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Backpack Full of Cash in Philadelphia: Tonight!

By dianeravitch
October 29, 2016 //
1

Dear BACKPACK Friends and Supporters,

Did you miss our BACKPACK FULL OF CASH premiere this past Saturday?

No need to fret–you still have ONE MORE CHANCE to join us at our
PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERE!

Plus, we have BIG KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN NEWS!

We hope your week has been as great as ours since we messaged you last week. We’ve certainly been busy! First, we launched our BACKPACK Kickstarter fundraising campaign last Wednesday, then we premiered our film to the world at the Philadelphia Film Festival on Saturday—and so far, thanks to all of you, the film has been well-received.

If you haven’t heard of BACKPACK FULL OF CASH yet, it’s a documentary about the real cost of privatizing America’s public schools (see here for more details). We were thrilled to have a nice turnout at the premiere, where many of the key Philadelphia leaders and educators featured in the film were able to watch the film on the big screen surrounded by friends, family, and the public. We had interesting discussion and excitement both during and after the Q&A and we’ve gotten some good press since our first screening.

AND after just one week, we’ve already raised over 25% OF OUR KICKSTARTER GOAL! That’s $7,946. How incredible is that? We couldn’t be happier with the results so far.

All that said, we’d like to request your help this week in two ways.

1. We would love to pack the house in Philly this coming Saturday, 10/29! Help us show the people of Philadelphia and the nation that education matters. If you know any local individuals or organizations passionate about education and the well-being of children in general, please consider coming and sharing news about our screening this Saturday, October 29, 4:10pm, at the Prince Theater. We’d be immensely grateful!

2. If you haven’t already done so, please take a few minutes of your day to check out our BACKPACK Kickstarter and if you’re inspired, please back our project and share with your friends, contacts—anyone you think might enjoy, be supportive of, or learn something from the film.

We really appreciate every contribution you’ve made so far. Whether it is monetary, word-of-mouth sharing, or forwarding our emails, you help raise awareness about this extremely important issue—the education of our children. We are incredibly proud of this project and especially excited to share it with you and the world!

Gratefully yours,

Sarah Mondale, Vera Aronow, and the rest of The BACKPACK Team

“One of the ways a society shows its love of children is by the institutions it builds around them.”
– Helen Gym, co-founder of Parents United for Public Education –

Categories Education Reform, Resistance

Good News! HB530 Dies in Legislature in Pennsylvania!

By dianeravitch
October 27, 2016 //
7

A few days ago, I posted warnings about the stealth effort to expand charter schools in Pennsylvania, embedded in a bill called HB530. Exposed to daylight and to the righteous wrath of parents and school boards, the bill failed.

Good work by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), teachers, and people who understand the importance of public schools managed to kill HB530, which was a sugarplum for the rapacious charter industry.

Here is a report from the PSBA:

Thanks to a tremendous effort made by current and retired school directors and many other public school advocates, charter school expansion legislation under House Bill 530 (Rep. Reese, R-Westmoreland) was stopped in its tracks. As the 2015-16 session winds to a close, the bill will die.

This accomplishment could not have been possible without your efforts. Over the past two weeks advocates responded to our call to action and generated more than 2,000 email messages, 300 calls and texts, and multiple Twitter and Facebook posts all in an effort to oppose the legislation. With multiple indications that the bill was geared up to be considered by the House of Representatives, PSBA was a leader in pointing out the serious flaws in the legislation.

House Bill 530 purported to be charter school “reform” that actually did little to provide real change in the way charter schools are operated, funded or held accountable. Instead, it enabled the expansion of charter schools with less accountability and oversight, and actually diluted existing powers of oversight by local school boards while costing them millions of dollars.

PSBA agrees that the need for genuine reform to the state’s outdated Charter School Law is long overdue. In fact, throughout this legislative session, PSBA was working with members in the Senate and House of Representatives in hopes of clarifying and addressing many of our concerns.

It’s been suggested that PSBA has made inaccurate and misleading claims about House Bill 530. PSBA would like to set the record straight. Make no mistake – school boards are very serious about charter school accountability. House Bill 530 does not strengthen accountability and does not contain significant, reasonable reform or relief from increasing charter school costs.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Pennsylvania, Privatization, Resistance

A Busy Day in the Life of a Fighter for Public Schools

By dianeravitch
October 27, 2016 //
9

You will enjoy reading about Leonie Haimson’s busy and productive day. Leonie is a fighter for smaller class size, better funding for schools, and student privacy. She is founder of Class Size Matters and Student Privacy Matters. She is tireless (and unpaid). She is the most frightening antagonist for education reformers because they can’t understand people who are motivated by principle, not profit.

She started the day at the Harvard Club, outside the doors, protesting with other activists against the billionaires and dark money behind Question 2 in Massachusetts. Inside, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker had come to talk to the conservative Manhattan Institute about his efforts to lift the charter cap, thus expanding privatization of public education.

That afternoon, she learned that she and other allies had come a judicial decision to open the meetings of School Leadership Teams to the public.

She wrote:

“The Appellate court heard arguments from both sides on January 21, 2016 — and took nearly a year to rule. But finally, in another slam-dunk, unanimous decision, they reaffirmed the lower Court ruling that SLT’s are public bodies in state governance law, and thus their meetings must be open to the public. Much thanks goes to Michael Thomas, Tish James and the attorneys from NY Lawyers for Public Interest and Advocates for Justice who represented the Public Advocate and Class Size Matters in court.”

Leonie is on many boards, including the Network for Public Education and New York State Allies for Public Education, which organized the successful statewide parent opt out. She is already a hero of this blog. She is the right person to take on the billionaires. They can’t buy her or beat her.

Go, Leonie, go!

Categories Accountability, Billionaires, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Education Reform, Network for Public Education, Parents, Privatization, Resistance

How Do You Reach the Public? Fly a Banner over the Big Football Game!

By dianeravitch
October 24, 2016 //
8

It is always hard to explain complicated issues to voters, especially when you don’t have much money.

Take Georgia, for example. Governor Nathan Deal wants to change the State Constitution to allow the state to take over low-scoring public schools and hand them over to charter operators. It hasn’t worked anywhere else, but no matter. The amendment is being sold as a way to help kids and improve schools, when it is a transfer of public schools to private management. It is privatization of public schools and squelching of democracy.

How do you reach voters?

Here is one way: Someone hired an airplane to fly over a University of Georgia football game flying a banner that said:

“No School Takeover. Vote NO on Amendment 1.”

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Georgia, Privatization, Resistance

Texas: Here Comes the Voucher Fight Again

By dianeravitch
October 23, 2016 //
10

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, former talk show host, really wants vouchers for the millions of students in Texas. Fortunately, he has been defeated year after year by a coalition of rural Tepublicans and urban Democrats.

The battle is on again this year. Patrick and his fellow ideological zealots are headed for a showdown on the issue. There is no evidence that vouchers “work,” and much evidence that they don’t. In a state like Texas, the voucher proposal is strongly opposed by a brave group called Pastors for Texas Children. (Make a donation if you can to help them.)

Supporters of vouchers insist that the schools that receive public funds should be exempt from state tests or any other accountability measures, which might limit their “freedom.”

“A bipartisan group of state representatives hammered private school choice proponents at a heated legislative hearing on Monday, signaling an enduring uphill battle in the Texas House for proposals that would use taxpayer dollars to help parents send their kids to private or parochial schools, or educate them at home.

“Rural Republicans and Democrats in the lower chamber have long blocked such programs — often referred to in sweeping terms as “private school vouchers,” although there are variations. Passing one has emerged as a top priority in the Texas Senate for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who unsuccessfully pushed a private school choice program when he was a Republican state senator from Houston and chairman of the Senate Education Committee.”

Of course, the proposal for vouchers is a pathetic excuse for failing to restore the $5 billion cut to the public schools in 2011.

Categories Accountability, Budget Cuts, Funding, Privatization, Resistance, School Choice, Separation of church and state, Texas, Vouchers

ON STRIKE! Faculty of Penn State University System Goes on Strike

By dianeravitch
October 19, 2016 //
14

Just in. A protest against a “Chancellor” who refuses to negotiate, who served as Jeb Bush’s lieutenant governor, who has no academic qualifications, and who was brought in to defund the state university system.


Dear Comrades,

I am emailing you all because as of 5 am this morning, the faculty of the entire Pennsylvania State University System went on strike. Our faculty union, APSCUF, represents more than 7,000 faculty at all 14 state universities, and this strike will affect more than 100,000 students. Picket lines begin at 7 am this morning, and we seek your support.

APSCUF faculty have been working without a contract for more than a year (477 days). APSCUF has been trying very hard to negotiate a fair contract, but the PASSHE System, led by Chancellor Frank Brogan, have repeatedly turned away from negotiations, and then, after nearly a year, they proposed 249 contractual changes, many of which undermine academic quality. The State System wants to cut the pay of our lowest paid professors; increase their powers to retrench any faculty member of any rank; and it has demanded tens of millions of dollars in givebacks from the faculty, especially in terms of health care coverage and costs, and reductions in professional development and sabbaticals.

The situation is complex, as would any contract affecting so many people. But there is a simple and familiar side to this story. Frank Brogan was appointed by our previous Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, a Republican who sought to defund and privatize public higher education as much as possible. Prior to his appointment as Chancellor, Brogan (who has never taught in higher education) served as Lieutenant Governor for Jeb Bush in Florida.

Our current Governor Tom Wolfe supports the faculty, and he has requested that the State System continue to negotiate, but the Chancellor has defied these requests.

Please visit the APSCUF web site where many more details are available, and you can sign a petition to tell the State System to settle a fair contract: http://www.apscuf.org. We also request that you email our Chancellor Frank Brogan at chancellor@passhe.edu to tell the State System to negotiate a fair contract and to care about the quality of education.

Thank your for your support.

Since I am unable to use my IUP email address by which I am registered on this list, I am grateful that my friend, Jeff Williams, is distributing this message. I can be reached on my gmail account.

In solidarity,

David Downing
English Department
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
dbdowning88@gmail.com

Categories Higher Education, Pennsylvania, Resistance

Michael Hynes Asks for Support of His Fellow Superintendents to Resist “Reform”

By dianeravitch
October 14, 2016 //
8

Dr. Michael Haynes, the bold and fearless leader of the Patchigue-Medford school district on Long Island in New York State, has called on his fellow superintendents to join him in fighting misguided and harmful “reforms.’

New York School Superintendents: What Side Are You On?

Michael Hynes

Patchogue-Medford School District

“The school reform debate is reaching a super crescendo. The latest wake-up call from the U.S. Department of Education highlights the fact that we are running out of time to the stop the imprudent attempts of reformers to make the case that public schools need to be fixed by them. By them… I mean both educators and businessmen and women who believe they know the answer(s).

“U.S. Secretary of Education’s John King’s latest unchildfriendly (that’s a new word) doubling down on the importance of standardized tests tells me he is unfit for this office. Secretary King is not only bad for students, he is terrible for teachers and principals as well. The man has zero business leading the nation’s public schools. To think the U.S. Department of Education will now look to hold teacher preparation programs (TPPs) accountable for how their teacher graduates perform as teachers merely based on their students’ success on standardized tests… it begs the question, when will the insanity end?

“There is no better time to finally draw a line in the sand and come together as the educational leaders of our school communities and say enough is enough. We are done with the scare tactics. We are done with the threats and we are done with the reformers holding our children and educators hostage.

“Make no mistake: this will trickle down to all 50 State Education Departments and impact our newest and brightest teachers. Sadly, it reinforces the reformers’ notion that standardized test scores are what’s most important because children and adults are merely widgets and numbers. The real numbers reformers care about is the $621 billion (with a b!) per year endeavor they stand to make.

“I challenge our school superintendents to publicly denounce this latest atrocity to our school system by Secretary King. We must stand together and declare enough is enough. Now is time to choose sides.

“Are you on the side of reformers who at every turn want to increase charter schools (at the public schools expense) and myopically over emphasize tests scores and weaken unions? Or are you on the side of public school advocates who fight for equity and opportunities for all students?

“New York Superintendents, let us collectively create a thunderclap response. The Council of School Superintendents should finally do something provocative and proactive by making a public service announcement asking King to step down. Tell our NY U.S. Senators we have a vote of no confidence for John King. That would be a first.

“Let me make this crystal clear to all school reformers out there…socio-economic status is the most relevant determinant of student success in school. The problem is you already know that.”

Categories Administrators, superintendents, New York, Resistance

Nevada: Why Angie Sullivan Gave Me a Pair of Large Men’s Socks

By dianeravitch
October 2, 2016 //
2

I decided to take a trip out west to visit the national parks. I planned to start the tour of the parks in Las Vegas, so contacted the teacher-activist Angie Sullivan to meet. Angie is a dynamo who keeps close watch on the governor, the legislature, and the Clark County school board, doing her best to advocate for the needs of the children she teaches, most of whom are poor. If every district and state had an Angie Sullivan, we could win more battles. We were supposed to meet on Monday, the 26, the day I arrived. But I was laid low by a sudden onset of very bad flu, so we postponed our meeting to my last day, Wednesday September 28. Angie was late, my friends went to dinner without me, but I was determined to meet this force of nature, face to face. She sent text messages every few minutes, and arrived when I had to go. We had time for a hug, a photo, and my advice to her: Never stop making trouble on behalf of the kids. All too fast.

Angie the wrote this post to her vast email list of legislators, school board members, journalists, and education officials:

I briefly met with Diane Ravitch tonight.

Yes she is my hero.

And yes, in spite of all my plans – I was two hours late. And yes, she waited anyhow. So I owe her friends who she was delaying eating dinner with some special love or toys or something.

And I cannot apologize enough.

Says a lot about her . . . and a lot about me!

So . . .

I wanted to tell everyone the story about the socks.

I put together a – Diane-Ravitch-is-my-hero – gift bag with books from Nevada because “Home Means Nevada.”

And I threw in the socks.

________________

The Sock Story

The millionaires and billionaires threw an event at the Smith Center this last year to celebrate teachers.

It was supposed to be similar to the Kennedy Center which does something similar.

The first step to being honored was to be nominated by someone. And the second step was to have the nominee submit a self description of how wonderful they themselves truly were and to toot their own horn. Really weird.

In the business community, it is most likely an asset to give lists of personal accomplishments and announce your personal curriculum vitae. Teachers just don’t. Real educators aren’t in this for the money, title, or laud. Foreign.

But . . .

We wanted to dress up and hear good music. So we sat around the computers at my school and wrote for each other as if we were speaking about ourselves.

We got an invitation to attend. Yay!

It was fancy. We dressed up.

We knew it was rigged by reformers and none of the real educators would be on the stage but it was night out. None of us would be chosen for the cash reward but it did not stop us.

Friends were great.

Music was awesome.

And they gave a lot of awards to reformers and TFA.

We clapped because no one likes a bad sport.

And we got a swag bag.

Some swag was awesome. Tickets to shows on the strip were once in a lifetime.

Some swag was interesting.

Included in the swag bag – was an unusually large pair of men’s socks.

I know I should be grateful and just say thank you. The gift was free. I had a good time with co-workers. I have pictures.

But part of me is tired.

The millionaire and billionaire party throwers gave 500 teachers who are primarily women who teach kids to read – a large pair of men’s socks.

Next to the socks, we also got a coupon for a percentage off a $1000 suit and a percentage off a $1000 watch.

Frankly, we laughed. I have not spent $1000 on clothes in the last ten years. If it isn’t on the $10 sale rack or at the Goodwill – I can live without it.

Mixed swag – tickets and socks.

So ends my tale of the socks.

__________________

Moral of the Story: My education career is full of people “giving me a large pair of men’s socks.”

Everyone has an “idea” about what will improve education.

No one studies the research.

Part of me says: just be grateful.

Part of me says: my kids deserve better.

I need a box of paper and books – not a pair of socks or a $1000 suit. I also need to be a professional and authentically teach kids. I would really love some research based best practice to be at the core of legislated decisions – rather than ideas from lobbyists and reformers who line their pockets by implementation “great ideas” and experimenting on brown children.

That ends up wasting a lot of money and not really helping kids.

I gave those socks to Diane Ravitch. She knows teachers do not need a large pair of men socks.

We have been polite for too long while enduring some strange misconceptions and misunderstandings about public education.

We need to speak up and tell people what we really need to make gains with students.

Teachers need to speak up. And that is what Diane told me – I’m passing that on.

Follow her blog.

https://dianeravitch.net/

And buy her books.

Nevada is in them.

Angie

Categories Accountability, Education Reform, Nevada, Resistance

Mass Demonstration at Presidential Debate on September 26 in New York

By dianeravitch
September 23, 2016 //
26

The Journey for Justice is working with other civil rights groups to bring thousands of people to demonstrate at Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, where the first Presidential debate will take place on September 26. Details are below.

NEWS RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Jitu Brown
For Immediate Release 773-317-6343
September 15, 2016 http://www.j4jalliance.com

​Thousands expected to demonstrate @ Sept. 26th presidential debate in protest of public education cuts in African American and Latino communities across the nation
“It matters to me who becomes the next U.S. Education Secretary…”

CHICAGO – A national coalition of parents, students, teachers and activists have vowed to travel to Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Monday, September 26th, and join with thousands of other people who will protest the first presidential debate due to cuts in public education and the impact on students of color. Activists, led by the Journey for Justice Alliance, have demanded Democratic nominee Sec. Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump release their respective K-thru-12 education platforms and meet with school leaders prior squaring off.

A coalition led by the Journey for Justice Alliance (J4JA) with more than 40,000 members from 24 cities across the US is galvanizing. Organizers say they will release a seven-point platform that tackles school privatization, the school-to-prison pipeline, standardized testing and a myriad of other failed education interventions that have led to massive school closings, charter proliferation and other schemes that have not improved education outcomes in urban communities.

“Our voices have been locked out of any discussion about public education during the race to the White House,” said Jitu Brown, national director J4JA. “Both Clinton and Trump have closed their ears to those of us who have protested, boycotted, waged hunger and teacher strikes demanding an end to corporate education interventions that have devastated students and schools.”

“Clinton, Trump and (Green Party candidate) Jill Stein have all been eerily silent on the impact of these bad policies and school-based cuts that have harmed African American and Latino students the most—yet they continue to campaign in our neighborhoods in search of our support,” said Brown. The award-winning activist gained national attention as the organizer and participant in a 34-day hunger strike to save Dyett High School in Chicago which forced Mayor Rahm Emanuel to abandon his plans to destroy the school.

Added Natasha Capers, public school parent from the New York City Coalition for Education Justice, “We intend to gather that morning in a national forum on what’s been happening to us in our respective communities,” she said. “There is massive charter proliferation in New York despite the fact that research shows charters do not improve education outcomes. It matters to me who becomes the next U.S. Education Secretary.”

The Alliance will release a national public education platform in a forum called “Public Education Nation” co-sponsored by the Network for Public Education Action, which calls for a moratorium on school privatization; federal funding for 10,000 sustainable community schools; an end to zero tolerance policies; national equity in assessments; an end to the attack Black educators who are being terminated from urban school districts in record numbers; an end of state takeovers of trouble school districts where there is only mayoral control and appointed school boards; and, an elimination of the over reliance on standardized tests in public schools.

Parents and teachers have repeatedly lobbied law makers in their opposition to the destruction of community schools at the expense of publicly-funded, privately operated charter schools and over testing.

​“Where do the candidates stand on standardized testing and how those scores are tied to teacher evaluation,” said Nikkisha Napoleon, a public school parent in New Orleans. “Children in New Orleans have been devastated by racist education experimentation—and we’ve also seen a loss of African-American teachers in our city. Why is this happening in places like Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit? I’m angry that people who live in our neighborhoods, have a history with our children and understand our culture are being driving out of our schools. Where do the candidates stand on the loss of veteran Black and Latino teachers?”

Added, Hiram Rivera, a public school parent and director of the Philadelphia Student Union. “This is a movement for justice and equity in this country. Black and Brown people are united in fighting to make our schools matter, our lives matter and to have our voices heard. We are tired of handshakes and photo ops. We are tired of school closings, privatization schemes and the disinvestment in our neighborhoods. Clinton and Trump need to be held accountable—before they take the oath of office. I’m going to Hempstead because we have to make our voices heard.”

###

The Journey for Justice Alliance (J4J) (www.j4jalliance.org) is a national network of inter-generational, grassroots community organizations led primarily by Black and Brown people in 24 U.S. cities. With more than 40,000 active members, we assert that the lack of equity is one of the major failures of the American education system. Current U.S. education policies have led to states’ policies that lead to school privatization through school closings and charter school expansion which has energized school segregation, the school-to-prison pipeline; and has subjected children to mediocre education interventions that over the past 15 years have not resulted in sustained, improved education outcomes in urban communities.

Categories Accountability, Budget Cuts, Civil Rights, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Funding, New York, Privatization, Resistance, Testing

Jesse Turner: Who Decides? Who is a Sell-Out? Who is Pure?

By dianeravitch
September 21, 2016 //
14

http://childrenaremorethantestscores.blogspot.com/2016/09/who-decides.html?m=1

Jesse Turner is known as “the walking man.” He walked from Connecticut to D.C. inn 2010 to protest the overuse of mandated testing and its negative effects on children. He did it again in 2015.

His blog is called “children are more than test scores.”

This is his latest. It is called “Who Decides?”

It begins like this. Please open the link and see where he goes with it.

I hear some educational activists want to be the deciders?
Who is authentic?
Who is a sell out?
Who is weak?
Who is pure?
Who is a real activist?

Who decides?
Who decides if you are an education activist?
Who decides if you can join the rallies against NCLB, RTTT, or ESSA?
Who decides if you can make your own sign for the cause?
Who decides if you can march?

Who decides?
I know something about activists.
I have been an activist since I was eight years old.
My first march was August 28, 1963.
I was the tag along company for my grandfather who decided he needed to be part of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
At eight years old I had no idea I was an activist, but activist I became.
The only thing about the March on Washington I really knew was,
No one from the union hall would go with him.
No one from our church would go with him.
No one from his VFW would go with him.
I knew my grandmother was afraid to go.
My mother was afraid to go.
I knew they both loved Dr. King.
But, they read the newspapers,
They watched the news, and everywhere Black people marched back in 60’s they were met with hatred and brutality.
My mother loved justice, but she was afraid.
For weeks my grandfather asked friends and everyone he knew to go to DC,
He said I’ll drive,
I’ll pay for the gas,
I’ll buy lunch,
But no one would go.
My grandmother and mother prayed no one would go.
Why, because they loved him, and were afraid something would happen, and he would be hurt.
Finally he stopped asking people.
My grandmother hoped he would decide not to go.
He was going?
He fought in World War I, lived through the great depression, believed every American deserved a good job, and everyone had the right to vote.
My grandmother and mother prayed he would change his mind.
God did not answer their prayers.
They were afraid for their stubborn old man with a love for justice.
God did answer his marching prayers.
On the day before the march he washed his car, changed the oil, checked the tires, and filled up the gas tank. Laid out his best Sunday suit. Asked my grandmother if she could pack some sandwiches and his thermos. He said please in his best please voice.
There was an argument, my grandmother tried to get him to change his mind. He would not.
She called my mother crying. My mother went over. She took me with her.
They came to accept he was going to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
They were afraid, but proud of their stubborn old man.
They made sandwiches, brought an extra thermos one for the drive down, and one for the drive back. In 1963 he was 68. They calculated the drive time down would take 4 to 5 hours and another 4 to 5 hours on the way back, and figured the march would last at least 6-8 hours.
He would need to leave at 4:30 AM. They figured he would get there around 9:00, stay until 4 or 5, and drive home. They determined he needed coffee for ride down and back. None of this change the fact that they were afraid for him. People today have no idea how brave those 250,000 marchers were in 63.
My mother had brought a bag with pajamas and my only suit to my grandmother’s house. She had decided if the old man is going to Washington he needs company for the ride. She told my grandmother it’s a long ride, he’ll be lonely, and he could get tired. He needs someone to keep him awake.
Little Jess is the perfect person for that. He can’t stop talking. Plus if we send him with the boy he’ll be extra careful not to get into any trouble. If trouble starts he’ll take the boy and run.
So I began marching in 63 at the age of 8.
No one asked my grandfather are you for freedom?
No one asked are you for jobs?
No one asked my grandfather why is a White man marching with Black people?
Why did you bring a little boy?

Who decides?

All of us do what we can. I write. Jesse walks. I couldn’t do what he does. I say it is time for him to join the honor roll of this blog for his persistence, his goodness, his love for children, and his physical stamina.

Categories Accountability, Childhood, Honor Roll, Opt Out, Resistance, Standardized Testing
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