TBA (Teaching By Acronym)

Education abroad is like education in Texas
And its policies affect young and old of both sexes.

The field is dominated by theory after theory
and keeping up with them all can make one quite weary.

To help remember these intellectual gems
The theorists and bureaucrats have developed clever acronyms

like TABS and TEAMS and TAAS and TAKS
which all stand for "Texas" something or other (and are more opinions than facts.)

And every few years, a new one replaces the old
that encompasses newer theories and is more improved, so we're told.

"Project this" and "Project that", the waters become so clouded
that teachers trying to implement them become dumbfounded.

The problem is that there are too many people who just don't get it.
They don't want to really solve anything, they just want the credit.

The tide of these philosophies go in and go out.
Old ideas with new self-promoting advocates get a chance to re-sprout.

The power is taken away from the dedicated teacher
who teaches ahead of the standards and gets results (and doesn't need it thrown at him by a pandering preacher)

Those theories are no more than flimsy political stances
by a politician who is trying to better his reelection chances.

But this is the way it has always been done.
And in my opinion, I'd rather have none.

Just give me a classroom and a room full of kids
whether they're rich and bratty or are kids on the skids,

and I'll teach all the things the acronyms contain,
but please, please spare me the obvious and mundane.

It's no wonder that the supply of good teachers is dearth
(besides the fact they don't get paid near what they're worth)

It's all the silly nonsense, red tape, and big hoops
that are put into place by self-serving groups

that leave you jaded and drain your enthusiasm like a leach
Instead of just letting qualified, conscientious, creative, energetic, professional teachers teach!