What Message Are Schools Sending With Their Back-to-School Videos?

Dear Educators: Please Stop Using Songs You Haven’t Actually Listened To

Schools across Maryland are preparing to welcome students back for another school year. Social media feeds are once again loaded with the annual parade of back-to-school videos. Teachers are dancing in hallways, administrators are lip-syncing popular songs, and entire staffs are gathering for choreographed productions designed to show students and families just how excited everyone is to return, and to “look cool.”

Some of these videos are creative and some are genuinely entertaining. A few are even memorable for the right reasons.

Unfortunately, many schools have fallen into a familiar trap: using songs because they contain a catchy phrase or hook without taking the time to understand what the song is actually about.  Whether they like it not, or whether they admit it, these videos are indeed promoting these songs along with the messages they bring. Kids here them and then they become “approved.”

One of the most popular songs in school videos this year features the phrase “Whole Squad Ready.” At first, it’s easy to see why schools are using it. It sounds energetic and catchy. It suggests teamwork and creates the image of a staff being prepared and excited for the year ahead.

The problem begins when someone actually listens to the song.

The overall theme has nothing to do with education, learning, teamwork, or preparing students for success. The song focuses on toughness, intimidation, loyalty to a crew, dominance over rivals, and readiness for confrontation. Throughout the lyrics are references to weapons, violence, being “armed and dangerous,” and taking action against anyone who stands in the way

Take a look and you decide.

(Chorus/post chorus/Break)
Are you ready? (ayy) Is you ready? (ready)
You say you ready? Whole squad ready
Is you ready? (huh?) Are you ready?
Is you ready? Whole squad ready
We came here to see just what you got
No, no, no, not on my watch
Bring what you got, I’m goin’ to the top
You can bring what you got, I’m goin’ to the to
Bring what you got (ayy, ayy-ay),
bring what you got I’m goin’ to the top
I’m goin’ to the top
You know what time it is, right?
They don’t want us to make it, so it’s time to take it

(Verse 1)

Ridin’ with them killers, it’s time to see who be realer
Unload it, empty the clip on ’em, make sure these people feel it
I’m shootin’ like Reggie Miller, don’t move, or I’ma hit you
Cop a pound, turn it to you, I call it the Lemonilla
Scope on the bean, no more shin-picks, I hit ya from distance (pew-pew-pew)
We came out the trenches with extensions, God is my witness
And I gotta get that first shot off before that bullet hit me
Ain’t gotta worry about lookin’ back when my squad with me

(Verse 2)

Hoppin’ out the trunk (hop out) with the killers lookin’ like Thriller
I’m ready for the millions, talk to myself in the mirror
Is you ready? (ready?) Jump off in that Bentley with no ceilings
Is you ready? (is you?) Sick of takin’ losses, time for winnin’
They can’t hang with us, can’t bang with us (nah)
They know we armed and dangerous (dangerous)
If you think you fuckin’ with my squad, better hang it up (squad)
We been grindin’ hard (grind), can’t take that from us
We been grindin’ hard on the jump, can’t take that from us )

 

A school welcoming children back to class probably should not be using songs that are about conflict, threats, weapons, and aggressive behavior as the soundtrack for its annual back-to-school campaign. Yet video after video continues to appear featuring entire school staffs dancing, lip syncing and otherwise enjoying music with a message that is  completely disconnected from the values schools spend the rest of the year promoting.

What makes this particularly frustrating is that the issue is entirely avoidable.

A simple search would reveal the content of the song. A quick review of the lyrics would raise legitimate questions. That suggests that either nobody involved bothered to look at the lyrics, or they looked at them and decided they did not matter. Or worse, they looked at them and thought it was OK.

The issue extends beyond this one song.

Recently I watched a few other back-to-school videos featuring administrators riding through the building on scooters while using “Ridin’ Dirty” as the soundtrack. Once again, the audio selection seemed to be based entirely on a catchy title and recognizable hook rather than any meaningful consideration of the song’s actual content.

Here’s a sample of that inspirational song.

Grindin’ to see if they can see me lean
I’m tint, so it ain’t easy to be seen
When you see me ride by, they can see the gleam
And my shine on the deck and the TV screen
And I’m ridin’ with a new chick, she like, “Hold up”
Next to the PlayStation controller
Is a full clip and my pistola
Turn a jacker into a coma
Girl you ain’t know, I’m crazy like Krayzie Bone
Just tryin’ to bone, ain’t tryin’ to have no babies
Ride clean as hell so I pull in ladies
Law’s on patrol, and you know they hate me
Music turned all the way up until the maximum
I can speak for some niggas tryin’ to jack for some
But we packin’ somethin’ that we have for ’em
Will have a nigga locked up in the maximum
Security cell, I’m grippin’ oak (oak)
Music loud and tippin’ slow (slow)
Twin’s steady twistin’ like, “Hit this though”
Police pull up right behind and it’s in his throat
The windows down, gotta stop pollution
CD change, niggas like, “Who is that producing?”
This the Play-N-Skillz when we out and cruisin’
Got warrants in every city except Houston, but I’m still ain’t losin’

But wait: There’s more!

I been drinkin’ and smokin’
Holy shit ’cause I really can’t focus
I gotta get it home ‘fore the po-po’s scope this big ol’ Excurs’
Just swerved, all up in the curve and
Nigga been sippin’ on that Hennessey and the gin again
It’s in again, we in the wind
Doin’ a hundred while I puff on the blunt
And rollin’ another one up, we livin’ like we ain’t givin’ a fuck
I got a blunt up in my right hand
40-ounce on my lap freezin’ my balls
Roll another tree, green leaves and all
Comin’ pretty deep, me and my dogs
Yo, I gotta hit the back streets
Wonderin’ ’bout the six pounds and I got heat
Glock, Glock shots to the block, we creep creep
Pop-pop, hope cops don’t see me, on the low key
With no regard for the law, we dodge ’em like, “Fuck ’em all”

 

 

Is this a song you want your administrative team riding around the hallways lip syncing to. At some point, schools need to ask themselves what message they are trying to send. The answer cannot simply be, “We’re trying to look cool.” That is where many of these videos begin to fall apart.

There seems to be a growing belief in education that building relationships with students requires adults to mimic social media trends, perform dances, or demonstrate that they understand whatever is currently popular online. In reality, students are often better at recognizing forced authenticity than adults realize.

Elementary students may think these videos are funny. They may enjoy seeing their teachers acting silly or doing something unexpected. But do want your elementary school child seeing his or her principal in such a video?

Middle school and high school students are a different audience altogether. Most teenagers can tell when adults are trying too hard to appear relevant. They know the difference between authenticity and phoniness. They know when something is genuine and when it feels like a faculty meeting turned into a TikTok video.

The irony is that schools spend enormous amounts of time advising students to think critically about social media content. Students are taught about digital citizenship. They are told to carefully evaluate what they post online and encouraged to understand context before sharing information. Maybe school districts should follow their own advice.

None of this means schools should stop having fun.

Students generally enjoy seeing educators demonstrate enthusiasm and excitement for the year ahead. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having fun and celebrating the beginning of a new school year. There is, however, a difference between having fun and following whatever social media trend happens to be popular at the moment.

Schools do not need to become entertainment companies and teachers do not need to be influencers. Principals do not need to become content creators.

Students are looking for something much simpler than that. They want adults who are authentic, professional, supportive, and trustworthy. They want teachers who care about them and principals who lead effectively. Those qualities are more important than the ability to perform a trending dance routine in an effort to look cool.

Before schools post their next back-to-school video, they might consider asking a simple question:

Does the song we’re using reflect the message we want to send? If the answer requires a lengthy explanation, it may be time to choose a different song.

It is worth repeating.  When schools use these songs in their social media postings, they are in fact promoting the song.  Essentially, the song is approved because they are using it.

Students deserve better than a soundtrack that nobody bothered to listen to.