Michelle Rhee: Decisive Change Agent or DCPS Dictator?

Something must be done to turn around DC public schools. Enrollment is down, and graduation rates are dismal—nearly 50 percent. In her first year, Chancellor Michelle Rhee went into the position full throttle, implementing reforms, closing down 23 schools for low enrollment, and firing teachers and principals for underperformance.

In an interview with Rhee on PBS, John Merrow asked her if she is a benevolent dictator. "Maybe," she replied. When asked if dictatorship is OK, she said if "dictator" refers to someone who is accountable and decisive, "then yes." Not everyone buys this logic, though. "People are not happy, and it is because of this iron-fisted approach," said parent Iris Toyer.

Rhee’s reforms topped the news again this week with a proposal to increase teacher salaries to, in some cases, close to $100,000, with the caveat that applicants forfeit seniority and risk dismissal after a year of probation.

Would you take Rhee's salary-hike-with-strings-attached? Does Rhee's authority need to be checked, or is she a much-needed "accountable and decisive" voice for public schools?

Comments

[factcheck]

An effective leader respects the law, seeks divergent points of few, practices respect, does not create scapegoats and celebrates the work of others. Ms. Rhee's statements about her own accomplishments regarding racing student's test scores (especially when standardized tests are not administered to 1st and 2nd graders, the absence of evidence of this accomplishment, her somewhat grandiose tale of smashing a bee and eating it, her description on Charlie Rose of a star teacher as one who spends half of his salary on burgers and rewards for students makes one doubt that she really understands how to lead and sustain meaningful change that results in high performing schools that seriously examine best practices. Ms. Rhee's rhetoric and the presses failure to seriously investigate her claims remind me of the leadership style of a Bush or a Rumsfeld. I think that DC will pay dearly for the rock star approach to education. It is tragic to watch this, and I've never belonged to a teacher's union.

[Peter]

I'm in a "wait and see" place just now with Michelle Rhee. I've only listened to a few of the John Marrow podcasts and NPR reports for my info, so I can't claim to be close to the situation, but I am curious. I am assuming that there is more going on in DC behind the scenes than is reported in the news. I would hope that Rhee is working as hard out of sight, to win allies and bring people on Board that are key stakeholders in the district, as she is making headlines. She can't do it alone, especially if she wants to create lasting improvements. Rock stars are known for concert tours, not systems change. What's at stake is the education of a whole bunch of kiddos.

[John Conroy]

HER TACTICS MAY NOT BE THE MOST PC BUT DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES AND DC IS IN DESPERATE TIMES.

[Flygirl]

You would call Rhee a dictator? Hmm...what do you call the mandate madness that the education world has been experiencing for decades? There is a phrase called "clean house" that may be in order when things are not running well. Identify the problem, define it and do something productive about it. From what I can see, she is working in that direction. A lot of jealous people out there will try to bring her down. I would like the opportunity to be on her team!

[Bags]

My friends and I agree. We would accept Dr. Rhee's proposal. If you are an effective teacher, hard working, and want the best for your students, it is a no brainer.

[Maria]

KUDOS to Ms. Rhee. She needs to keep doing what she is doing to turn the school system around. In a city like DC, with so many easily accessable resources for teachers and students, DCPS should be the best school district in the country. I believe in Ms. Rhee and what she needs to do to get us there. I would jump at the opportunity to be a member on her team to help make this happen.

[Gloria]

I find it interesting to hear the criticisms of Ms. Rhee in the context of the criticisms of our own "reformer" superintendent here in Miami-Dade, Dr. Crew. I've begun to see that reform in large systems requires different leadership styles for different stages of a reform movement. Perhaps Ms. Rhee and Dr. Crew have this in common: they face chaos and are willing to lead through it to deliver results. This will appeal to some and threaten others hence the polar opposite perspectives on their leadership styles. As parent activities we would be well served to understand this dynamic and be willing to keep the focus on what matters: reform that supports sustainable educational systems that align with the premise and promise of whole child education.

[dcteacher & parent]

If Rhee and her staff exhibited a better understanding of sound educational practices, we would trust them more. So far, their glorified behaviorism and low expectations for students (test score "performance" and "achievement") have most of the thoughtful educators I know in this town deeply disappointed. Now we have to work harder in the out-of-school hours to make up for the damage done to our kids 8:45-3:15, or search for better options such as unschooling.

[Lynn Gao]

I respect her counrage in doing what she has been doing. However, I do not have enough information to make any judgement. I am wondering whether she sees the importance of aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the way that should be done. One of the serious problem in educating our students is commercialism, especially in the arena of assessment/testing. Both instruction and assessment, which actualy should be enbedded in the instructional process, should be done by educators, not by some companies who sell their product for profit. The time when teaching and assessment are being done by educators in the same educational setting, that is in the classroom, is the time when effective teaching and learning take place. How can any teacher align their intruction meaningfully and effectively when instruction and assessment are separated?