‘Michelle Rhee’
courtesy of ‘angela n.’
Yesterday morning, DC’s chancellor of Public Schools, appeared on ABC’s “This Week” to weigh in on the current state of America’s public education system. During the round table discussion with Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, and host Christiane Amanpour, Rhee (who joined via satellite from Sacramento) spoke to the revamping of the DC teacher evaluation model, implementing a merit-based compensation system and reforming the way government resources flow into the school districts.
See the first segment of the discussion, after the jump.
Rhee was, as usual, well spoken and succinct in her contributions to the conversation. It was so refreshing to have a DC voice on a national Sunday morning show. Especially, when it’s one who is willing to take on the tough issues within our school systems.
A born and bred New Yorker, Rebecca made the big trip “down south” to DC in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. She spends her days strategizing/planning/ideating how interactive products can help her clients and change the world. In her free time, she explores DC’s ever expanding bar, restaurant and small business scene, plays a crap ton of soccer, attends concerts that contribute to her sleep deprivation and embarks on local adventures. Read why Rebecca loves DC or follow her on twitter.
My kids are way past school age, yet as a DC homeowner my wife and I pay a huge amount of money every year in property taxes. Hence, I believe my opinion should count for something. Clearly the state of education in DC is abysmal and Ms. Rhee made some headway especially in breaking unions. I think she should be lauded for her work and I am sad the first and perhaps only legit reform is now over. Nonetheless, this is all like changing seats on the titanic or putting lipstick on a pig. DC is not going anywhere because they can’t admit the real problems. I doubt, and they are related problems, that DC will even even admit that their water system still relies on lead pipe and that houses all over DC, especially in the poor black neighborhoods are full of lead.
God bless these poor negro kids that are stuck in everlasting poverty and ignorance. God bless the USofA, John Berchert, Concerned Citizen.
John,
Please rein yourself in. Its really embarrassing.
Hey Tom, I guess you didn’t like the term negro. Does recognizing any of the three principal races, negroid, cauacasoid and mongonloid make me racist? Is that a little like one of our caucasion city staff who had to resign because he used the word “nigardly” in describing the city budget? Isn’t that just appeasing ignorance to skip the accurate word for being PC?
I would agree, however, with scientists who say the human genome is so close, the “race” word is arcane.
Living in lead painted homes and drinking lead laden water is a shame and it has really nothing to do with race–just grinding poverty.
Hence, I do not mean to sound like a racist but if you’ve lived in DC a long time you might understand that this is one of the most racially divided cities in North America. The fact that we can’t address such a problem (I never believed in segregation even tho I grew up in it) will perpetuate the problem. So, I take offense when one is not allowed to address reality on a blog. Isn’t that the limit of corporate media? The beauty of such blogs, IMHO, should be free speech. Of course, I know it isn’t completely free as you are paying for this bandwidth and you are investing the time in moderating. Both things I appreciate–I just wonder if you realize the historical power free speech on the Internet entails. I believe, in some years when the gov’t starts policing such opportunities you and I will miss the chances we had to speak our mind–and maybe as a happenstance–the truth.
Further, not being able to address the problem and not being able to use basic words of science are rather limiting. Don’t you think?
So, even if you block me from this site I do appreciate the forum, even tho limited, you have provided. Thanks, JB