With apologies to Bob Dylan, here are some new lyrics to his famous and brilliant song “Blowin’ in the Wind.” These were written by a reader of Diane Ravitch’s blog identified as “NY Teacher.”
(If you somehow don’t know the tune, don’t tell anyone, find a version on the Internet, radio, CD, vinyl or wherever you can one, and listen. And if you don’t know the name references in the song, here’s help: Arne is Education Secretary Arne Duncan; Rhee is school reformer Michelle Rhee and Bill is Bill Gates/)
Welcome to Parody Center:
“Must Be Bubbled-In” (Blowin’ in the Wind)
How many tests must a child withstand

Before we can kill this scam?
How many years will we need to resist?

With so many heads in the sand?
Yes, how many tests must our children endure?

Before test-and-punish is banned?
Right answers, my friend, must be bubbled-in,

Right answers again and again.
Yes, how many years can Arne still test?

Before he ends up like Rhee?
Yes, how many years can he still insist?

Before even Bill disagrees?
Yes, how many times can Congress turn its head?

Pretending they just cannot see?
Right answers my friend, must be bubbled-in

Right answers again and again.
Yes, how many tests must a child still take?

Before we really know why?
Yes, how many doubts must one nation have?

Before we can hear children cry?
Yes, how many fails will it take till we know

That too many people have lied?
Right answers my friend, must be bubbled-in

Right answers again and again.