A reader sent this comment:
Dear Diane,
I was wondering if you could create a post to get the anti-testing movement that seems to be thriving downstate to garner some more support upstate.
I teach in a suburb of Rochester, NY. My school is on the “west side,” where household incomes are substantially lower than they are on the “east side.”
Today a colleague emailed me a link to a letter that the Superintendent of Pittsford Central Schools (one of the most affluent districts in upstate NY) had posted on the school’s website.
I found the post upsetting and confusing. It could be paraphrased to read: Hey parents, these tests aren’t so bad, and our kids do GREAT on them! Please send them to school and tell them to do their very, very best!
The second paragraph upsets me the most because Superintendent Pero credits Pittsford’s “exceptional performance” on last year’s Common Core tests to the teachers in his district for their “engaging lessons” and their approach of teaching the “whole child.”
I, too, teach in a phenomenal school. We do not teach the modules, and we have a collaborative department that is always seeking to improve. However, our passing rate on last year’s exams was less than 40%. I have friends who teach in the city of Rochester—their passing rate on last year’s exams was the lowest in the state. I would like to know if Superintendent Pero believes that teachers at these neighboring districts only teach the “partial child” through “disengaging lessons.”
As I fumed about this letter to some friends and colleagues, I learned some interesting background information. It seems Pittsford had a significant amount of opt-outs last for last week’s disastrous ELA exams, and many students who did take the tests used their essay booklets to write letters to Commissioner King. I just finished scoring exams, and we had a few too—those tests will earn a 0.
So maybe Superintendent Pero doesn’t really think the testing is fine, but he needs to scramble to make sure as many of his smart kids as possible show up for the math tests in a few weeks.
Sincerely,
An anonymous teacher in upstate NY
Diane Ravitch's blog 
My school gave an essay test for teacher eval purposes in the fall and again in the spring, to measure “growth.” We wasted enormous amounts of time and money to give these, and cost the students and teachers alike unnecessary stress and drama. This has got to stop.
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I have written a parody of Country Joe and the Fish “Fixin’ To Die Rag” called “Fixin’ To Test Rag” that is almost finished. Once finished, I intend to record it and post it on You Tube. I am interested in having people read the lyrics and offer suggestions for revision or additions. Thanks!
Fixin’ To Test Rag
Well, come along all of you teachin’ folks
William Gates needs your hearts and souls
He got himself a brave new plan
To make him richer yet again!
So put down your books and pick up a test!
We’re gonna abuse a whole lotta kids!
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
SBAC is just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, Open up the college gates!
They don’t know Rome and they don’t know math!
Whoppee! They can pass one more test!
William Gates sponsored the Common Core
Businessmen all over are becoming whores
They rush to exploit the public schools
They sell their souls to the reformist crowd!
So pick up your ledgers and steal from the kids!
Whoopee! Let’s exploit all the schools!
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
We can’t teach in our schools anymore!
Next class is a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, Open up the college gates!
They don’t know Rome and the don’t know math!
Whoppee! They can pass one more test!
Come on Wall Street, don’t be slow!
Rupert says to plunder the schools!
There’s plenty good money to be made.
By stealin’ from kids and selling your souls
To charters and privates and vendors and such
Keep the poor from thinkin’ too much!
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
SBAC is a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, Open up the college gates!
They don’t know Rome and they don’t know math!
Whoppee! They can pass one more test!
The reformers pushed Gates’ Common Core
Standards designed to fail the poor!
Gates followed by pushing S.B.A.C.
So schools would be forced to buy his game.
Rupert claimed that we’re 500 Billion to him.
Reform will give him more!
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
We can’t teach in our schools anymore!
Malloy said to teach to the test!
And it’s five, six, seven, Open up the college gates!
They don’t know Rome and they don’t know math!
Whoppee! They can pass one more test!
Here in Connecticut ole’ Dan Malloy
Brought in Stefan and Adamowski!
To steal from the poor and give to the rich
Stefan works hard pushing Achievement First!
Malloy gives the ‘Ski an unearned retirement plan
Whoppee! There’s no honest men!
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
We can’t teach in our schools anymore!
Malloy said to teach to the test!
And it’s five, six, seven, Open up the college gates!
They don’t know Rome and they don’t know math!
Whoppee! They can pass one more test!
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Fantastic!
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See my chnages below.
I stayed true to the origial lyrics.
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The movement has begun!
http://standwithspencerport.wordpress.com/
http://blogs.nysut.org/blog/2014/04/21/standing-with-spencerport-on-high-stakes-testing/
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I can comment on this as a relative outsider– back in the heyday of Kodak & Xerox etc I had family in Roch & Pittsford, & spent much growing up time there.
The Pittsford Supt’s letter seems to me a plea– by one who’s aware of unrest among parents– for parents not to opt their children out of tests. Although I can understand your sensitivity, his words do not seem to me to reflect any comparison to nearby districts, but rather to try to correct an assumption that good grades on these tests must mean students have been losing curriculum time to test-prep. That would be the major concern of parents in a wealthy district with historically high grad rates & admission to selective colleges.
Are the tests really no-stakes as he claims? Is it really true there is no increase in standardized tests? The tilt point for the public (as in NYC) seems to be: increased testing, test results used to ‘grade’ schools (& ultimately to close them) & teachers (ultimately to fire them), & an invasion of tax-supported charters to take advantage of [& exacerbate] the resulting instability in the public schools. But the parents in wealthy districts can be brought on board much sooner simply by a loss of high-quality curriculum time to increased testing time. Any district subject to NCLB & RTTT & now hi-stakes teacher evaluation has seen a huge increase in testing over 12 yrs.
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Couldn’t help but look:
According to the 2011-12 Report Card, Pittsford Central Schools had a student population just a hair under 6,000. 4% total eliglble for free or reduced lunch. 1% limited English proficient. 83% white, 9% asian, 6% combined black/hispanic. 97% attendance rate. A couple key secondary indicators: 100% pass rate on the Algebra regents exam, 98% pass rate on the Global History and Geography regents exam. 97% graduation rate and 94% of graduates went on to higher ed.–overwhelmingly four year colleges.
By comparison Rochester . . .
a hair under 30,500 students, 88% free or reduced lunch. 11% LEP, 10% white, 3% asian, 86% combined black/hispanic. 89% attendance rate, 40% pass rate on the Algebra regents, 43% pass rate on the Global regents, 50% graduation rate, of which 78% of graduates went on to higher ed–overwhelming 2 year colleges.
As to the Pittsford Superintendent’s claim that “Last school year, during the initial year of Common Core, our students performed among the best in the state. Their exceptional performance was not because our teachers “taught to the test;” rather, it was because our teachers taught engaging lessons and continued their practice of paying attention to the whole child. We are proud of this – and this practice will not change.”
Well, it may be the case that Pittsford has an exceptional and exceptionally dedicated staff. It may be that they teach highly engaging lessons that address the needs of the whole child . . . but one could also say their children are vastly more likely to be “whole,” that is to come to school on time in the morning, well-rested, well-fed. To go home at the end of the day to . . . well, to HOMES–not shelters, not cars, not the street. To have opportunities to visit museums, concerts, the theater, to attend summer camps . . . to travel . . . to be engaged beginning at an early age with English-fluent and English-literate adults who regularly read to their children and engage them in rich conversations, to help them with their homework, advocate for them if they struggle, attend parent-teacher conferences, pick up the slack with help at home if/when a teacher is not so strong. More likely to be BORN, for crying out loud, after 9 full months of gestation to a mother who received good nutrition and pre-natal care throughout her pregnancy, to be raised in families with higher degrees of day-to-day security in their homes, their finances, their diets and everything else.
Readers of this blog are well aware of the extent to which NY’s tests, as well as the tests of many, many other states deliver results that are de facto indicators of social class and opportunity. The Pittsford/Rochester contrast is further evidence of the profound lack of alignment between what the test-makers want us to believe about the assessments, and the way they actually “work” as measures.
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NY Educator I agree. Great post!
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You are on the money NY Educator. Looks the
same here in a New Jersey urban district.
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I stand with you, NY Educator
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My son is in the city school district and I opted him out of all testing. I think it is a big waste of time, money, and effort. I will not allow my son to participate. Some of the other parents did as well. People up here are opting out. Maybe not as many but we will see.
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Fixin’ To Test Rag
Gimme a T . . .”T” gimme an E . . . “E” gimme an S . . .”S” gimme another T . . .”T”
What’s that spell?
School!
What’s that spell?
School!
What’s that spell?
School!
Come on all of you teachin’ folks
Billy Gates wants your hearts and souls
He got himself a brave new plan
Gonna make him the money man
So put down your books and pick up a test!
We’re gonna rate ‘em from worst to best
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin’ in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Come on Pearson you’d better move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Gotta go out and write that test
Only trick items and write ‘em fast
You know that kids should never have fun
Let’s test ‘em all to Kingdom come
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Come on Wall Street, don’t move slow,
Its school deform lets go, go, go
There’s plenty good money to be made
Supplying schools with tests today
Just hope and pray that when the students bomb,
They drag all their teachers along.
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Soccer moms throughout the land
Pack your kids off to test again
Come on fathers, don’t hesitate,
Send them off before it’s too late.
Be the first one on your block
To know your kid’s dumb as a rock
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
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NYS teacher,
Testing scam, indeed. I hear that the “anchor” papers for the 3-8 ELA tests were unreliable. Responses that used short sentences to parrot the bullet points were scored higher than responses that utilized complex sentences and thoughtful responses. Scorers had difficulty with this discrepancy. It just confirms what you and Bob Shepherd have been saying about Cc$$ being a list of bullet points that a computer can measure. But gosh, look what happened to all those computerized Pearson tests today! I’ll be singing your song with the new CC$$ regents exam. Yippee!
By the way, did anyone else notice that NYSED is looking to hire some teachers to fix their beloved modules? Maybe because the modules were so poorly written and districts forced teachers to use them that the students were unprepared to take the tests by which teachers will be scored. Welcome to wonderland.
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Nimbus
We are watching a slow motion train wreck in real time. I get the sense that it won’t be too long before more NY districts pile on to the legal battles started by Rochester and Syracuse TAs. Some of the stories I heard from teachers who scored the ELA tests have led me to conclude that they should be invalidated. Inter-rater reliability issues abound as well.
Now as far as the song goes. If You are unfamiliar with the original, just youtube ‘Country Joe and the Fish – Fixin to Die Rag’ – a Viet Nam era protest song.The words are a direct parody of the original. Sin-along with the original if you need a lift. The idea was started by Bill Morrison; he is also a musician and is planning to make it into a music video.
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NY teacher,
“Some of the stories I heard from teachers who scored the ELA tests have led me to conclude that they should be invalidated.”
Wilson has already shown the invalidities involved, so yes those tests can’t be valid, therefore should be invalidated. If we get anymore invalidities we’ll have a major cosmic problem at hand–unfortunately for now it’s the students and teachers who end up “major problems” from these less than valid educational malpractices and that are very real, indeed!
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I ran an informal experiment in my school involving SBAC. I selected teachers who held multiple advanced degrees, ranging from my two Doctorates and two Masters degrees, and teachers with two or more Masters. We took the entire range of sample SBAC tests. On every language test, we could not agree with the answers, never having seen in any directions to select all correct answers. As a result, we were each selecting what we believed to be the one most correct answer as with all other multiple choice standardized tests to which we and our students have been exposed. We later found that we were each correct; there were multiple correct answers that students are expected to select. We also had some difficulties determining just what many math questions were asking. This test is largely undecipherable! That is when I started writing the “Fixin’ To Test” parody.
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In the Wall Street stanza:
There’s plenty good money coming your way (?)
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Yes. Better.
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In the Pearson stanza:
Only trick items, a white hot mess
?
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Yup. I like “a white hot mess” better.
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Outstanding! Do you mind if I record any of it in my protest on YouTube?
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to use wahtever you want from my version.A parody of the FTDR is a fanyastic idea. Please feel free As you can see I tried to stay true to the original lyrics. If you play the studio version and sing along it matches up pretty well. Good luck and I can’t wait to see/hear the video. Lets hope it goes viral. In this day and age it might have a substantial impact on people’s awareness and opinions. It will be the parental pressure that brings the CC down, after all.
And yes I completely agree on the ambiguity of CCSS aligned test items,. They sem designed to promote confusion, frustration, and ultimately failure.
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Thank you most kindly! I am convening my band this weekend and hope to record it the following Wednesday. I have sent home permission slips to have a roomful of students to help sing the chorus. I hope that this does go viral! YouTube is the poor man’s advertising.
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Bill
Imagine if you could get Country Joe McDonald to perform this paradoy with you. He just might have some fight left in his tank. He lives in Berkely, CA here is his email:
joe@countryjoe.com
Doesnt hurt to ask!
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Thanks for that address! I just sent an email asking for permission to use his music in a parody and I have attached both copies of lyrics. I hope that he responds favorably!
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Great!
He might even be willing to perform. Hey, you never know. Best of luck on this project Bill.
Check out the wardrobe on the original album cover. Are you gonig for the psychedelic hippie look or will you and your band mates dress as “teachers” ?
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I saw Country Joe at Woodstock. I still have shoulder-length hair, beard, and I wear jeans. That is how I will look.
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Bill I tweaked the lyrics to match the song better, Are you interested?
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Absolutely! I will also share my tweaks.
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See revised version below. Good luck Bill.
Let yor freak flag fly!
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I am a teacher in the Rochester City School District. We scored dead last in NY last year on the state tests. Superintendent Pero of Pittsford says that his students scored so well on the state tests because the teachers teach the whole child with engaging lessons. So those of us that did not fair as well must be teaching disengaging lessons and the partial child?
I would like to put a human face on my classroom. So, I am going to tell you the story of 4 young girls and 4 little angels. They were in my Kindergarten and 1st grade classes 2 years in a row. Then you tell me if you think the children of Pittsford score so much higher than the children in the city because they are getting more engaging lessons and teachers who teach the whole child.
M came to me in Kindergarten. Quiet, she had trouble learning but didn’t create any problems. She was never very clean or well dressed. She was in my class again in 1st grade. I may have met the father and the stepmother once in those 2 years. I found out that M’s mother had died before she came to Kindergarten. On the last day of school I got permission to take M out to lunch at AppleBees. We then went shopping at Walmart. M never had girlie sneakers or clothes. When we went to pick out new shoes, she went to the boys area, that way her brother could wear them when she outgrew them she said. I sent her into the dressing room with a couple of cute short sets and asked the clerk to check on her. The clerk came back to tell me that she was wearing men’s dirty underwear. I guess I needed to add panties to the shopping list. I gave M an angel to remember her mother and let her know that she was still watching over her and that I loved her too.
T was always falling asleep in my class and never had her homework done. In fact it was usually never even removed from her backpack. I called home ready to give my teacher talk to mom and this is the story I heard. Mom got the kids up at 5 AM every day to take the bus across town to grandma’s so she could go to work. The kids then took the school bus back across town to school and then back again to grandma’s at the end of the school day. When Mom got out of work she would then load them all back onto the RTS bus and take them home, only to have to cook and do laundry and give baths and get them into bed to do it all over again the next day. Homework was not at the top of that to do list. 2 years later T’s mom was murdered, shot on the front porch at a party. Another little angel, even though she was no longer in my room I had formed a connection because of that one phone conversation. I had learned not to be judgmental.
J was lucky. She had a mom and a dad and they were educated. Dad was older and had retired from Kodak. A two parent family. He owned a cab and drove at night so that he could be with the girls in the day while mom worked. He was shot and killed one night in the cab. I think it is still listed as an unsolved homicide. Another little angel…daddy really loved you and so do I.
R lived with her grandmother. Mom was in and out of trouble and in and out of her life. However, she was still mom. One of those times when she was in her life she too was murdered…I think it was over drugs. R stayed in our school and left last year for 9th grade…she came up to me one day last year and told me “I still have the angel you gave me.” I told her, Mommy still loves her and so do I. Keep your nose clean and make good choices. I am here if you need me.”
William Bruce Cameron said, “Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.” I believe that I try to live this and I am not unique, so do all the other teachers in the RCSD who choose to teach in the city. This is a labor of love and we teach the WHOLE child.
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Amazing, RT, amazing.
May you experience only the best that you wish for (which I know includes continuing teaching the WHOLE child).
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This is what Stand With Spencerport is about. When educators at schools like Pittsford believe they are doing something better than the rest of us to get their amazing results, the entire profession suffers. Stand With Spencerport–we need those who teach in fully-funded, suburban districts to speak up for our colleagues who help students with problems we could never even imagine.
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MSE,
I’ve been saying for years that as soon as the “consequences” hit the suburban and wealthier districts is when shit would hit the fan. Unfortunately, many live by the neoliberal philosophy of “If I take care of mine everything will be aok in the world-I me mine”. We know that isn’t true as Niemoller wrote “First they came for. . . and I didn’t say a thing. . . ” Well now they’re coming after the suburban and well to do and the hue and cry is being heard unlike before when the burden was on the urban and rural poor.
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Rochester Teacher
Its time for trading places. The Pittsford Central School District should be asked to send Rochester their very best 8th grade math teacher. The one who has used “engaging lessons” and [an] approach of teaching the “whole child.” Let this guest teacher show all your teachers how to work their magic. The PCSD superintendent will never agree because he knows that he would be embarrassed when his best math teacher produced lower scores than the Rochester teacher they replaced.
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If he/she is really the “best” math teacher, that teacher would refuse. The best teacher has little to do with test scores.
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Rochester teacher you are truly wonderful!!! Keep up the great work as long as you can because those kids need you. I have heard similar stories from other Rochester teachers and they are truly very special people. They are scrutinized because there scores are the lowest in NY state. Now, you know why. It is truly a poverty issue not an intelligent issue. The autism rate is rising maybe Obama and his friends should see what junk they dumping into our environment to cause so many developmental issues we see in children today. Why don’t they focus on issues that really need to be changed.
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Don’t forget about opt-ing out of the field tests which will be given in June.
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/fieldtest/2014eiftassignments.xls
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/fieldtest/regentsftassignments-14.xls
Without the field test data, SED will not have questions for future operational tests. The field tests are the front end of the pipeline. In addition they are no-stakes for the students, teachers and schools. The students are basically unpaid labor for the test makers.
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I don’t believe the letter was intended as inflammatory towards any other districts. Pittsford residents may have a generic profile suggestive of academic success, but in a chicken-or-egg debate, can we allow for the possibility that families of widely varying financial profile sought this residency due to high performing schools, for which the district does deserve some credit. I know I did. We should proceed collectively against government officials exerting both bad policies and the intimidation tactics to back them up, rather than squabble amongst ourselves over these finer points.
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As a high school student in the Pittsford District, I have to disagree with the assumptions being made about the district. Education in Pittsford is not taught to the test in the slightest. Education starting in third grade when the common core test begins is more engaged than the test measures. When teachers have to take the time out of their enhanced curriculum to prepare for tests that are not challenging only a slight percentage of the students, it is frustrating. All of the students in Pittsford dread taking exams that are state mandated, whether it is at the regents level or the common core. The message of Mr. Pero is not aimed at bashing other teachers. He is only trying to make sure that students in the grade levels tested are present for the testing days because there has been a lot of unrest over the testing. I do not think the Mr. Pero is assuming the level of our students is the same as any other district in Rochester. I do believe that Mr. Pero is saying that it is important for students to show up on days. I would say that the Pittsford teachers I have had in my 12 years in this district, have always been engaging. They have been able to help and guide students who struggle more so than most. It is not fair to scrutinize a teacher in the Pittsford School District purely for what resources they have that the City school districts do not. I understand that the teachers in the city school district have it a lot tougher. I have friends’ parents who teach in that district.Each district is an individual case; In Pittsford, we are striving to learn and become well informed citizens on our journey to higher education.
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I agree 100% with this teacher. I live in Albany. My school district and those in this area had one or two test refusals at most. There is a lack of awareness as a whole surrounding Common Core. I just can’t figure out why. Is it because we came so much later to the CC party than other parts of the state? Is it because I live in a district that cares more about “keeping up with the Jonses” and looking good, instead of keying into the problems of their children with regards to the developmentally inappropriate standards, curriculum, and assessments? I try to educate others, and get a blank look and most just walk away. No one around here will question the authority of their schools or state ed. The only thing that keeps me going in this fight up here is the fact that I belong to Facebook groups like Stop Common Core in New York State and LI Opt-out, among others. We need to create the kind of grass-root resistance that is becoming a powerful force in other parts of this state. The question is, why haven’t we?
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As a Pittsford parent who (A) had his kids refuse the tests, (B) strongly encourage many others to do the same, and (C) is helping to organize parents in the PCSD to protest the insanity that is Race to the Bottom, I feel compelled to add my two cents.
I feel that Mr. Pero’s letter is being taken out of context. I did not interpret his comments about our district’s talented educators and administrators as a suggestion that other districts do not have equally talented and dedicated staff. Anyone who knows Mr. Pero knows that this was the furthest thing from his mind.
(1) This is not a zero-sum game: Just because Pittsford has amazing educators and administrators does not mean that other districts don’t have amazing people as well.
(2) His comment about teaching “engaging lessons” and the “whole child” was simply a response to the criticism by many (including myself) that this insane testing-fetish is promoting a “teach the test” mentality — something he says is not the case in our district.
For those of you who did not actually read Mr. Pero’s letter to parents, his message was simply, that the district is putting kids 1st and is doing it’s best to shield our kids from Common Core. However, these tests are required of the District by law. There are a host of challenges facing all districts around the state and those problems all originate, not with the districts, but with the NYS Legislature, Governor and NYSED Commissioner. Therefore, instead of putting the kids in the middle of this protest, take your complaints to the clowns in Albany (some editorial liberties taken with my summary).
In that spirit, several of us are crafting a petition from Pittsford Parents. We are also continuing to educate parents in our area about RttT, CCSSI, etc to try to work with our district to stop the insanity being pushed on our kids from Albany and Washington. anyone interested in joining us, reply below. (Some of will also continue to refuse the test.)
BTW – Mr. Pero was always referred to as “our hero, Mr. Pero” when he was our middle school Principal. He is an exceptional person, a very skilled administrator and someone that most people in the district have nothing but incredible respect for. He does not deserve some of the arrows being sent his way, IMHO.
Finally, both of our high schools consistently rank toward the top nationally, yet there are many other districts around the country that are more affluent. Therefore fact that Pittsford ranks so highly, year-in and year-out cannot be attributed solely to the demographics of our town, although that undoubtedly has something to do with it. I would suggest that it is our amazing educators and administrators at PCSD that are able to put us over the top and out-perform the admitted advantages we are blessed with. But that’s not to say that we have a monopoly on talented and dedicated personnel.
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I live in the Kingston City School District and we received a somewhat similar letter to that from the Pittsford Central Schools Superintendent following the ELA state test. While making no claims on how well our students did on tests last year, the letter lists the ‘advantages’ and ‘benefits for the individual student, their classmates, their teachers, and their school community as a whole’ of having the students take the tests and has definitely caused a fair amount of upset among parents. You can read the entire letter here http://www.kingstoncityschools.org/news.cfm?story=83608&school=0. Since I don’t agree with any of the listed benefits, I plan to continue to refuse the math test and I shared my reasons here http://jolynsafron.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/jolyn-safrons-statement-on-testing/. Our superintendent reported to the Board of Education tonight that we had 10.7% of grades 3-8 refusing the ELA test but it is too early to know if the 95% participation rate was met since the 95% rate is per building and includes the math test. Also the refusal rate was pretty consistent with other schools throughout Ulster County which were in the 8-10% range for the ELA test.
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Fixin’ To Test Rag
Gimme a T . . .”T” gimme an E . . . “E” gimme an S . . .”S” gimme another T . . .”T”
What’s that spell?
School!
What’s that spell?
School!
What’s that spell?
School!
Yeah come on all of you teachin’ folks
Billy Gates wants your hearts and souls
He got himself a brave new plan
Gonna make him the big money man
So put down your books and pick up a test!
We’re gonna rate ‘em from worst to best
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin’ in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Well come on Pearson you’d better move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Gotta go out and write that test
Only trick items – a white hot mess
You know that kids should never have fun
Let’s test ‘em all to Kingdom come
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Well come on Wall Street, don’t move slow,
Its school deform lets go, go, go
There’s plenty good money on the way
By supplying schools with tests today
Just hope and pray that when the students bomb,
They drag all their teachers along.
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Now Soccer moms throughout the land
Pack your kids off to test again
Come on fathers, don’t hesitate,
Send em off before it’s too late.
Be the first one on your block
To know your kids as dumb as a rock
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
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Hello! Here are some of my revisions.
Fixin’ To Test Rag
Gimme a T . . .”T” gimme an E . . . “E” gimme an S . . .”S” gimme another T . . .”T”
What’s that spell?
Reform!
What’s that spell?
Reform!
What’s that spell?
Reform!
Yeah come on all of you teachin’ folks
Billy Gates wants your hearts and souls
He got himself a brave new plan
Gonna make him the big money man
So put down your books and pick up a test!
We’re gonna rate ‘em from worst to best
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin’ in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know Rome!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Well come on Pearson you’d better move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Gotta go out and write that test
Only trick items – a white hot mess
You know that kids should never have fun
Let’s test ‘em all to Kingdom come
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know Lit, they don’t know Art!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Well come on Wall Street, don’t move slow,
Its school deform lets go, go, go
There’s plenty good money on the way
By supplying schools with tests today
Just hope and pray that when the students bomb,
They drag all their teachers along.
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know songs, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Now Soccer moms throughout the land
Pack your kids off to test again
Come on fathers, don’t hesitate,
Send em off before it’s too late.
Be the first one on your block
To know your kids as dumb as a rock
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know Rome!
Whoopee! They all better pass
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Awesome Bill. Can’t wait for the video. Do you have a general idea how long until its uploaded?
May it go viral.
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We are starting to rehearse this weekend, we hope to do the video next Wednesday, and hope to post it then.
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Can I assume it will be on youtube titled, Fixin to Test Rag? Only need an answer if it will have a different title. really looking forward to the response. Just worried that the younger audience
wont be able to relate to one of the great Viet Nam era protest songs. Did you ever hear from CJM?
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Yes, it will be titled “Fixin’ to Test Rag” but I haven’t heard from him yet.
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Cheers!
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Amen!
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NYS Teacher,
Here is the final version. I made some revisions to make it easier to sing, and I added a verse. Thanks for your help!
Fixin’ To Test Rag
Gimme a T . . .”T” gimme an E . . . “E” gimme an S . . .”S” gimme another T . . .”T”
What’s that spell?
Reform!
What’s that spell?
Reform!
What’s that spell?
Reform!
Yeah come on all of you teachin’ folks
Billy Gates wants your hearts and souls
He got himself a brave new plan
Gonna make himself a richer man!
So put down your books and pick up a test!
We’re gonna rate ‘em from worst to best
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin’ in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know Rome!
Whoopee! We gotta teach to the test!
Well come on Pearson you’d better move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Gotta go out and write that test
Only trick items – a white hot mess
You know that kids should not have fun
Let’s test ‘em all to Kingdom come
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know Lit, they don’t know Art!
Whoopee! They all better pass
Well come on Wall Street, don’t move slow,
Its school deform lets go, go, go
There’s plenty good money on the way
By supplying schools with tests today
Just hope and pray that when the students bomb,
They drag all their teachers along.
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know songs, they don’t know math!
Whoopee! We gotta teach to the test!
Now Soccer moms throughout the land
Pack your kids off to test again
Come on fathers, don’t hesitate,
Send em off before it’s too late.
Be the first one on your block
To know your kids as dumb as a rock
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know Rome!
Whoopee! We gotta teach to the test!
Come on governors across the land
Cash it all in while you can!
Reach out your hands to Pearson-Gates.
Get your graft before it’s too late!
Like Dan Malloy become a whore!
Sell your state to common core!
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we testing for?
Don’t tell me, I don’t give a damn!
Common Core’s just a testing scam!
And it’s five, six, seven, cashin in with Mister Gates!
Ah, they don’t know poems, they don’t know Rome!
Whoopee! We gotta teach to the test!
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If you want to keep its focus national…”It’s never to late to become a whore!”
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Thanks! Because I am a teacher in CT, I wanted to take a slap at Malloy. I couldn’t resist!
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