Here is the latest creative product of the BATs. It is their version of the Wizard of Oz.
Can you guess:
Who is innocent Dorothy?
Who is the Wicked Witch?
Who is the Good Witch?
Who is the Tin Man, who lacks a heart?
Who is the Scarecrow, who lacks a brain?
Who is the Cowardly Lion?
Who controls the Flying Monkeys?
And who is the Wizard of Oz?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Well as much as I love our hostess as the good witch (really, Diane, it is a good look for you. Halloween costume idea?!), and our students as Dorothy…
I am not sure I agree with Bill, Eli and Arne as Dorothy’s friends. Remember, in the story, though they may be flawed (missing something, searching for something), they all really do love, protect and help Dorothy in the best way they can.
I am positive none of those guys actually intend to help my students. They have been presented with evidence, dialogued with, begged etc and yet they persist in destructive, hurtful policies.
So I vote them all as flying Monkeys or the Wicked Witch of the East.
Love the Koch Brothers casting, too!
Ang,
You are right.
The lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow are Dorothy’s friends. This is miscast.
We based the video on what each of the characters seemed to be missing…a heart, a brain, courage. Trying to gather thoughts for the next episode to continue the story to portray how it really is in the educational world!!
Dorothy’s friends may have been miscast, but the BAT video inspired me to rewrite the Scarecrow’s lyrics for “If I Only Had a Brain.”
I could kowtow to the Powers
That Be for hours and hours–
I think I’ve made it plain.
For I know they’re not kiddin’
So I’ll gladly do their biddin’
And pretend to have a brain.
I spout platitudes on Twitter,
My rhet’ric all aglitter
From that I won’t abstain.
For that mogul near Seattle
I will gladly go to battle
Though my Op-Eds sound inane.
For we must raise the bar
And make those kids jump high.
Oh, but if you ever dare to ask me Why–
It’s cuz Asia’s tryin’ to steal our pie.
I’m acceptin’ no excuses
From the teacher that refuses
Culpability and blame.
For bad scores on the testin’
Common Core is manifestin’
She should wear a badge of shame!
The story could still have a happy ending. The Scarecrow might learn how to think for himself and act for the benefit of others, just like Dorothy and the other characters do in the movie. Hey, it’s possible!
Arne Duncan is definitely the Wizard. Reformers are the Flying Monkeys. Lol. I’m having too much fun. In the story tho, Dorthoy was dreaming so Duncan can be a good guy.
I understand the comment that the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion were actually Dorothy’s friends and the reality that Duncan, Gates and Broad are certainly no friend to students, teachers or education, etc. but I get Duncan being portrayed as the no brains scarecrow. Duncan’s not using his brain (I’ll be nice and not go any further)…he’s just Obama and Bill’s puppet.
Dr. Ravitch thanks again for highlighting BATs. When we made this parody it was the Tin Man has not heart (like Eli Broad), the Scare Crow has no brains (like Arne Duncan), The Lion is a Coward (like Bill Gates), the Wicked Witch is well “wicked” (like Michelle Rhee), Oz is hiding behind the curtain (like the Koch brothers). Dorothy was the teachers/students being destroyed by all these entities. What we forgot was Toto the dog! Who should we have cast as Toto? Murdoch, Bezos, or Walton?
Since it is all a dream, I don’t have a problem with Broad, Duncan & Gates playing roles as faux friends in what has become a nightmare for so many people. And since he was curiously omitted, I’d vote for Bo or Sunny playing Toto and representing the president, since he has also turned out to not be man’s best friend.
Except Toto was actually a comfort to Dorothy…and it kind of misses the point because the students as well as the teachers are the ones who are abused….you really need to paint a cast where one main character getting hurt, hurts a whole slew of other people below them.
Right now, our children are being hurt through the damage done to their teachers. Who is hurt by Dorothy having to wander through Oz fighting all the evils that she does and trying to help her friends – some of who manipulate her for their own benefit?
Like the tornado? What could the house that fell on the witch (Rhee) be? What could the yellow brick road symbolize? Look for another BAT production soon!! Glinda will always be Diane Ravitch!!!
The tornado represent bogus laws of nature, which are really man-made, like poverty and its baggage, as well as how the rich and powerful attempt to exert control (NCLB, RttT, etc.)
The yellow brick road represents the pathway to truth (communications through social media, etc.) leading to an enlightened and empowered citizenry who rise up and defy the powers that be through opt-outs, protests, voting et al.
The Yellow Brick Road is a lie – it’s the quick fix to Dorothy’s problems that she’s sold as leading her to the solution – the wizard – who as we all know does nothing but creates a large problem for Dorothy with no intent on delivering what he says he will in exchange.
Test scores will lead us to the solution we really want – and is sold to us by the wizard himself as the quickest way to get where we want to be when where we’re going will just lead us to new problems with crazier answers in order to get our miracle cures.
Actually, I think it’s the irony that is so telling, because educators and students really have only one ally in education right now, Diane. Everyone else passes themselves off as being on the side of kids and teachers but they are pseudo supporters out for personal gain, whether economic, ideological or political. So no one is really who they seem to be.
The resolution depends on the fortitude and perseverance of Dorothy and her one true friend, “the good witch.” All rests on their joint efforts to spread the truth and garner parental and community allies, to overcome the oppression imposed by the other characters.
Works for me.
A decent piece of satire. . . some of the characters were miscast, but still, a brief and intense laugh that we all could use as a break to renew . . . .
this was great, love Diane as Glinda the good witch! when I saw Rhee, I was looking around for a pail of water
These are some of the most creative replies I have seen. I just loved that piece. I did nothing but laugh at how they did it. Real smart what they are doing. This is sophisticated stuff even if simple. Thanks, sure had fun with it and will certainly send it out.