| Dear Bored of Education
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| So are we, huh, so are we
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| At no point in the lives that we actually live do we sit in rows and listen to
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| pontifications
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| At no point did momma pass written exams out on how to wash the dishes, no
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| She pulled the stool up next to her, at the sink, handed us a dishrag, like
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| «Watch how mommy does it, now you try.»
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| Learning by doing, such a crazy idea, it might work
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| Them stools felt like a magical ladders into an alternate universe
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| Into the grown-up world
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| Informational portholes, wormholes, into other places
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| Where kids were equals, being made privy to information only those with
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| Driver’s licenses and facial hair had
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| Who knew we were learning, no clue Pops was teaching us time management
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| And budgeting, miniature project co-ordinators
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| He said, «Imma show you how to do these chores. |
| And if they’re done when I get
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| home
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| Then that allowance is yours. |
| Maybe some ice cream’s involved too.»
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| Remember when we were in kindergarten, and you had to learn about worms, yeah,
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| you went outside
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| And you played with worms, what a novel idea!
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| Dear Bored of Education!, huh, so are we
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| Dear Bored of Education, all I’ve learned from your system is the fact that
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| it’s just the system
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| That you set up. |
| And if I just repeat what you just said, in Jane Schaffer
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| method
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| Then I passed, right? |
| You’re just testing my ability to regurgitate
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| And if your best instructors are miserable, I’m pretty sure it’s not the kids'
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| fault
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| This pain I know first hand, the grand learning moments, the innovative lesson
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| plans
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| That causes eyes to sparkle as if them students have just caught rides on
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| shooting stars
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| These lessons have wings, only to get clipped, to fit, into the Low-Res JPEG.
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| you call
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| «The State Standards.» |
| Why do you insist this is still the industrial age?
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| My child is not a widget. |
| And a school should not be an assembly line.
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| Making my daughter’s
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| Diploma equivalent to an inspected by 2235 stamp
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| Dear Bored of Education, so are we
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| Dear Bored of Education, there’s not a Scantron on the planet that can measure
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| inspiration
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| This is what our teachers pass on that matters
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| But you’d rather them do a jig to the tune of an AYP score
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| As to avoid losing WASC right?
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| NCLB got us shockin' and jivin', but you can’t measure a kid inviting their
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| Teacher to a Quincenera or a soccer game, or waiting rooms at free clinics
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| I can name ten kids off hand who would still be in handcuffs if it wasn’t for
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| Mr. Singer
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| Nick Luvanno runs his own design firm. |
| And he failed the exit exams twice.
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| FAILED
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| Dear Board of Education, I mean, can we not Google when the Magna Carta was
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| signed?
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| If your brightest stars are always dim, something must be wrong with your
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| glasses
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| If every place on your body that you touch hurts, then your fingers must be
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| broken
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| You are PhD.'s, you have five suffixes at the end of your names,
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| you’re the people that know
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| A lot, how come you’re not smart enough to know that you don’t know what you
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| don’t know?
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| Did anyone ever suggest, that maybe, we should test the test?
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| Dear Bored of Education, my dear Bored of Education, so are we
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| So are we |