Half a life half a life
Half a life onward,
All in the valley of Testing
Push’d the core teachers:
‘Forward, the Heart Brigade!
Charge for the arts’ he said:
Into the valley of Testing
Push’d the core teachers.
‘Forward, the Heart Brigade!’
Was there a child dismay’d?
Not tho’ the teacher knew
Some one had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die
Into the valley of Testing
Push’d the core teachers.
Testing to the right of them,
Testing to the left of them,
Testing in front of them,
Administer’d & bubbl’d;
Storm’d at with threats and scores,
Boldly they taught and well,
Into the jaws of Media,
Into the mouth of Politics,
Push’d the core teachers.
Stripp’d all their lessons bare,
Hop’d as they taught in air
Teaching the students there,
Educating an army while
All the world wonder’d:
Trapped at the classroom desk
Only some curricula test
Arts & Electives
Reel’d from the budget mess,
Shatter’d & sunder’d.
Then they lost jobs, but not
Not the core teachers.
Testing to the right of them,
Testing to the left of them,
Testing behind them
Administer’d and bubbl’d;
Storm’d at with threats and scores,
While assistants and support staff fell,
They that had taught so well
Came thro’ the jaws of Media
Back from the mouth of Politics
All that was left of them,
Left of the core teachers.
When can their legacy fade?
O the hard choices they made!
All the world wonder’d.
Honour the difference they made!
Honour the Heart Brigade
Noble core teachers!