Michelle Rhee in DC: Episode 5

Washington, DC's public school students aren't performing well: almost 20% of district schools now face No Child Left Behind's harshest sanction, a drastic change to the school called "restructuring." At the end of her first year on the job, Michelle Rhee continues to face serious challenges. And to make matters tougher, she's losing about 2,000 a year to charter schools.

In this episode, we follow Rhee as she begins to implement her radical restructuring plans.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• pbs
• johnmerrow
• learningmatters
• newshour
• michelle
• rhee
• washington
• dc
• charter
• schools
• education
• reform

[1988rogers]

Great! I hope they do away with teachers unions! They are a Commie tool to protect lazy, stupid teachers. Kids need to succeed in life and teachers should be held responsible for childrens success in the work place and universities after k-12!

[minkaboo]

As a student, fear and anxiety is counterproductive for learning. But we're talking about under-achievement created and fostered by incompetent and uncaring teachers. Now that the system has caught w/ them, they're blaming Rhee for making the teachers nervous and afraid to get fired? In what other jobs can you be incompetent and uncaring and still stick around? It's time to open the rooftop and remove the spiderwebs and air out the foul odors for our kids' sakes.

[lawyer4817]

"test scores are the only thing you gage a school by?" ummmmm yah... are you stupid? no we should gage them on if the kids show up and if they smile enough during school ours to measure achievement; wake the fuck up teacher unions

[itsjustme2919]

@minkaboo Yes but look at the gangster neighborhood these schools are in. Columbine ring a bell? You say that now, but if your child is shot between the eyes bleeding onto the cafeteria floor you would say he didn't make the school safe enough and that should have been his priority. Education should have been his primary goal I will agree with that but in this day and age safety is a very real concern,

[sexytina2100]

I MISS THIS SCHOOL

[bobbycratchit]

Yeah, I think it's a terrible thing. "The beatings will continue until morale improves" is the standard reply to these kinds of techniques. Here is the definition from wiki - "More importantly, the phrase is used sarcastically to indicate the counterproductive nature of punishment, and by extension, of excessive control over subordinates such as children at home or staff at the workplace. "

[davidmesaaz]

We would never say to a student bound for a University. If you want federal financial aid you have to go to the State University even if it has a bad reputation. Because if you don't the school will lose funding and lower the quality of education for everyone else.

But that is exactly what we say to kids in high schools and elementary school.

We should fund students and not schools.

[davidmesaaz]

If Obama doesn't continue the voucher program. 6 black kids can't continue their education at Sidwell. The same school that Obama's own children are being educated at.

It would be tragically ironic to have Obama eliminate the school choice for poor kids but not for his own kids.

[newvagal]

Who would remain in DC Schools under those conditions? With the uncertainty, I'd be looking for another job and perhaps leaving before hearing her verdict.

[knsummers]

mink, my problem is that Rhee brought in new criteria and judged the teachers against that without them knowing the new criteria. When you evaluate someone they need to be aware of the rubric your using. She needed to introduce a rubric in june, have staff go to each school and explain in detail what was expected before they were evaluated and implement an ambitious time line for improvement. I'm fine with teachers getting fired but they don't need to be cast as the villains .

[minkaboo]

I'm so happy that Principle Bennett didn't return to the school. His definition of how the school improved under this tenure was that the school is now "safer" for kids to go to classes. What about an education goal? Are schools places to dodge bullets or to learn?

[knsummers]

minkaboo, As a teacher what I've learned about human psychology tells me that fear and anxiety don't make it easy for adults or children to learn or perform well. Teachers and Chancellors are responsible for setting the tone. I've seen many gifted and intelligent people fail in education because of the tone they set. Thats the problem with "bad" teachers, they want the class to work one way and are blind to their kids' needs. I see that in Ms. Rhee too. High expectations is not just cruelty.

[minkaboo]

Oh yeah, what exactly are you afraid of in what Rhee is doing? To me, she's a chance of a lifetime...

[minkaboo]

Do you think it's a bad thing that teachers are anxious about possibly being fired? I think all teachers should be very nervous. Do you think bad teachers should be fired, even if that means many of them will be fired? Do you think scarred students who are attached to their teachers is a good reason to keep the bad teachers around? So, you think we should keep the bad teachers and wait around until the perfect Chancellor shows up who can please everyone and keep everyone's jobs?

[knsummers]

Its obvious she knows nothing about that school.

"People say that kids are disadvantaged because they come from poor homes or whatever."

-Michelle Rhee Or whatever? Thats sad. I'm glad Michelle understands the big picture. Anxious teachers are good teachers, right Michelle?

What about scarred students?

She scares me.

[2243SARUDAD]

MIchelle Rhee ROCK... if she can't save DC their future is pretty predictable... Killing capital city of the world....