Music Program Now Admits to Being Behind ‘Occupy’ Lyrics in Third Graders’ Song
- Posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:58am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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The director of a children’s music program has admitted to steering a third grade class toward singing Occupy Wall Street-themed lyrics during a songwriting session at a Virginia elementary school.
As The Blaze reported earlier this month, the incident at Woodbrook Elementary School in Charlottesville, Va. drew outrage after it was revealed that the class wrote and performed a song titled “Part of the 99”during a visit with Kid Pan Alley in October. According to its website, Kid Pan Alley “uses the group songwriting process to inspire and empower children to become creators of their own music.”
The song contained such charged phrases as “They’re the 1 percent“ and ”I’m part of the 99.” At the time, the Albemarle County school district said the children chose the lyrics entirely on their own and denied they were encouraged to sing anything related to the Occupy movement.
That changed this week, when the founder and director of Kid Pan Alley, Paul Reisler, took responsibility for the lyrics and said he should have avoided certain phrases to keep the song neutral.
“This is a song about being satisfied with what you have, a song about how life has its ups and downs, as so many people in our country are experiencing now,” Reisler said in a statement to local CBS affiliate WCAV-TV. “It was my personal mistake to introduce these phrases and I take complete responsibility for it. I will not make a mistake like this again.”
According to the station, Reisler maintained that the children selected the Occupy Wall Street topic themselves and wrote the lyrics to express their ideas, but admitted that introducing certain political phrases ended up dominating their message.
School board member Barbara Massie Mouly told WCAV she’s glad Kid Pan Alley changed its tune.
“I am gratified that Mr. Reisler did indicate that he regrets using the controversial language with a young group of people,” she told the network. “I think we should examine how outside groups are told what our teaching policy is and make sure they are conforming to our policy of showing both sides of any controversial matter.”
The following is a transcript of the lyrics:
“Part of the 99”
Some people have it all
But they still don’t think they have enough
They want more money
A faster ride
They’re not content
Never satisfied
Yes — they’re the 1 percentI used to be one of the 1 percent
I worked all the time
Never saw my family
Couldn’t make life rhyme
Then the bubble burst
It really, really hurt
I lost my money
Lost my pride
Lost my home
Now I’m part of the 99Some people have it all
But they still don’t think they have enough
They want more money
A faster ride
They’re not content
Never satisfied
Yes — they’re the 1 percentI used to be sad, now I’m satisfied
’Cause I really have enough
Though I lost my yacht and plane
Didn’t need that extra stuff
Could have been much worse
You don’t need to be first
’Cause I’ve got my friends
Here by my side
Don’t need it all
I’m so happy to be part of the 99



















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Comments (231)
Todd P
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:43amI don’t expect to see this story on CNN…….
Report Post »jasmer
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:04pmMaybe Herr Reisler will get a job with MSNBC instead? It’s not like they need more propagandists at CNN or NPR…
Report Post »anOpinion
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:24pmSomeone should tell Paul Reisler that resigning would be the only way to “take complete responsibility”
Report Post »smokeysmoke
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:25pmforcing kids to sing about people losing their possisions will make them happier, and that others losing their possisions will make them happier and the dident need all that stuff anyways..,. this is a horrible thing to do…. the teacher should be fired
Report Post »Ben__Franklin
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:29pmYeah it will not be played on CNN, Obamas MSNBC, Huffpo, Media Matters, or any other MSM in the tank for Obama. The problem now is where is the outrage of this School System and its Board Members that their third graders were infiltrated by a bunch of Lefty Loons and coerced into singing a Mantra for the OWS crowd???? Oh that’s right, they are to dumb to even know third graders are not capable of writing such lyrics on their own or they did really know whats going on but the ends justified the means for 8 year old indoctrination.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:32pmThe kids didn’t write the song and the school officials lied when they said they did?
You don’t say! I didn’t see that coming.
Report Post »Miami
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:32pmYes, Little old Marxist wannabe’s, they should never be allowed near children again, certainly not funded by the tax payer and no where near the education system…!
This is the product of over coddling. Telling every child, they’re going to be a star regardless of talent or ability. So they grow up holding on to childish dreams and we get train wrecks on “American Idol”. Or hippies writing songs to indoctrinate school kids.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:34pmNo kidding? I didn’t think they did in the first place. The communists have a way of taking the wind out of their own sails with all of their lies and deceit. It’ll take 10 years of flawless fact filled truth telling before I believe it when they tell me the time. And that ain’t likely to happen this side of heaven.
Report Post »cuinsong
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:34pmThese people are so intelligent they have gone completely stupid . They prove that liberalism is a disease the facts are self evident if you except atrocious behavior as OK in order to push your agenda onto others just because it fits your way of thinking then you are sick sick sick & you need help. Soooo I wrote you a prescription -er i mean a song called The Devils song. you need at least one listen in the morning and one listen just before bed time until you see the light
Report Post »http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_10789987
Miami
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:36pmPS Everyone involved should lose their jobs. The teacher for allowing it, the principle for not being in control of his school and the school board official for being clueless.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:10pmHe should lose his job but that won’t happen. The teacher’s union will step in and all will be forgiven.
Report Post »My Two Cents
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:17pmThis whole charade brings to mind another SOB who used innocent children in order to advance a warped political agenda. That guy’s name was Adolph Hitler.
Report Post »fertlmind
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:35pmI guess it’s too much to ask that these LYING LIBERAL PUBLIC EDUCATOR UNION NUTCASES OCCUPY SOME COMMON SENSE!!!!!
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:43pmThis s h ! T infuriates me ! I’m so sick of these evil bastards brainwashing children. So he admitted it now what? All is forgiven move on”to the next school where the parents have no idea who these bastard are our what their sick agenda is ? The socialist, islamist ,commie cabal is out to destroy this country through any means necessary & especially through your children. What are we gonna do about it? Nothing?
Report Post »pschlentz
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:45pmFire him!! This man made a very poor decision affecting dozens of children and their families (and this is probably the first foolish mistake he was caught in!).
Report Post »He apologized because he doesn’t want to loose his lucrative job. He was required to Kiss-A$$ to keep it.
He deserves no ones sypathy!!
db321
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:11pmShocking – I guess next were are going to find out that Obama is not a US Citizen
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:17pmOkay kiddies, be sure to bring your lunch money, quarters from the tooth fairy, and allowance money to your local ACORN office or Democrat HQ for the re-election of our Dear Leader!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOtGr1JFCnE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfhHHCXxVe4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gtfizIbBDI&feature=related
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:22pmBan “Kid Pan Alley” from schools. They can’t be trusted.
Report Post »NoRoomForSocialismHere
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:50pmIs he of the tribe of Judah, they support all things Socialist/Marxist especially those with roots to Russia.
Report Post »ozchambers
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:54pmYeah, we already knew the kids didnt come up with that absurd song. Communism doesnt naturally occur to children, it has to be planted and cultivated by sick-minded, power-hungry, self-loathing a holes who infest our public education system like rats. My daughter has not and will never spend one day in a public school.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:01pmA Lie… has now been redefined to be… Mouth movement by a Liberal!
Report Post »FormerLib
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:02pmSweet heavens, 3rd graders are what, 8-9 years old? Why can’t kids just be kids and left alone? Why must the left politicize every aspect of our culture? This guy should be charged with child abuse. Their minds will be poisoned soon enough.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:34pmGosh what a surprise…the lefty teacher wrote the lefty song.
Report Post »GETLIFE
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 5:44pm“Reisler maintained that the children selected the Occupy Wall Street topic….”
“This is a song about being satisfied with what you have….” –Reisler
You couldn’t make this stuff up.
Report Post »roastbeefman
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:00pmThis manipulation of the children and school system is a big deal. Alot of heads should roll for allowing this misrepresentation. The hard left needs to be put out to pasture or at least out to the woodshed.
Report Post »FreedomPurveyor
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:34pmSo… the moral of the song is…
“Don’t try to achieve American dream; You’re better off on welfare”
Report Post »Anamah
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:54pmThis had been used on our children from the 60′s … not only education system, but all TV programs, films, to indoctrinate us, and change to become a socialist country. As termites the plague of termites is alive covering all levels to brainwash new generations. We must open our eyes and stop the progressive working to ruin American life.
Report Post »redduke
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:59pmFunny, the original story wasn’t on CNN
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 8:20pm“Reisler maintained that the children selected the Occupy Wall Street topic themselves and wrote the lyrics to express their ideas”
Report Post »If 8 year olds came up with these lyric like they are written then we need to get them out of third grade and probably have them start teaching college. These lyric written like this is NOT how an 8 year old child thinks or writes!
ghostsouls
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 9:45pm@Anopinion When people get caught in a lie like this they usually get to be one of obama’s czars. So, he may be headed towards the Department of Education….
Report Post »Leopold
Posted on January 14, 2012 at 3:48amhow do these people get into the classrooms in the first place. Can just anyone walk in, or just ask the teacher?
Report Post »stormcrow53
Posted on January 14, 2012 at 7:46am@Ben_ _Franklin: The entire school system in our nation must be dismantled and put under local control. The schools are indoctrination centers for progs and the social democrat party and these people lie about everything they do.
Report Post »slkgej6
Posted on January 14, 2012 at 5:49pmThis is ridiculous. Over and over, liberals deny that they indoctrinate children in public schools. When fact becomes twisted into slogans, though, it sure isn’t right wing rhetoric, is it? Then came the lies. Of course, when “the end justifies the means” is the dominant philosophy, it’s actually NOT lying. It is just skipping that whole “fact thing” and jumping right to the conclusion you want. Easiest way to do this? Convince the children that their parents are liars and anyone who has $1.00 more than they do, it needs to be taken away. Brainwashing the innocent is the fastest way to change the political environment there is. I used to live in Milwaukee. There, the teachers union put out an underground newspaper every month that declared boldly at the top of every paper, “NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION”. In it was the most vile, vitriolic, hate filled advice on how to “get parents out of the classroom” and “how to teach children to value their public education over their parents’ racism and greed”. And, oh, by the way, TAX DOLLARS paid for a magazine that was never to be released to the public because of the backlash. When it still came out in the papers and TV news agencies, what did the school board do? You got it!! They LIED, claiming that no tax dollars were used, only private donors. Since they had claimed 501(c)(3) status, the papers demanded the info. The school board’s reaction? No way. We have a right to privacy. Unbelievable. And guess what..no
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on January 14, 2012 at 8:56pmIt’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission… even after the damage has been done. What good is forgiveness going to do the children who memorized that crap?
Report Post »k32rem
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 9:10amAnd the “left” cries foul about the “John 3:16″ Focus on the Family ad that aired during the Denver / New England game Sunday, saying the radical right wing conservatives manipulated kids to do this. Amazing how when the shoe is on the other foot it’s a little tight for them.
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:41amYou had to know that the second graders did not write the song !!!! The school system has created so many morons that do not know how to read and write ? I don’t think a high school graduate could write the song today ?
Report Post »drago
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:02pmNeither did the thrid graders;p
Report Post »db321
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:15pmYea, but I bet the third graders know how to put on a condom. Our education system is a mess.
Report Post »flagbearer
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 5:48pmI have taught third and fourth grades in Virginia. The Virginia Standards of Learning (some states refer to them as Grade Level Expectations) don’t even introduce the term “percent” or “percentage” to students until the sixth grade. Some young students might relate percentage to their grades, but they would not comprehend what the 99% or 1% are. Also, let me point out that the role of a teacher as facilitator is to guide her class into choosing an appropriate subject about which to write. You can accept all ideas while brainstorming, but there are ways to help narrow those choices to appropriate ones. Where was the music teacher, if she was in charge? Where was the classroom teacher? Where was the principal? According to what I have read, this song was not written in one day. Those teachers or principal should have immediately stepped in and explained that the song could not be written about anything religious or political.
Kid Pan Alley is a group that has been promoted on a TV program in Virginia that promotes/extols how great it is. The leader of the group is from Rappahannock County, a rural community. Some years back he posed nude for a calendar, along with others in the community, to help finance a new high school track. What can you say? This kind of fund raiser has been popular in recent years. Society is sick.
Report Post »RejectFalseIcons
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:38amI want to see a picture of this dude. Guaranteed he’s got that creepy pedophile look going on.
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:38amMistake my white backside !
Report Post »Reisler, your “commie pan alley” propaganda machine is toast, I’m writing my representatives, local, state and federal and I’m insisting they be rid of all of your materials from the schools I pay for.
Then I’m going to follow your lame butt, track your next moves and should you even think to reenter our schools in any way I will stop you!
Paul Reisler: http://paulreisler.com/contact.htm
Boycott the following : He finds time to teach a number of songwriting workshops each year throughout the country including the Rocky Mountain Folks Song School, the Kerrville Song School, Common Ground, Swananoa Gathering, Southern Utah Song School, Hollyhock, Songcamp in the Mountains, NSAI Songcamp, the Augusta Workshop and many others.
Let’s put “Commie pan alley ” to sleep !
rambosharley
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:13pmAmen!
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 4:35pmYep…it’s time to give the lefty a little of his Alinsky back.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 7:29pm@AVENGERK
I also find him to be an asSAULt to my senses.
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:35amClean house starting with the school board members and from the Supt. down – fire them all and bar them from teaching in any class room or any job that kids are in.
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:38amFact is people like this need to removed from teaching as what are teaching is their ideology not academics.
Report Post »Shellback
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:36pmHe has no integrity. He lied. He should be loose pay equivelent from the time the story broke until he confessed.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:59pmAmen, but the Unions will never let that happen. The damage is done. The kids know the song. Indoctrination of our children at its best.
Report Post »sablegsd
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:26amSo first they lie and then it was a “mistake.” Look ********, it’s not a mistake when you do something deliberately. Being as how you are in the edumaction/brainwashing field, the only thing you are sorry for is getting caught. Heads should roll, but thanks to public unions, they will probably get a damn raise.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:34amFIRE them … yes I know they are union and protected .. it is a long drawn out thing .. but DO IT!
Report Post »Starkadder
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:37amTHe mistake was getting cought
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:24amAs if anyone believed 3rd graders were able to completely ryhme all the woes of the occupiers. How stupid are people?
Report Post »Lord_Frostwind
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 3:13pmIt’s one of those stories that at first you look at and go “No **** Sherlock!” But after reading through all of it, it is good to know there is actually a face behind this particular brand of propaganda.
Report Post »flfshrmn
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:19amIt never occurred to me for one second that they are LIARS! (sarc)
Report Post »They need to disinfect that whole place of coniving Libs using those children, who are their captive audience for propaganda for their twisted ideology instead of just letting them be little kids.
They should FIRE EVERYONE involved if for nothing else….KNOWING what they did was wrong and lying about it!
The_Jerk
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:19amJust a microcosm of the major problem with our educational system. Teachers go from K-12 to college, then back to the classroom; never living or working outside of the bounds of education or government schools.
Report Post »They are the cave people who never leave the cave, but teach our children how to live outside of the cave. They have a completely theoretical concept of the real world, which is why education is so infected with the socialist/communist elite.
CatB
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:40amWell SAID!
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:42amI rarely agree with you however you nailed that one . Teachers are the perpetual captives of the ideology that infects the educational system. And as each generation is taught more liberal liberal socialist agendas the it grows more and more intrenched.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:55amVERY well said.
Report Post »Saltygi
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:59amAnd they recomend reading Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals”.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:07pm@THE_JERK
Your description reminds me of the “5 Monkeys” story.
http://www.wowzone.com/5monkeys.htm
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:17pmOh, my gosh. This is going to be a first.
Step right up folks, lend me your ear.
I actually agree with THE_JERK.
This is the first time he/she actually made sense.
Report Post »Utahcatholic
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:18pmGreat analysis and insight. Kudos, great post.
I will rename you, “The_Jerk Not”
Report Post »RightThinking1
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:18amDo not forget that this thing had its nexus with Kid Pan Alley, who are busily engaged in such activities nationwide. See Newsbusters article :
Report Post »http://newsbusters.org/blogs/paul-wilson/2012/01/09/kid-pan-alleys-lefty-songsters-target-30000-grade-schoolers
Unbelievable
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:17amNothing like teaching kids to be envious of other peoples hard work and success!
Report Post »Comeandtakeit
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:16amThis “outside group” should be told one thing: YOU’RE FIRED. They are obviously not there to “inspire creativity” but to indoctrinate. Out. The normal school music teacher should be teaching them to sing God Bless America like my music teacher at that age, who also doubled teaching first grade.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:16am.
They are just pi ssed off cause they got caught……..
If I ever catch one of you Moron Democrate Union Teachers doing this to one of my Kids or Grand Kids, You better take a nap & pack a lunch, cause that asswhooping is gonna take a while…..
Report Post »wordweaver
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:16amYeah, boy, you sure had us going on that one – not! It was pretty insulting for you to think anyone would buy the original story.
Report Post »tzion
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:15amWait, so the children DIDN’T write it? No way! I wouldn’t have guessed.
Report Post »Starkadder
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:40amNo it was wriyyen by children, just not third graders. These children wear adult skins and pretend to “teach”
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:15amThese people are really and truly embarrassing. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, but they have no shame. They’re pitiful.
I get very upset when I think about all the trials and tribulations those before us had to go thru to make life easier, and then I have to put up with bottom feeders like this that are trying to tear it all down. It’s pathetic.
Report Post »Collbuzz
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:57am“Bottom feeders” Perfect description!
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:12pm“Bottom Feeders”
Yes, a good description, but yet still seems lacking.
They feed on the bottom feeders.
IMHO
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 9:38pmrights- that would be bacteria.
Report Post »thekuligs
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:14amEvery teacher and admin that knew about this and lied, and any of them that said it was the kids–and believed third graders could write such a thing should be FIRED. If you can‘t trust these people to tell you the truth you can’t trust them with your children. If they were ignorant enough to believe that age group wrote this they have no business being around kids. End of story.
Report Post »IMPEACHBHO
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:21amWe need to end the Dept. of Ed.!!
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kqVZUCRth0&t=16m7s
piper60
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:14amTHIS took too long to come out (the apology) for me. These left wing media types, and make no mistake, the music industry is a type of media, are constantly manipulating the children of this country. It’s no wonder more and more people are home schooling their kids.
Report Post »brother_ed
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:10am“I used to be sad, now I’m satisfied
’Cause I really have enough”
Amazing how the 99% are happy with nothing and that ‘stuff’ is irrelevant, but they sure do want to get their hands on my ‘stuff’.
More lies from Occupy.
Report Post »BIGJAYINPA
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:19amNothing to see here, move on. They are merely following in the footsteps of their heroes of the Left. Mao, Josef, Adolph etal advocated and supported the Progressive idea that if you get hold of the children young enough it is very easy to indoctrinate them to be your followers for life. Nothing new here, SOS……..Just sayin’
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:09amWell, duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. How stupid do they think we are?
Report Post »My Two Cents
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:28pmLiberals live in an alternate universe in which they truly think that people believe every word they utter.
Kind of a sad way to live when you think about it. They probably have to increase their meds each time their stupidity is exposed.
Report Post »NeverSurrender
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:09amI love the way they are still sticking to the LIE that 7 year olds wanted to sing about OWS!!!!!! I have a 9 year old and a 6 year old and you can believe me that is the first thing they run home to discuss everyday (sarcasm notation)!!!!!!!
Report Post »STEEEEVE53
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:06amHow refreshing to hear that there are still people who are able to craft a true apology, and not a convoluted regret that anyone was offended….let’s hope it was truly sincere.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:05amWhew, sure am glad he admitted it! Otherwise we would have all thought third graders made those lyrics up…
Sheesh…
Report Post »oldguy49
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:05amhow about teaching the star spangle banner or the pledge of allegiance or …..gee…….the lords prayer
Report Post »RightThinking1
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:14amHow about “God Bless America”? We often sang that in school when I was a child.
Report Post »TexBork
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:01amNo matter what the moron said, this song should not be taught to our children. The song is a lie and misguiding on purpose for the use of indoctrination. The self proclaimed 99%ers are liars and do not represent 99% of the people. Period the end.
Report Post »code green
Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:06amSounds like a case for the Va. State Police division of exploited children unit to investigate
Report Post »