Higher-Ed Report Card Inspires State Leaders to Break Into Song

Santa Fe, N.M. — The national report card on higher education has led to hand-wringing among college leaders and elicited complaints about the poor grades it often assigns to states. But until this week, it has probably never served as a muse.

The state higher-education leaders who are meeting here this week used the report card, issued every two years by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, as the inspiration for an ode to pay tribute to the center’s president, Patrick M. Callan, who was receiving a lifetime-achievement award to recognize his longtime leadership in higher-education policy.

The ode, set to the tune of “Lida Rose” from The Music Man, wasn’t half bad.

But American Idol it wasn’t.

Some audience members had held out hope as the singers assembled around the microphone: “There must be a Susan Boyle in there somewhere,” Daniel Hurley, director of state relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, joked, referring to the singing sensation from Britain’s Got Talent.

As the sun set around them and cathedral bells chimed in the background, attendees at the meeting — of the State Higher Education Executive Officers, or Sheeo — bellowed out their ode from the rooftop of a historic inn. It was like a chorus of Ethel Mermans, with a wonky overlay.

The lyrics to the ode about “Measuring Up,” the report card’s name, implored Mr. Callan to “please give us a break!”

“Measure Up! We gotta Measure Up, because Pat Callan’s coming to town!” the ode began. “Measure Up! We gotta Measure Up, before Pat Callan puts us down.”

No word yet on what grade Mr. Callan gave the Sheeo songbirds. —Sara Hebel