Contest Winners

You Wrote the Songs, America Voted

We asked last spring for your original songs about the education profession and you delivered. Second-place winner John Rockwell explained why he do-re-mi’s for his students: “A good song can get your class focused and ready to learn. If you are open enough to sing in front of your students, you are giving them your trust; in turn, they will trust you.”

The winners, as determined by online voting:

First place: “No Cow Left Behind.”
John Carratello, a San Jacinto, California, elementary school teacher, croons a metaphoric country tune about the problems with the so-called No Child Left Behind law.

Second Place: “Public Education.”
John Rockwell of Moreno Valley, California, is an English and literature teacher who breaks out his ukulele for this breezy and nostalgic ode to public schools.

Third Place:  “We All Make a Difference.”
Julie Baker-Anderson, an Omaha, Nebraska, vocal music teacher, sounds like a pro in her morale-boosting melody.