9486 in the collection  

Standards

The author offers sincere apologies to E.A. Poe.

Standards plastered on her door.
Standards, benchmarks, tests and data
Plastered on the classroom door.
Only these, and nothing more.

by Jenni Davis

Once upon an inservice dreary
While I pondered, weak and weary
Over some ominous data charts
of unpredicted scores;
While I nodded, nearly napping
Suddenly there came a tapping
As if someone gently rapping
Rapping on my brain’s front door…
Telling me, “This stuff is nonsense—
All it does is make me snore!”
Only this, and nothing more.

Ah, distinctly I remember
it was in a new September
And all the children came to school
expecting to explore;
When suddenly there came a zapping
As The Standards came a-flapping
Flapping into every classroom
Plastered to the walls and doors.
"Me you'll teach," The Standards muttered
As the teachers stood and stuttered,
"Only Me, and nothing more!"

Gone forever were recesses
games and fun because the test is
now the only thing that matters…
even tho it really shatters
hopes and dreams that creative,
meaningful lessons are in store.
Hopes and dreams that school
can be a place that kids adore…
"Hopes and dreams are nonsense,"
Quoth The Standards,
"Nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger
Hesitating then no longer
"ODE," I pled, "or Congress,
truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was teaching,
And so quickly you came screeching
and so harshly you came shrieking
Shrieking at my classroom door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you…"
Here I opened my room's door;
Data there, and nothing more.

Deep into the Data peering,
Long I stood there, wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no teacher
ever dared to dream before.
But the silence was unbroken
And the stillness gave no token
and the only words there spoken
were the hateful words "More Scores!"
This was shouted, and an echo
bounced back the words "More Scores."
Only this and nothing more.

Back into my classroom turning
All my soul within me burning
Soon again I felt a zapping
Somewhat stronger than before…
"Surely," I said, "you don't mean it
that test scores are all that's seen with
which our schools are judged as keen with…
only scores, and nothing more?
Surely tell me I"m mistaken
and that kids can still explore."
Quoth The Standards--
"Only Scores!"

Much I marveled this ungainly
mandate to hear declared so plainly
Though its answer little meaning--
little relevancy bore.
For we cannot help agreeing
That no living teaching being
Ever yet was cursed with seeing
Standards plastered on her door.
Standards, benchmarks, tests and data
Plastered on the classroom door.
Only these, and nothing more.

"Be those words our sign of parting
Standards, or Nonsense," I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into a shredder
and off my classroom's walls and door.
Leave no benchmark as a token
of the students' spirits broken
Leave my classroom's pain unspoken
Quit the files and books and more.
Take thy words from out my brain
and take thy data to the shore--
to be dumped—forevermore!"

And The Standards, never flitting
Still are sitting, still are sitting
Gathering dust in classrooms
Along with old tests we abhor.
And the children all are singing
As their voices now are ringing
"School's again somewhere worth being
and a place we all adore."
Gone forever are The Standards
And the way they made schools flounder--
To return here--Nevermore!






— Jenni Davis

2009-07-25


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