Objections and Amens, An Ode to the DOE

The director deftly props his head          
          mid a barely stifled yawn.
The conference he has led
          though his legion’s minds are gone.

Well meaning attendants
          log their two cents worth;
We who have antsy pants
          try to maintain our mirth.

They preach the litany of objectivity;
          a bean counted is their fare.
On the question of accountability:
          “What beans?” Are we not to care?

Collect the data, and plug it in;
          the evaluator’s job is done.
Store in a teacher or student bin
          just as long as it fits in one.

The reality of the testing:
          grease the Department’s gears,
And objections to the nesting
          fall loudly on stone deaf ears.

The speaker drones, “I am just
          saying what I should say.”
Listen to this stuff, I dutifully must,
          and report it the federal way.

Game gamers try to restate the gist.
          cries of amen should be a sign;
But objections vanish in the mist
          of No Child Left Behind.


Evaluation of a Project Evaluators Conference
Department of Education, Washington, DC

“Objections and Amens”

Copyright © 2006 Michael J. McCabe
All Rights Reserved


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