The Weekly Feed: Experimentation Edition
Morning Roundup: Change Edition
Former Blade Staffers Launch 'DC Agenda'
D.C. Insurance Dept. Denies Birth Control Coverage Meddling
Controversy Over Rhee Now to Include Sex, Congress
In a letter sent last week to DCPS teachers, D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee directly addressed ten of the most frequent concerns she hears from teachers, ranging from "Some people say that you want to fire all the veterans in DCPS and replace them with Teach For America teachers or DC Teaching Fellows. Is that true?" to "There are too many initiatives going on. I’m worn out and overwhelmed. What’s your priority?"
Rhee admits, "... we’ve thrown so many different programs at you. Please know that this comes from a desire to support you, not inundate you. But I now see that we may have pushed on too many different fronts all at the same time." As the Post points out, in addition to Rhee's controversial contract proposal, shuttering of 23 schools and mass firing of central office employees, principals, and non-certified teachers, "are a flurry of pilot programs and policy changes that have placed increasing demands on many teachers. They include Saturday programs to prepare students for the DC-CAS standardized tests; a push for inclusion of special education students in regular classes; a new accelerated math program; a cash reward program for students in selected middle schools that requires new paperwork and record-keeping; and new guidelines for bilingual, arts and health education."
In response to the letter, The Washington Teachers' Union president George Parker and American Federation of Teachers head Randi Weingarten issued a joint release criticizing the chancellor: "Perhaps, instead of choosing to publicly negotiate directly with teachers, she should take the time she's set aside for 'Q&A sessions' and spend it at the bargaining table."
The WTU submitted their counter contract proposal to Rhee last month, but they probably shouldn't hold their collective breath. D.C. Wire reported that at a recent D.C. Council hearing, Rhee said the counter-propsal, "quite frankly bore no resemblance to any of the conversations we'd had," and "definitely did not propel us forward."
Meanwhile, when it comes to student achievement, Rhee tells the Washington Times, "On an absolute scale ... I would give myself an F."
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she's such a ball-buster. HA! I love it.
She should absolutely spend more time at "Q&A sessions," followed promptly by ignoring everything that was discussed, smashing the Washington Teachers Union, and scattering it to the four winds. Since when has WTU done anything except stand in the way of anything resembling progress in improving the schools? They sure as hell don't give a fat rat's fart about kids, and they barely give any lip service to their own constituency, when they're not busy stealing member dues and buying plasma teevees and getting arrested for larceny.
WTU gives unions, DC, and humanity in general a bad name.
She is the Thundercats, the WTU is the planet of the Snarfs.
Snarf snarf snarf snarf.
Chancellor Rhee - - - is that you?
Chancellor Rhee - - - is that you?
O-ren Ishi-rhee.
Yeah, you see it. Don't lie.
Yawn. The deification of Michelle Rhee continues. I have two experiences with her, and she has proven herself a liar both times. Hine Jr. High sits on nice real estate at 8th and Pennsylvania SE, next door to Eastern Market. She says decisions about school closings would be made solely on the basis of what's good for the kids, never based on real estate considerations. But the right decision for Capitol Hill kids would have been to keep Hine open--the population of kids in primary schools on the Hill is booming, and the population of pre-schoolers in strollers is bigger still; meanwhile, the new principal at Hine was turning around the program and making it a good school; we will need an (improving) Hine in about 3-4 years. But Rhee's decision was to hand off the property to developers. Here's the kicker: Several developers have said that IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL, they will not begin construction until 2013--in other words, at least 4 years, maybe longer, with a vacant school building in the middle of the neighborhood. Thanks, Michelle!
The other interaction I had with her regards Eastern HS. In May last year, students planning to enroll as freshman were told to make other plans--Eastern would not be taking any more freshmen. Sometimes her office, or her partner in crime, Councilmember Wells, say no new freshmen will be enrolled at Eastern until it is empty, and a whole new program starts in that school building. At other times, Rhee says they may enroll freshmen there next year. It's March, and no one in the neighborhood knows what's going on...worse, many adults in the neighborhood have organized as friends of Eastern and want to volunteer to help build a strong program there, and have been rebuffed.
Rhee's moving her lips? That means she's lying.
Doesn't sound like anyone's getting deified here. Also, can we stop preceding comments with fricking yawns? You know they're infectious and when I read the word 'yawn' it makes me yawn in real life.
I referred to her as the Thundercats.
Sorry.
It sounds like you have some differences of opinion with Ms. Rhee. That's fine. But you've presented nothing to demonstrate that Rhee has "proven herself a liar [two] times".
Just because Hine will be sold to another party does not automatically mean that was the driving factor behind the decision (note: I am not defending or supporting the decision, just pointing out that correlation does not imply causation).
As to your second example, changing your mind, not having a plan, and/or poor communication just isn't the same as lying.
Kudos to Rhee for addressing the most frequent professional concerns. But how many more DCPS bathrooms do I need to carve this in before she addresses the more personal ones?
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
KJ is a puma between the sheets,
and I bet Rhee is too.
@boondoggle, put your little pocket knife away and get with it. Rhee is all up on the mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/1208/577398.html
Did you play in the NBA? Yeah, I didn't think so.
what does this even mean? she is friends with KJ. And you point is....?
If she gives herself an F, does that mean she's going to fire herself?
I don't think the Union of American School Chancellor's would allow that to happen. It sets a bad precedent.