Quote of the Day - Michelle Rhee Edition

Here’s the question we Democrats need to ask ourselves: Are we beholden to the public school system at any cost, or are we beholden to the public school child at any cost?

Michelle Rhee on her transformation of supporting school vouchers.

Sadly, we already know the answer to this question.

Michelle Rhee's Students First

Michelle Rhee has decided on her next move.  She has decided to start a non-proft grassroots organization that will work towards reforming the education system in this country in order to give access to a quality education for every American child, regardless of socio-economic position or race. 



The Mission Statement

Our mission is to build a national movement to defend the interests of children in public education and pursue transformative reform, so that America has the best education system in the world.



America's schools are failing our kids. On this point, the data is clear. While some people blame the kids, or simply want to throw more money at the problem, we know that real change requires a better system — one that puts students' needs before those of special interests or wasteful bureaucracies.


To succeed in our mission, we're working with parents, teachers, administrators, and citizens across the country to ensure great teachers, access to great schools, and effective use of public dollars. Together, we'll demand that legislators, courts, district administrators, and school boards create and enforce policies that put students first. We'll make sure politicians and administrators recognize and reward excellent teachers, give novice teachers the training they need, and quickly improve or remove ineffective educators. We'll work to ensure that every family has a number of options for excellent schools to attend, so that getting into a great school becomes a matter of fact, not luck. And we'll make sure all Americans understand that our schools are not only an anchor for our communities, but an absolute gateway to our national prosperity and competitive standing in the world economy.


We Believe: Great teachers can make a tremendous difference for students of every background; all children deserve outstanding teachers.


Once inside the school, a great teacher is the single most important factor in a child's education. While there are many factors that influence a student's ability to learn, a great teacher can help any student overcome those barriers and realize their full potential. For this reason, we're doing everything we can to make sure teachers are supported and all schools are able to hire and retain the best teachers possible.


We Believe: Attending a great school should be a matter of fact, not luck; every family should be able to choose an excellent school.


In cities across America, parents are unable to enroll their kids in the best public schools — there just aren't enough seats. We're working to make sure all families have a range of high quality schools to choose from, because our kids shouldn't have to rely on a lottery or a certain Zip code to get a great education.


We Believe: Public dollars belong where they make the biggest difference—on effective instructional programs; we must fight ineffective practices and bureaucracy.


Schools need smart spending — not more money. Tax dollars should go toward programs that help our kids, ensure their long-term success, accurately evaluate teacher performance, and produce results — not layers or bureaucracy that only serve to protect the needs of special interests.


We Believe: Parent and family involvement is key to increased student achievement, but the entire community must be engaged in the effort to improve our schools.


Parental engagement is critical to ensuring student success, so we'll work to get all families more involved in their schools. But lasting reform requires that whole communities get involved in the fight for better schools. Without a widespread, concerted movement that engages all sectors of society, our country will continue to fall further and further behind the rest of the world.

If you agree with our mission, and want to help transform education in your community and throughout America, join us.

I don't think that Michelle Rhee is the end all of education reform, but she has passion and out of the box thinking, and it is a start.

Waiting for Superwoman - Michelle Rhee To Resign as DC School Chancellor - UPDATES

Michelle Rhee,  the tenacious chancellor of the DC public school system, is reported to announce her resignation today.  Rhee is at the frontier of public school reform.  As such, she has made many enemies; especially of the teachers unions. 


Rhee was featured in the documentary "Waiting for Superman" a scathing and honest look at the crisis that our public school system is in.  DC has one of the worst public school systems in the country.  By no means is it due to a lack of funds; as they spend more per student than any other school system in the country.  Which by the way, mainly comes from federal funding to the tune of almost $30,000 per student.


Rhee has stood up to the unions, which has been the cause of her downfall.  Soon to be former Mayor Fenty hired her three years ago and the when the re-election battle began, the unions went into overdrive to get him out of office. 


Rhee has also closed schools that were failing and didn't have enough students to justify the costs of keeping them open.  She realized that the funds would be better utilized if they went more directly to the classrooms and the students.  Under Rhee, the test scores and achievement levels have increased, yet the teacher unions saw fit to spend more than $1 million to help elect Grey.  They went into overdrive to convince the residents of DC that Rhee was not the answer to school system that is keeping many of the poor residents in DC in poverty. 


DC has lost big today and it is a shame.  But, I have to believe that someone that is as committed to improving failing school systems as she is, will be a great pick up for another school system.  I am hoping that she can go and work in Newark.  The gift of $100 million and both a mayor and governor who are both willing to stand up to the unions will have her back and give the residents of that city a chance to get a good education that will help lift their families out of the generational poverty that they have had the sad luck to find themselves in. 


Rhee has the ability and desire to present a road map for other school systems to follow.  We cannot be competitive on the world stage if we can't even educate our children.  It is time to think outside of the box and break the failing mold that we have created for ourselves.  The federal government spends almost $70 billion on the department of education.  For that not one single child is educated.  That money would be better spent by individual school systems that understand the needs of their own community. 

Michelle Rhee did indeed step down today.  It doesn't look like she has decided where she is going to end up, and says she wants to try and work in the private sector. 






Look carefully at the improvement that they call modest!!!  Shameful

Where Has the Sanity Gone? Fenty and Rhee Out in DC

Adrian Fenty, Mayor of Washington D.C., lost his re-election bid to Vincent Gray quite convincingly; by 10% points.  Fenty, a man that most describe as aloof, has been an effective mayor.  During the Fenty administration the murder rate decreased and the public school system test scores increased.

Fenty hired both the police commissioner and the school Chancellor; Michelle Rhee.  Rhee figures prominently in the new documentary "Waiting for Superman".  The documentary shows the trials and tribulations of the average American trying to get a good education for their child.  Sadly, all too many are unsuccessful. 

This is especially true if you live in a poorer, more urban environment; such as Washington, DC.  The district has a great deal of problems.  Poverty, gangs, homelessness, drugs, AIDS infections, and on it goes.  One of the biggest problems that DC has had over the years is a broken school system.  It certainly is not for a lack of funds.  DC spends a great deal of money per student in public school.  The number is somewhere around $17,000 per student one of the highest in country.  The results for that money is less than stellar.  Some of the lowest test rates in the country.  Obviously, the problems go much deeper than the finances. 

Some of the schools are in major disrepair and are in horrible neighborhoods, where I certainly wouldn't be comfortable to have my small child walk to and fro.  The district recently lost the federal funds for school vouchers; even though the program was wildly successful.  In walks Michelle Rhee.  Rhee who has a reputation as bringing a no nonsense take no prisoners approach to fixing the broken system that Americans have created for themselves. 

Rhee has fired teachers who were shown to be incompetent and unable to raise the level of education in their classrooms.  She also has closed entire schools that were just failing the students in every way.  This has been none too popular with the local and national teachers unions.  Nor did it sit well in a majority black city when many of the teachers were black themselves. 

Fenty who has been not just a defender of Rhee, he is one of her biggest fans.  He also has not played the political games that everyone in DC has become accustomed to.  He hired the best people for the job.  He ran the city in a way to lower costs and improve services.  He wasn't always successful, but he did the job that so many have no desire to perform.  And by no means did escape his own scandals.  He did hire some of his fraternity brothers to perform some services that caused an uproar, and I am sure helped in his defeat. 

Rhee is almost certain to lose her job after Gray is officially elected; and he will be as no Republican is running in the race.  The unions spent millions to get Gray elected and the payback will be her head on a platter. 

While I doubt that Michelle Rhee and I agree on anything politically, we both agree that every child in this country deserves a good education; and that ain't happen now.  She is willing to make some difficult choices that Americans have yet to accept that we are going to have to make to straighten this ship. 

I find it quite sad that the teachers unions could buy the opinions of the very people that Rhee was trying to help.  We are all going to have to make some sacrifices to get this country heading in the right direction again.  Improving public education is a vital if we are truly going to get that done.  Rhee's innovative and tough love ideas may be just what we need; and sadly it will be some other city that will benefit.