Friday, February 7, 2014

The House That Gates Built

When I taught in the primary grades, I loved to read aloud to children cumulative story books like There was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, The Napping House, and The House that Jack Built. Here is a reformy version of that last title. If you want to read the original you can find it here.

The House that Gates Built

This is the house that Gates built.


This is the money that lay in the house that Gates built.


These are core standards that were bought with the money that lay in the house that Gates built.


These are the tests standard and uniform
That measure growth on core standards
That were bought with the money
That lay in the house that Gates built.


These are the children all forlorn
Who take the tests standard and uniform
That measure growth on core standards
That were bought with the money
That lay in the house that Gates built.


These are the teachers all tattered and torn
Who are judged by test scores of children forlorn
Who take the tests standard and uniform
That measure growth on core standards
That were bought with the money
That lay in the house that Gates built.


These are the TFAs newly shaven and shorn
Who replace the teachers all tattered and torn
Who are judged by test scores of children forlorn
Who take the tests standard and uniform
That measure growth on core standards
That were bought with the money
That lay in the house that Gates built.


These are the reformers smearing teachers with scorn
Who hire the TFAs newly shaven and shorn
Who replace the teachers all tattered and torn
Who are judged by test scores of children forlorn
Who take the tests standard and uniform
That measure growth on core standards
That were bought with the money
That lay in the house that Gates built.


This is the Secretary, apparently sworn
To defend reformers smearing teachers with scorn
Who hire TFAs newly shaven and shorn
Who replace the teachers tattered and torn
Who are judged by test scores of children forlorn
Who take the tests standard and uniform
That measure growth on core standards
That were bought with the money
That lay in the house that Gates built.


This is the President, champion of reform,
Who appointed the Secretary, apparently sworn        
To defend the reformers heaping teachers with scorn
Who hire the TFAs newly shaven and shorn
Who replace the teachers tattered and torn
Who are judged by test scores of children forlorn
Who take the tests standard and uniform
That measure growth on core standards
That were bought with the money
That lay in the house that Gates built.







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