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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Gail Kearns, Publicist |
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Urban Schools in America Are Broken—Can They Be Fixed? (Detroit, Michigan, September 30, 2009) – John Telford, teacher activist, superintendent, passionate civil rights champion, world class sprinter, street fighter and now author says it can be done, but we need to change NOW what is critically and fundamentally wrong. Telford makes it clear that the miseducation of America’s students will surely create a situation where regardless of who wins in Iraq, if Wall Street hits 12,000 again, or if health care is available to all who need it, how we deal with educating not only the best and the brightest but the weakest in our schools, will ultimately define the kind of America we live in 5, 10 and 15 years from now. President Obama echoed some of these same feelings in his address on September 7, 2009. Obama challenged America’s students, “What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school—you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.” So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve?” This is tough talk for tough times, but what makes the retired 74-year-old Telford different is that he comes from inner city Detroit, stayed there, taught there and still cares deeply about what happens to his students. Telford is not just angry at the state of schools today—that’s simple; he has got a plan to turn it around. This is his prescription and it is just the beginning:
Praise for A Life on the Run “A Life on the Run” is a triumphant tale of teaching, fighting, loving, racing, civil-righteous rebellion, and raw courage. Dr. John Telford lays it on the line in exciting activist/educator style—like the exciting activist/educator he is.” —Professor John A. Powell, Executive Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity ABOUT JOHN TELFORD John Telford has run on many tracks –not all of them always the right ones. He out ran Olympic champions, hosted radio shows, appeared on television, wrote over one thousand newspaper columns, coached and taught in ghetto schools and in colleges, led school districts and social welfare agencies and continues to fight for urban school reform and minority rights. Publication Information for Telford’s book: Title: A LIFE ON THE RUN: SEEKING AND SAFEGUARDING SOCIAL JUSTICE Author: Dr John Telford Harmonie Park Press Publication Date: January 2010 Price: $24.95 ISBN: 978-0-899901-49-7 Pages: 435 To schedule an interview, contact Gail Kearns, gail@topressandbeyond.com or 805-898-2263 Dr Telford can also be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfmGVZi5ca4 from documentary filmmaker Oren Goldenberg. |
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