Potty Humor Sets the Tone at New Rochelle Superintendent’s Day Conference

At the Superintendent’s Day Conference held annually at New Rochelle High School to kick-off the school year there were a few odd digressions from the speakers.

Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak noted the descent into what he termed “potty humor” before he began his own remarks.

Prior to Organisciak taking to the microphone for what will be his last time welcome employees back for another school year in New Rochelle, New Rochelle Board President David Lacher and New Rochelle Union President Marty Daly spoke.

In his remarks, Lacher described public education as toiler paper, noting “we have to clean up the same messes with a lot less material”.

Daly’s remarks including a recitation of satirical song lyrics (sung to the tune of a Mary Poppins song) which described recently enacted school reform as “piles of compost” and included the line “If they pile schtuff deep enough, they’ll think it’ll come up roses.”

Daly recited “Superficial-Unrealistic-Rigor-Is-Atrocious”, lyrics published on the Mr. Hankins is Reading and Writing in Kentuckiana blog, meant to be sung to the tune of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.

Superficial-Unrealistic-Rigor-Is-Atrocious

But this is what so many in education reform proposes.

“If you drill them hard enough, they’ll stay upon their toes-es!”

Superficial-Unrealistic-Rigor-Is-Atrocious

ECA-DRL-IEP-CQA-RTI

ECA-DRL-IEP-CQA-RTI

We shouldn’t be afraid to speak

when policies seem bad.

We only have but 36 weeks

to teach the lass and lad.

So today, let’s learn a brand new word

and help those children grow—

the most important word I’ve ever heard

and this is how it goes:

Oh. . .

Superficial-Unrealistic-Rigor-Is-Atrocious!

But it’s the very one thing that the powers-that-be proposes!

“If we test them long enough, they’ll break the grindstones with their noses!”

Superficial-Unrealistic-Rigor-Is-Atrocious

ECA-DRL-IEP-CQA-RTI

ECA-DRL-IEP-CQA-RTI

We knew this kid named Billy;

to him life had not been kind.

And for a while it seemed like he

would be a child most likely left behind.

But a caring teacher found a way

to reach this little boy.

Now reading, writing, and arithmetic

Is this lad’s hope and joy!

Oh. . .

Superficial-Unrealistic-Rigor-Is-Atrocious

It’s why all of the current reform looks like piles of compost-es!

If they pile schtuff deep enough, they’ll think it’ll come up roses.

Superficial-Unrealistic-Rigor-Is-Atrocious!

ECA-DRL-IEP-CQA-RTI

ECA-DRL-IEP-CQA-RTI

So while our song is almost done,

There’s no need for dismay.

Just remember this catch phrase;

They’ll know you’ve lot to say.

Be sure to use it liberally,

and watch your own class grow.

One year with you will be the difference

Cause. . .

You’re the one that knows:

Oh. . .

Super-Teachers-Always-Know-Connection’s-Where-The-Hope-Is

Let them lead their classrooms with their sequence and their scopes-es!

So, untie their hands and let them once again pull their own rope-es!

Because

Super-Teachers-Always-Know-Connection’s-Where-The-Hope-Is!

Accorrding to Wikipedia, the roots of the word Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious have been defined as: super- “above”, cali- “beauty”, fragilistic- “delicate”, expiali- “to atone”, and docious- “educable”, with the sum of these parts signifying roughly “Atoning for educability through delicate beauty.”

educability means “capable of being educated; specifically : capable of some degree of learning” or “affected with mild mental retardation and capable of developing academic, social, and occupational skills within the capabilities of one with a mental age between 9 and 12 years—compare”.