think about that, because that is the task that lies ahead as we move forward. >> thank you very much. [applause] our next questioner, please. >> good evening. >> good evening. >> i'm a product of newark public schools, probably one of the first pre-k students in the head scatter -- head start program. i didn't have a full day of school until first grade, because we had half days. but to say all that, i've a parent, i've been in private schools, public schools, magnet schools, parochial schools in newark, so i've seen a lot. but my question is, three graduates from charter schools, my question is, i think mr. ryan? you mentioned that you're a parent now. and it was enlightening to me as i had found on my own terms of being in the process is that it took for you to be a parent to see the process of the parent.

because we have been locked out. but my question is with teach for america, to me it's kind of a peace corps kind of a project because we get all these 22-year-olds that really don't get it, and our kids are under -- [applause] to where it doesn't even matter anymore because they didn't -- [inaudible] or they were slouching. and a lot of teachers who are seasoned and -- [inaudible] yes. you mentioned the services that aren't there. the social workers and the tutors and the seasoned teachers that understand the children and where they're coming from. so my question is to you is teach for america, how can that change so that they are benefiting the children and the children just don't feel hopeless and be helpless -- and

helpless? and they are a big part -- they have no choice because they're shut down. >> all right, thank you. ryan, why don't you give a shout out on that one. >> when i was a 21-year-old teach for america teacher in new york, i definitely did not have a clue, so you're right about that. [laughter] and it's probably debatable whether i have one now. [laughter] that said, there are -- and i know teach for america has that reputation. i think they're getting better at keeping people in the corps and in teaching, i should say, longer. i also think that we have a lot of great teachers who are from teach for america who have lasted, you know, many, many years in this -- [applause] in this work. [laughter] and we have, and we have teachers, great teachers who did not go through that program. i don't think it's beneficial to sort of cast teach for america in one light or the other. i think what we need is great educators who are committed to

our kids and are committed to staying here and typing the hard work -- and doing the hard work for a long time because this is not a two-year project, it's not a five-year project. [applause] >> yes, sir. be -- your question. >> good evening. okay. my name is charles love, i'm a north resident, lifelong north resident. actually, i was ms. bennett -- she was my principal when i was in high school. [laughter] so i remember walking into ms. bennett's office, 1994, and she said, mr. love, i have a -- [inaudible] for you. i said, what happened? and she said you're not doing too well, and she transferred me to central high school. people didn't realize i was living in my grandmother's one-bedroom apartment. my mother was in and out of situations, drugs and alcohol. my father was in and out of situations. i was living with three

brothers -- well, two brothers. and my grandmother's born 910. 1910 in alabama with a third grade education. and she taught me that life was about working hard and going to school, but there were some things. i had kids driving bmws in high school, 1994. there was drug, crack epidemic ran rampant through the city. ran rampant. i lost friends, families. i lost so many people, one year i counted on facebook, i had lost 200 of my closest friend in a five block radius. central ward -- >> what's your question, young man? >> i taught in the public school system for 15 years, and now i'm a parent. i don't see charter, i don't see public. i see newark students. where is the collaboration tool? when are we going to come together and put kids first? playing political games as kids are are dying every day, suffering. >> thank you.

>> and from my experience, i want to know what's going to happen after this, you know? everybody's in the room and, yeah, but what's next? >> thank you, sir. >> we have to collaborate. >> okay. let's answer your question. >> collaborate. [applause] and take one further. who's going to take the first step? because we already know that there's a whole, you know, the whole board is lined up, right? but what's going to happen when these kids come out -- like, these kids, they don't just need teachers. listen, ryan hill? i salute that dude. coming into newark and doing what he's doing? at least he's doing something. [applause] >> all right. let's answer your question. that's fine, let's try and answer your question. >> god bless you. >> okay? all right. who wants to try? >> well, i saw dr. jackson, who is at george washington carver, sitting over there next to joanna belcher who shared, who

was the principal of spark and who -- and they shared a building together and had one of the best, most collaborative relationships i've ever seen educators have. and i think that, and i think that's a model. i don't think it's the only model, but i do think that steps have been taken. and i think that whether it's when you talk about community schools, for instance, a lot of the tenets of community schools, empowering educators, getting them resources and connecting the schools to the families in meaningful ways, those are things that a lot of charter schools do too, and that's a natural place where we can learn from each other as those start up. and so, so i don't know what the very next step is, but i think those are some ways we can do it. >> anyone else want to comment? >> i think, again, i go back to my fist reflection is -- first

reflection is what can we learn from this opportunity of having the last four years captured in the book. so, one, i would encourage everyone and those of us who have not yet read the book to read it, to reflect. and then also, how do we come together and at least have a starting point, develop a shared vision of what we want the city's education system to look like. i think if -- we haven't even as a community done that. and i think as we do that work, then we can backwards map on what are the right strategies that we need as a community, need to take in order to reach that goal. and that's something that we're committed to continuing to do and really looking for solutions to build the infrastructure to allow that to happen. >> thank you, shanae. i want to thank dale --

[applause] i want to thank dale russakoff for a very accessible treatise on what has been going on in the public education sector in newark over the last several years. her book is a very interesting read, and i think the opportunity to meet her here and to hear her talk about her book was also very, very important. ..

>> dale will be signing in the gallery, so if you will line up the right-hand side you will be in line for the book signing. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> you are watching the tv, television for serious readers. watch any program you see here online at the tv.org.

he's got stuff over his mouth and he just had to me a pile. i said that's it. he's mumbling something. get on the radio. now i'm the incident commander of that fire. that's what we do. we are there to know. we do a lot of different things. if we need to feed you, give you water, we have that as well.

>> does the military have smokejumpers? >> do you want to get that? right here. >> does the military have smokejumpers speak what they don't. they have airborne units and will not interrupt train jumping. today still to this day we train some of the folks. i got an e-mail a few weeks ago, there's always politics in government and i'll probably get in trouble and i'm going to invite you guys over. i called my buddy and i said hey, i'm not military us adore these guys? those guys are cool. i know some of those guys. we crosstrained within. he read my book and use are interested. we do train some of those guys and they crosstrained and we have hero rescued after base. those guys are interesting folks. but we are the ones. any other questions, folks?

how are we doing part time? >> following the protocol. >> well done. >> you see on tv the guys fighting a big fire, cutting firebreaks with bulldozers and setting backfires with the torches and all this kind of stuff. in the backcountry you guys are not using that equipment i don't think. how do you put out a fire that is an acre in size speak with another quick question. it just depends on where were at the it will download and a bulldozers and fire engines and count the rule, that's a great day because we have help. we need help as well. wind we are out of ourselves we are taking food away from the fire. that is our main objective. that's cutting fire lines down to slow. most of the folks at our base, our tool of choice, murphy's law

is sometimes undergo to take this often cut myself in front of everyone. this is your acts in here and this is your grubbing. this is what we just to cut down the mineral soil. and we can cut small saplings and even decent size, not to large trees the likud. this becomes a tool of trade. when you're in the fire specialty and rookie training you will learn to use left hand, right hand. this is your tool. it's by my side when i sleep at night. going down hills sometimes we slide down employees this to slow us down. if you fall it's a walking stick. sasquatch protection. guys are very good at throwing this. it's amazing. this is our tool. it was designed around 1911.

>> how to jump without? >> go grab her and then -- >> my question is what inspired you to write your book at how long did it take? >> quick story. long story short. i'm very lucky to meet a bunch and amazing people are either business, amazing people. i'm just in awe. i get a call one day and i go home and asked my assistant, keynote harper something, publishing? i don't read much. she looks at me and says jason, who called you? harper something, she said harpercollins? yeah, that's it. she said give me your phone. she says -- i said what come is at that? she said you know this is?

no. one of the biggest publishing companies and they don't cold call people. so i remember i was on duty at the time. so i remember i text one of my very good friends. he's an advisor, an investor, just an amazing man, professional business. and i called them come you guys remember rodney dangerfield? just that kind of demeanor. i can see him. he said jason, someone is messing with you. someone is messing with you. they don't cold call you. give me that information. he hangs up. i give them the information and later on that day i had a phone call or something, he says call them back immediately. i called and we talked a little bit. i kind of knew who he was at the time. i was honored, you know. and i said, at first i said no.

i don't want to do this book and have it turn into something, i was scared. i don't write. scared, i'm nervous, all these things hit you at once. you put yourself out there, awful, harpercollins, i've got to talk about myself. so that went on for a few months and i finally said, i felt comfortable with, i make a harpercollins has been great but i can't see anything from a publicist, kb, to peter, such an amazing and amazing support. and let me do my book. that is my book. my co-author helped with that. tremendous love-hate relationship at times. again, pulling hair out. imagine getting 20 something years. my bag a definition to his bad the definition are two different things. so you can imagine the hard work

everyone to make it happen. [inaudible] >> and that was part of, peter, remember he called me one day talk about the answer. johnny cash, black, i like the artwork. i want elegant. i want -- surprise me. and he did. it's just amazing i tell people if you don't like the book, it's reflective. i said you can hold it up and it makes a great target. if you don't like my book you can take it out and shoot and send it back and i will refund you. know, i will refund you. it's been such a pleasure spilled how long did it take? >> just under two years. you can imagine, psycho to duty, eight hours in my smokejumper job and then i come home and then i start my prg job covenant between the. i'm writing.

there was a lot of, there was a standard about 3 a.m. i want to be in bed by 3 a.m. almost every day. and i'm not lying to you. i look at my clock, it's 2:00, take a shower, a little hungry, i've got to get up at six or seven, get to work. so there were days literally, smokejumper tourney, you can sleep standing up take a break, a cat nap. they were days i was really starting to get overworked. there were days i was falling asleep -- i drive an expedition vehicle, overland vehicle. it's a fully self-contained vehicle that pretty much handle a lot of things if you're left alone. solar power, all this cool stuff. it would take me from my natural washington to the base which is not that far.

i would take a nap. i'm totally exhausted. so yes, hard work between my co-author and me, and everyone involved. steel, just the next chapter but on that up until three in the morning. satellite. >> the movie, i've been in contact with some folks at hollywood, just amazing folks. they contacted me just after the book deal and just a pleasure to meet some of these folks. i'm not going to see some of these actors. i've been very lucky to meet and they are just people. it's funny because i remember a guy but too much ago he sat with me and he's looking in my van and he says jason, do you know that is? he wants one of your books. he tells me. all, nice to meet you. i don't watch that many movies and -- yet, be interesting to meet these folks and be very humble and they take her under their wing.

i think day, i don't know, it's just, if osha mind when you text someone. e. standing right next to you? yeah. i don't, i'm not, you know, just normal i guess, in a weird way. >> speaking of sleep. how do you sleep while you're fighting that fire? >> i have a tree hammock. so i hate sleeping on the ground. with i started in 89 we were not allowed, we didn't have, what were the rules? no tense. you issued a sleeping bag. nomad, which is fine. i like hard-core stuff. and your ipod, an old military can't. if you could build it you can sleep on it but they were broken. they always say it would build character, edited. there's a character in the book,

i love them to death and he would always say, you know, mcdonald's is hiring. we can take you down there. i'll call your dad. he was friends with my dad. i will call your dad and we will take again until help future job at mcdonald's. i don't sleeping -- flexibility ground. in about two and half minutes i can have it directed at him on the bed. if there's a small cliff, i am in bed. uk the guy behind you with the pulaski trying to make -- tournament huge -- trying to make a hooch site. creepy crawlers, scorpions. so i sleep in a tree hammock. for a few hours but it depends. we have a work restoration.

we have to get, you can work six, 16 hours, we are supposed to eight hours. if there's homes burning or property we will make at that time the next burn period. those are some of the rules they never had back then and they cut a big your stomach turn. i've got to do what? >> is a tree hammock the right place to be sleeping in the middle of a forest fire? >> good question. at that point the fire is not near me. we are in a safety area where we are sleeping. [inaudible] >> are you could? -- are you good? a breathing apparatus like you guys seen tv, self-contained

breathing apparatus, we don't wear those. but when firefighting arena so we move away out of that small. you can imagine we have a tank system. they only last about 20 minutes, depends on how hard you breeze. in training your the bell ringing, hello? phone. e. always know the rookie because he's out and about 10 minutes. so the good guys get almost 30 minutes. what do you guys get today on your tank? twentysomething? into training trailer you can hear the guy breathing. you would have guys that actually slow down there briefing so they can get the longest tank ride and get the mission accomplished. it's pretty amazing and that's our thing to do a treasure in all that gear and sometimes it just doesn't work. there are devices out there that kind of help called the big

chunks, but you can imagine the heat exhaustion of working and arduous triple digit having some cover your face now. i test them and use around 10, 15 minutes they are flying in the air. one did save my but one night but just the weight and the bulk dozen workforce. so we're going to get most out of the that's no, but sometimes we are sucking spoke for hours but we don't always have that choice. you can always tell, these guys haven't coughed yet. sound like. >> can you comment on the fires in washington and california where they are this year relative to other years? and where will we be in the next 10, 20 years? is it getting worse? >> hard question.

there's a lot of politics in that. we know there's stuff happening in the climate. there's something happening. i'm not going to get in an argument and say there's no greenhouse effect, this nothing happening. there's something happening. we are seeing glaciers, mother nature doesn't tell us. there's a lot of scientists out there, just watched an interesting, last week they went right to the giant sequoia's, some of the oldest ladies on this planet and they're getting stressed. that means something. something is happening. i don't have an answer for that. we are seeing, the problems i'm seeing in some of these states is i wouldn't say california for some states there's a lack of response and using the right tool for the mission. about the politics, whose land is at? article innocent people in or are they going to get hurt? i don't want to hear any of that

stuff. people are, it's imminent, i'm so, there's going to be fallen folks. that's a tough barbara did we do something about what we don't do something about it. the practice that fire is going to get bigger. we've seen it happen in some of the states. i was there. we get on these folks commitment how can you say that? because i was there. i've seen that fire when it was manageable. now it's not. we actually hiked out one of those fires which is called tasha i could talk about it but probably get someone made. we went out there and put it out. direct action and no one knew we were there. but the banking outcome of an let that sink in a bigger. we hiked out there, put out and got back to base. they said that fire came over the radio, it was inaccessible. but to a jumper, if you know

what that definition is as a smokejumper. so when i set the base, come to the office. i would come in and hear the fire is inaccessible. what do you think? is this a joke? at this point there were some homes burning, some serious stuff going on. are you messing with me? and then they heard on the radio, you take a second, you do this and no. do you want to go? hell, yeah. so we went out, grabbed the cure, loaded up. i remember getting there on station and it was another crew from another state and they turn down. that's fine. those guys turn it down. they felt unsafe and that's fine. that's fine. i was a little upset. all right. i was taking a very and look at it. he said are you guys smokejumper's?

yes are you guys going to put it out? yes. we walked away. he stared at us as well as. we got there like i said good time. we were a little off and it is k us about to post ours in some of the worst walking -- i've had some bad walks and a jump our guys with i've never seen them on the ground. he got hit in the ribs by something as he fell and he thought, you know, this is kind of cool. i've never seen on the ground. you must be in pain. what's going on? so this is like 11, 12:00 at night. so we navigate them get out and the fire was done. we know for a fact that we are not, some these folks are not using as to the fullest potential and that's all the fire service. i think are some upper management stuff that just needs to be fixed. not rocket science at all.

dispatch center should have a command center captain in there. it's a high response meaning low relative humidity so you take a piece of bread out and its toes within it few seconds. that is a higher -- high fire that day. we've got to go check it out. we will see, politicians office and see what they want to do about it. california's profession got those guys are very good at that. they have low, medium, high response but if you're out there burning your ribs on the barbecue, guess what come picture-in-picture front door and about five minutes. you have a strike team, although those are, a hotshot crew, probably two helicopters, two air tankers, a lead plaintiff in an attack and a chief.

[laughter] >> barbecues all over. because wants some ribs? he had no idea. he that we just showed up. he had no idea. he had no idea and they call the dispatch. barbecue fire. return all responding units. it's pretty, some states are so honored but still mother nature sometimes when the devil high response she's already met. can't do anything. but for a fact when it if you wait for a fire to get big, so the prt