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NCLB Outrages

Ten Commandments of No Child Left Behind

Ohanian Comment: This is a rerun, first posted on this site three years ago and then repeated in Why Is Corporate America Bashing Our Public Schools?

As we begin thinking about the forces that deform our new school year, I'm distressed to note that it seems worth repeating the Standardisto tenets.

And Congress spake, "We are your masters who brought you out of the wilderness of teacher professionalism and into the house of direct instruction."

I. We are the State, which has brought students out of the wilderness of teacher-led classrooms and into the kingdom of test prep. Thou shalt have no other guidance before thee, and then it will follow as night follows day that No Child is Left Behind.

II. Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven images, not any likeness of anything that contradicts the Standards and their tests. For the State is a jealous god, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them who don't obey.

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Standardistos, thy gods, in vain. For the State nor the testing company will not hold him guiltless that takes their name in vain.

IV. Remember the Standards and keep them holy. The State blessed the tests and hallowed them. Thy adequate yearly progress scores shall comfort thee.

V. Honor thy Standards, that thy days as teachers may be long upon the land of direct instruction which the State gives you.

VI. Thou shalt not kill Standardistos.

VII. Thou shalt not have intercourse with any other than thy lawful Standards and test prep materials.

VIII. Thou shalt not steal time away from the Standards and preparation for the State's tests for frivolous matters.

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against the Standards.

X. Thou shalt not covet lesson plans of bygone times. Nor shalt thou covet libraries, books, recess, art, music, nor anything that went before.

In these days comes the band of the Reading First 73 to preach to the multitudes."Verily we say unto you seeking Title 1 funds, among the skills of reading, none is greater than Phonemic Awareness."

Repent, for the kingdom of kindergarten schwas is at hand.

Blessed are those who follow the Standardisto drum roll, for theirs is the kingdom of government contracts.

— Susan Ohanian

2005-08-09

INDEX OF NCLB OUTRAGES

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