“Waiting for Whom?”

Davis Guggenheim  on the failure of America’s schools:

If you asked me where it all went wrong,

 And why we find today

 That certain children’s lives are ruined,

 Broken dreams just tossed away,

 I would tell you a tale so sad to hear

 You might not believe it’s true.

 It’s true, it’s sad, and terribly bad.

 The question is: what will you do?

It seems that it is not a crime,

 And not against the law,

 To miseducate millions of children

 As long as they are poor.

 You can fail them year after year,

 And no one will give a damn.

 That is, no one except you and me,

 But we’re quiet and injustice stands.

In fact, adults seem to have the right

 To get paid while doing harm.

 Even if they have slapped and cursed,

 And pinched those little arms.

 And some do worse, lest we forget,

 Those who punch, demean, molest,

And they get to stay, can’t be sent away.

 Who supports this system anyway?

I ask who created this broken system,

 Where for decades poor children have failed?

 And why can’t we change such dysfunction

 Where for most, failed schools lead to jail?

 And who in the hell defends such a thing,

 Where the evidence is clear and true?

 I, for one, have said enough is enough,

 I hope I can count on you too.

Our children are waiting for someone,

 A hero who’s ready to fight.

 To end decades of injustice,

 To know and to do what is right.

 And what I am saying is shocking,

 But what I am saying is true.

 The hero children are waiting for,

 That hero, it’s me and it’s you.