Richard Whitmire, head of the National Education Writers Association, puts it all in perspective today, arguing that like it or not, Arne Duncan, Obama's choice to be Secretary of Education, will need to wade into the local union battles being fought in the District by Chancellor Michelle Rhee. He predicts that a clash between Rhee's "Clint Eastwood-esque power" and the typical federal interference in DCPS will be impossible to avoid and cautions Duncan, "don't even try to ignore the Michelle Rhee confrontation over teacher competence. At 6-foot, 5-inches tall, you can dunk once on the diminutive Rhee. But don't try it a second time." (Via Eduwonk.)