Education Policy Community Thinks Highly of Rhee
As we mentioned in the Roundup this morning, Mayor Adrian Fenty has fired D.C. School Superintendent Clifford B. Janey, and announced this morning at a press conference that he would be replaced by Michelle Rhee, in a new position as D.C. Schools Chancellor. The Post has a good story up already with some details of Rhee's background: she's the the founder of New Teacher Project, a nonprofit group based in New York that trains mid-career changers for teaching jobs in needy urban centers. She also served as a teacher in Baltimore's public school system through Teach for America. But, it should be noted, she has never served as the head of a school system in any capacity. Fenty claims that was one of the top reasons he picked her.
Rhee has an unbelievably difficult task ahead of her. It's not hard to imagine that her status as a non-Washingtonian and the first non-African American head of D.C. Schools in 40 years will make her job that much more difficult. It's also fair to say that most people outside the education community, especially parents and the D.C. Council, were unfamiliar with her until today.
Within education policy circles, however, Rhee appears to be highly esteemed. Over at Eduwonk, Rhee is described as "one of the most impressive people in education today, she's an effective manager, keen intellect, and very much on the leading edge." Democrats for Education Reform declares that "her guts to bluster ratio is pretty much unmatched in public ed today." Alexander Russo at This Week in Education says "Rhee is a standout, there's no doubt, and has accomplishments coming out of her ears," though he also admits her appointment is "a little nervous-making."
Will this kind of confidence in Rhee's poise, intelligence and overall experience from some of her peers in the education reform community make her transition into the job of chancellor easy? It seems unlikely, given the enormity of what she's about to take on and the District's reputation for not being the friendliest to "outsiders." But Eduwonk has an excellent point here:
The people who tried and failed before [Rhee] were not bereft of talent. There are two key differences though: She has a mayor who supports her and can support her through the new governance arrangement and she understands the system, wants it to work for kids, but is not of it, she's a reformer. D.C. has had folks who are one, or the other, rarely both and never, obviously, in this governing arrangment.
Even if outgoing Superintendent Janey was just beginning to make some headway, as some claim, Janey clearly never had the confidence of Mayor Fenty. And now that Fenty has control of the school system, it will take someone who isn't afraid to shake things up who also has the complete support of the mayor to make a difference. It's now up to the D.C. Council to give Rhee the chance to do just that.