Teacher in Washington Suspended For Sharing “Commencement Day” By Blue Scholars

[update2] More clarification on the story [/update2]

[update] Read Geo’s response here [/update]

This certainly isn’t the first time music has caused controversy in a class room, but this particular incident happens to involve the work of one of our favorite Hip-Hop groups – Blue Scholars. It looks like a HS teacher in Spokane, Washington allegedly handed out lyrics to one of Blue’s songs called “Commencement Day” off their Long March EP. The song lyrics in question aren’t grossly inappropriate but rather serve as a commentary on the current state of this nation’s education system. Sure there’s some strong language but nothing your average public school student isn’t exposed to every day.

Source: The Spokesman Review

A Shadle Park High School teacher has been placed on leave for allegedly handing out the lyrics to a song by the hip hop group Blue Scholars on the first day of school.

Spokane school spokeswoman Terren Roloff said the district is investigating the allegation. She said it was too early to say if the teacher will be punished.

Roloff did not have details about the song. But the members of the Seattle duo Blue Scholars say the song was called “Commencement Day.”

At this time there are few details as to the specific violation or reason the teacher was suspended for but it all makes for interesting discussion nonetheless. Listen to the song below.

“Hey Pete, why do we even write songs like this man? People ain’t gonna change.”
“I don’t know Bill, you know, uh, there might be somebody out there, you never can tell.”

To the graduating class of two thousand whatever,
Congratulations past due, you deserve better,
Looking dapper in a cap and a gown,
You got fam snappin flicks, clappin loud in the back of the crowd.
Now the band playin Pomp&Circumstance got you amped feelin’ like a champ,
Class is out of session at last.
You’ve been patiently waiting,
12 years in the making,
Anybody who has doubted you is sadly mistaken,
With the paper with your name in Olde English for the taking,
So moms can bring it home and frame it and display it,
With the grade point average hanging over head,
Brother sister please don’t believe the bullshit they said.
Fuck the pledge of allegiance and arrogant teachers
But peace to the people who don’t ever preach in the front of a classroom
All day long, planting seeds of revolution,
We dedicate this song.

It goes one for the student who refuses to submit
And two for the teachers who are underpaid as shit
It’s the next generation of miseducated youth
Who demonstrate the truth and manage to make it through
It goes three for the strikes giving young bloods life
And four for the years you spent stifled inside
It’s the next generation of miseducated youth-next time ask em for proof.

Now to the knuckleheads clowin in the back of the class
To the teacher’s pet monkey in the front kissin ass
But most of all everyone else who sat between em
And questioned all the falsehoods the teachers believe in.
Up in hallways herded and locker territorialiasm up in assemblies
Nobody would listen, instead, rocked the mixed tape
And walkman to street with the headphones threaded from the pocket through the sleeve.
You received education through the music you heard,
Cafeteria tables enabled beats to occur,
Where students separated in cliques
The State of the Nation manifested up in high school politics.
History repeated, you read it to regurgitate.
Slave ownin, dead white men,
Folks you know they made curriculums to make obedient drones.
Bring your paper but please your lyrics at home.

It goes one for the student who refuses to submit
And two for the teachers who are underpaid as shit
It’s the next generation of miseducated youth
Who demonstrate the truth and manage to make it through
It goes three for the strikes giving young bloods life
And four for the years you spent stifled inside
It’s the next generation of miseducated youth-next time ask em for proof.

Hey yo we made it,
45 caliber proof,
And the teachers don’t believe that you can handle the truth
But the truth is these suits can’t stand it when youth
Begin to question the conditions and backwards traditions
As you recognize the threshold of negative stress
The crossroad between complete failure and success,
It’s so necessary you pay attention in class
Never tell you the conditions in which to apply to math
Only 65% of your peers freshman year are still here
And half that total will move on
But three out of four will drop out in two years
Add it up and it equals some shit has gone wrong
Now the snakes gave the education budget roll back
“No child left behind” is just a backdoor draft
As you stand at the summit future facin’ the wind
Now it’s time to let your true education to begin

It goes one for the student who refuses to submit
And two for the teachers who are underpaid as shit
It’s the next generation of miseducated youth
Who demonstrate the truth and manage to make it through
It goes three for the strikes giving young bloods life
And four for the years you spent stifled inside
It’s the next generation of miseducated youth-next time ask em for proof