education's four letter word

There is a new word in education that has rapidly dethroned a much used word in our modern vernacular: fuck. The beauty, of what is affectionally known as "the F word", is that users find it to be an extremely versatile word; hence its popularity. The F word can be used as a noun, verb, interjection, or adjective. Given that, it is not hard to see why the F word is used with such enthusiasm in so many circles. It's often just that go to word.


Recently, however, the F word has been replaced in education circles by a word which many find to be infinitely more vulgar: data.  With that adoption, many common phrases have now morphed using this new bon mot. Now, in staff rooms everywhere one may hear:

• Data you!
• Oh, data!
• What the data? or WTD?
• I don't give a data!
• You don't give a data!
• He doesn't give a data!
• She doesn't give a data!
• They don't give a data!
• Shut the data up!

Well, that's where we are today, creating new meanings and uses of common words. But data may not be on the throne for too long. In the future, it, too, may be replaced with other four letter words found to be vulgar in education circles: Arne, Rhee, and Bill.  We'll see.