Letter to Arne Duncan - Two Teachers and a Microphone

Two Teachers and a Microphone Productions (Find us on Facebook & Twitter @teacheronthemic)

Letter to Arne Duncan

Listen for a minute to what I say
We don't teach kids for the merit pay
I wipe away tears and break up fights in the halls
While Arne Duncan plays basketball
Public school you never taught in your life
But you studied Harvard so it gives you the right
To bully the states who don't in your run race
Who oppose the policies that you embrace
Based on the test you and your crew
Crucify teachers and close our schools
Pimping out Pearson and private charters.
Carrots and sticks ain't gonna make kids smarter
Public education is under attack
By those who caused our economic collapse
The Department of Ed put your letter on the Web
Did you read the comments? What the teachers said?

Test scores rising, check the illusion
What is proficient? This is the confusion
Headlines saying the scores are getting higher
But they're just juking the stats, like you seen on The Wire
Hire those who lack credentials off the streets
The rich get enrichment & the poor get worksheets
Amazing feats when schools close their doors
And go shopping for the kids with the parents and test scores
Ignoring kids with special needs
ELLs ... IEPs
Take away the bargaining & budget freeze
And just watch the swarm of corporate entities
Doing to schools whatever they please
Skimming from the top of that government cheese
We don't need a test to assess this disease
It's time to repeal NCLB!

Arne Duncan, please listen
A lot of things in our schools we're missing
Smaller classes, arts and enrichment
Light a fire and the kids will listen
On the front lines, where you ought to be
Trust teachers and communities
Acknowledge poverty
And talk honestly
About race, and class, and equality!

Hey, yo' Bunk?
What's the word McNutty?
Smash this fool Duncan like he's Silly Putty!
Alright, okay I got something to say
How you be S.O.E. and never taught a single day?
Your resume's impressive but you're still not a teacher
Cater to the market, not to our future!
How many parents you called? How many lessons you planned?
How many kids have you given your heart and your hand?
And Mr. Duncan can you tell me please
What do you know about SDAIE strategies
Your 150 g's we don't really want it
Can't buy our respect, you already lost it
Get up a get get a get down
Race to the Top is a joke in your town!
I said it before y'all I'll say it again
This man ain't no teacher just the president's friend
Mr. Obama if you want our vote
Can your boy Duncan and bring back that hope!

Creepin and creepin
On the Web we're tweetin'
Your rep is reekin'
Like Bernie on the weekend
Wasted billions and wasted time
Do us all a favor and just resign!
Your Superman movie, damn I ain't down with
The Superman at my school got a pink slip
Mad 'cause I'm paying my union dues
I bet you're hoping that Katrina hits all our schools.
Thinking of ways to get teachers fired
For working with the kids who aren't desired
No top down, corporate overhaul
We're here to save our schools! Yes, yes y'all!
Trade a ball player for an educator
Not a businessman or a teacher-hater
Your career we're here to now bury
Diane Ravitch for Education Secretary!

Arne Duncan, please listen
A lot of things in our schools we're missing
Diversity, true integration
The vision of Brown vs Board of Eduction
On the front lines, where you ought to be
Trust teachers and communities
Acknowledge poverty
And talk honestly
About race, and class, and equality!

Two Teachers and a Microphone: We are both products of LAUSD schools and have spent our careers teaching in LAUSD schools. We love what we do, and we feel that our public school teachers are compassionate, creative and critical to the intellectual and emotional success of our youth.

If you feel the same please call the LAUSD school board members and demand that they follow AB114 and rescind pink slips immediately: 213-241-6389

All music and lyrics written, produced, performed and recorded by Two Teachers and a Microphone.

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[MauiMauiMe]

Amen. I was so excited about Obama being elected because I thought it would be an exciting time to be an educator but now I'm just sad:.( My community also has Gates' schools which have turned out to be a huge disappointment. No one is serving our community or our children. I hope Malia and Sasha are happy at the Friends School. I'm sure it's a nice place.

[lakesriversoceans]

pedagogyforyourhead):):):) Thanks for your support! :):):) Please share this with your viewers okay ! (JmTheMasterMinute) This is a "NEW" MUSIC video to FACE Childhood OBESITY called : I like the way you move by JM

[hoipaloi1111]

Diane Ravitch for Secretary of Education!

[ninabieber234]

these are my teachers!!!!

[MrEtheMotivator]

Awesome job fellas! We gotta collab on one of these!

[SlyJoeyJ]

good job on this guys

[djtoby44]

Excellent video. Disappointed in Obama and Arne.

[UseYourTeacherVoice]

Alright pedagogyforyourhead! Way to #UseYourTeacherVoice!

So many have already submitted videos to UseYourTeacherVoice. Check em out.

Viewers can also find UYTV:

e: useyourteachervoice@gmail.com

fb: Use Your Teacher Voice

tw: @UseYrTcherVoice, #UseYourTeacherVoice

[rhodesmk]

I will NEVER understand how the states have allowed ED to get so far into running local school districts. Key word - LOCAL - school districts are run locally, and are governed by the STATE, NOT by the Federal government. Duncan and his predecessors have no businees sticking their noses into LOCAL school districts. Let ED deal with post-secondary and financial aid issues, but leave the LOCAL districts to the STATES!!!!!

[SenorKobayashi]

Great video, excellent message! Thanks for doing your part to wake us all up. Favorite image: Diane Ravitch dunking over Arne Duncan. Classic!

[msamyg7]

Love this! Very clever, someone needs to send it to John Stewart :)