The D.C. Council went ahead and formally approved Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee's new powers to fire non-union employees with a 2nd and final vote on the matter yesterday. The measure passed, as expected, by the same 10-3 margin as the preliminary vote in December.

"Are you going to see a mass exodus of 488 people? No," Rhee told the Washington Post yesterday. "Will you quickly see people ineffective at their jobs move out? Yes."

Just how "quickly" these firings will be handed down starting today remains to be seen, but any non-union employee who works in the DCPS Central Office is probably looking over their shoulder this morning.

UPDATE: See below the jump for the full memo Chancellor Rhee sent out to DCPS staff yesterday, thanks to a reader who forwarded it to us. Basically, Rhee is offering non-union central office employees and anyone who was hired later than 1980 a chance to be "reappointed" without tenure, which then makes them subject to a performance reviews "in the coming weeks." If they do not accept reappointment, they must leave their positions.

To all DCPS Central Office Staff,

This afternoon the DC Council passed critical legislation that will help us to improve our delivery of service to schools, parents and the community. As we work as a team to increase our capacity to serve DCPS students, families, and school staff, they will all be supported to serve students more effectively, ultimately raising student achievement levels in the District of Columbia.

As you know from much of the feedback we have received from our constituents, we have several areas for improvement in customer service. I know that we can do a better job as an organization. As chancellor this begins with me. You deserve clear communication from leaders regarding what your job is and what is expected of you in order to do your job well. As professionals we all deserve to be challenged not only to meet expectations but to exceed them. Our skills should be well matched with our positions, we should feel strongly about the value of what we do and we should be committed to doing it well. Of course, in a school system, each of us should understand how our jobs are connected to student achievement.

Our students deserve a staff that is held to a high level of accountability for doing our jobs well. The legislation passed today will move us one step closer to reaching this goal by changing the personnel status of many DCPS employees. Once signed by the mayor, all DCPS central office employees who choose to work under this change will serve without job tenure. This will affect anyone who is not a member of any one of the following groups:

(1) Union members;

(2) Employees appointed before January 1, 1980;

(3) Employees who are school-based or who provide direct services to
individual students;

(4) Employees excluded by court order.

All employees who are affected by this legislation will be reappointed to the Educational Service status without tenure. Every employee who is reappointed will then have the chance to accept or decline reappointment within a specified time period. Employees who chose to decline will be separated from their employment with DCPS as specified in the legislation. Employees who accept reappointment will remain in their current positions, at their current salaries, until further notice. In the coming weeks, you will receive additional information about the legislation and its impact.

As always, I thank you for your fortitude during a time of fast and significant changes in our school system. I am confident that despite the difficulties of change, we are making the choices that are going to be best for our kids. I look forward to continuing our work toward the shared goal of increasing central office service to DC students and their families.

Sincerely,

Michelle Rhee
Chancellor