet,
Call it out in Every Town,
Shout it on Every Street Corner,
Tell it On Every Mountain Top,
How could I be anywhere else?

I could have been anywhere today,
But this is where my people were today,
But this is where my people came to sing today,
But this is where my heroes spoke today.

"Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won."

I could have been anywhere today, but I had a song to sing,
A song of struggle,
A song of hurt,
A song of hope,
A song of my people.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Rev. Barber called,
Diane Ravicth called,
Gus Morales called,
Yohuru Williams called,
Brother Jitu called,
Barbara Madaloni called,
Bob George called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Jonathan Kozol called,
Denisha Jones called,
SOS Called,
United Opt Out called,
NPE called,
Anthony Cody called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But Marla, Priscilla, and Melissa's BATs Called,
CELT Called,
NCUEA Called,
The Detroit Teachers called,
The Massachusetts Teachers called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Bishop Selders called,
The Newark Students Union Called,
The Youth Dreamers called,
Sam Anderson Called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Jamaal Bowman called,
Michael Flanagan called,
Ceresta Smith Called,
Ruth Rodriquez called,
Ricardo Rosa called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, the Chicago Teachers Union called,
Asean Johnson called,
NYSAPE's Lisa Rudely called.
I could have been anywhere today,
But Jesse Hagopian called,
Dyett Hungers Strikers called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Barry Lane called,
Jeremy Dudley called,
Michelle Gunderson called,
Terry Moore called,
Becca Ritchie called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Bess Altwerger called,
Rick Meyers called,
Tracy Drum Called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, our nation's children called,
Our nation's parents called,
Our nation's teachers called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, Morna McDermott called.
Jo Lib Called,
Rose Reyes called,
Ela Chojnick ~ and her beautiful daughters called,


I could have been anywhere today,
But, Lincoln's Spirit called.
Dr. Martin Luther King's spirit called,
Pete Seeger called,
Hope called, America called.

I could have been anywhere today,
But, James Weldon Johnson called.

We could have been anywhere today,
We could haven ended Test And Punish today,
We could have ended their alphabet soups today,
We could have taken back our public schools today.
We should have had the whole nation here today!
Where were you today, when we had a chance to end it all?

Respectfully,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner

If you are wondering what song is in this head of mine in the AM hours of July 9, 2016...it's Wintley Phipps singing James Weldon Johnson "Lift every voice and sing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feeUVUo5xBE

What matters when injustice and inequity are the norm? That someone march!

Senator Robert F. Kennedy said: "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

Today I pack this "why not march" Walking Man's bag for the train to DC.
I am going to the Peoples March for Public Education and Social Justice.

Why, because truth matters!
Why, because equity for all matters!
Why, because justice matters!

What if no one shows up?
So what ~ I'm showing up!
What matters is, that I was born to be a man on a bridge over trouble waters...

What matters in a nation where 49 states spend more money on their wealthy schools than their poor schools?
That someone march!

What matters when 15 years of failed education reform test and punish becomes ESSA "let's do it all over again"
That someone march!

What matters when politicians put "For Sale" signs on our public schools?
That someone march!

What matters when Presidents, Senators, Members of Congress, Governors, Mayors, State and Local Legislators reduce Children and Teachers to data?
That someone march!

What matters when Black, Brown, and poor local public schools are abandoned to make way for Hedge Fund Charters Schools for Profit?
That Someone march!

What matters when grit, rigor, and no excuses education shames, demoralizes, and leaves millions of Black, Brown, and poor children behind?
That Someone march!

What matters when states chase dying children who are in hospice care, just so they can test them?
That someone march!

What matters when Special Needs Children are tested at levels they can't understand?
That someone march!

What matters to One Man Standing on a Bridge for Justice?
That HE marches!

What matters, is NOT How Many March, but what matters is That Someone Marches!
Jesse The Walking Man Turner.

If you like to know what this walking man is listening as he packs his bag for DC. It's an Indigenous rights classic, Little Things Big Things Grow song by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody is based on the story of the Gurindji Strike, a walk-off and strike by 200 Gurindji stockmen, house servants and their families in August 1966 at Wave Hill cattle station in Kalkarindji, Northern Territory. The strike took place mainly due to work and living conditions but ultimately became about the return of Gurindji peoples' land. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAONlfoNVuY

I am a Save Our Schools Zombie

I will stand with thousands of activists from around the nation at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC this Friday. The predicted temperature for the rally and march is 100 degrees. I will rally, march, and learn from activists who understand nothing changes until the public take to the streets in massive numbers. Public education is Civil Rights. Civil rights activists know that truth alone will not bring change. Truth not accompanied by people marching will not bring change. Truth has always been on the side of justice.  I am marching again. Marching with activists that understand our public school system is deeply rooted in inequity and injustice.
As a member of Moral Mondays I understand that justice requires truth on the march. I understand racism, injustice, and inequity have defined our public schools for well over a 100 years. I don't want to go back to pre-NCLB, I don't want to tweak the system, I don't want more band aids, I want an education revolution for justice and equity in our schools. I am marching to shut down inequity and injustice. I am marching for the public education all children deserve.

Black, Brown, Poor and Special Needs Children don't need
Choice without equity,

Rigor,
Grit,
Tougher standards,
New rigorous assessments,

Tough love curriculums,
No excuse teachers,
No excuse schools,
Alphabet education reforms, 

Privatizers,
CEOs,
Hedge Fund managers,
 
Children deserve

Equity,
Justice,
Empathy,
Humanity,
Play,

Wrap around services,
Music,
Art,
Sports,
Real libraries, with real librarians,
school nurses,
Professional teachers not two year resume builders.

Most of all children deserve public schools deeply rooted in a pedagogy of humanity and love. Supported by a nation that cares enough to support all it's schools.  A nation that lifts children, their teachers and public schools up. Not a nation that closes down their most needy schools. Not a nation that throws it neediest children, their teachers and their school into pits of only "the strong will survive" pits of school against school pits.
Children deserve a public school system that doesn't educate them on the cheap, that doesn't compromise equity, but fully supports "what they need" to learn.
 
I am marching, because every education reform of the past 15 years from LNCB, RTTT, high-stakes testing, School Choice, privatization, including ESSA have failed Black, Brown, Poor and Special Needs children. Over a trillion dollars of Federal Tax Payer Monies have been wasted on the most massive education reforms failure in the history of American Public Education. I am compelled to march again, because ESSA changes nothing.
I am marching because the wealthy, the powerful, and the connected have decided data does not matter, poverty does not matter, equity does not matter, and that our children, our teachers, and our public schools are their profits.
Something you should know. I was marching before NCLB.    

I have been called
A idealist,
A dreamer,
A Don Quixote,
And yesterday I was called a Save Our School Zombie.
Call may call me whatever you like.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

If marching with:
My NEA and AFT rank and file brothers and sisters from all over the nation,
My fellow Moral Monday leaders, Rev Barber and Bishop Selders,
Dyett Hunger Strikers,
Brother Jitu and Journey 4 Justice,
BATs,
SOSers,
UOO,
Karen Lewis and CTO,
Barbara Madeloni and MEA,   

Detroit teachers and parents,

Newark Students,
Philly Students,
Baltimore Students,
Parents and students from Chicago, and from every public school system under attack,
Makes me a Save Our School Zombie than I wear the name proudly.
I'll wear it like Dr. Martin Luther Kind wore the label of outside agitator. I wear it proudly just like my grandfather who in 1963 took his grandson to the Lincoln Memorial to stand with his those fellow outside agitators who dared to listen the aspirations of our nation's greatest dreamer Dr. Martin Luther King. I will wear whatever name people call me with dignity and honor.
 

My years of fighting for civil rights, equity and justice have taught me the only thing that truly matters for real change is.
Are you willing to march?
We Moral Monday people say TURN UP.
Are you willing to stand for something that pushes you to risk stepping outside your ivy towers, outside your safe places, and off your couches? Are you willing to TURN UP?

I am marching with a coalition of the just who demand a education revolution rooted in

•   Full, equitable funding for all public schools

•   Safe, racially just schools and communities

•   Community leadership in public school policies

•   Professional, diverse educators for all students

•   Child-centered, culturally appropriate curriculum for all

•   No high-stakes standardized testing.

The only question I have is how could you not march for these?
Jesse The Walking Man Turner 

If you like to listen to the tune this Proud Rank and File Union Walking Man is listening today it's Lenard Cohen's  "Solidarity Forever". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jsQEwW4DVw