If you are going to treat teachers like shit and not care less about educational stability for the kids, you shouldn't be running a school system.
Susan Ohanian excerpted some of the comments, so I thought I'd include them here:
A leader gets those who look up to them to follow. Our schools are not military institutions that just need a good hard general to crack down on those who will not follow blindly. Schools are human organizations where trust, camaraderie, and mutual respect get human results. Michelle Rhee is the wrong person for a truly human enterprise.
11/1/2009 11:59:18 PM
-----
Staticvars:
You're another naive, blind Rhee-supporter, but it's not necessarily your fault.
She has raised cronyism at DCPS to a level not seen in prior administrations. She has fired almost everyone at Central Office with institutional knowledge who were excellent at their jobs, so she could put people in place loyal to (or fearful of) her who would not question her about her wrongdoing (she also is the most autocratic leader of the school yet). As a result, central office is staffed by over-paid novices (the salaries she pays these people without prior experience are alarming, yet teachers, paid far less on average, are being unfairly slandered by her and her likewise supercilious supporters, as if the failures and ineffectiveness of DCPS is their fault alone). Worse, central office is run no better, as her cronies make more mistakes and add to inefficiency far more than the people she fired. Unfortunately, this aspect of her management remains a dirty little secret that only insiders know. The local newspapers won't touch it. That's why I understand that your ignorance about Rhee is really not your fault.
I wanted desperately to believe in Rhee too. As a special education teacher who fought frustration ever since I joined DCPS in 2005, I voted for the Mayor solely based on his promise to fix the schools. Also, as a DC Teaching Fellow/New Teacher Project recruit, I hailed his appointment of Rhee. Nonetheless,I had to join the army of dissenters when it became impossible to ignore Rhee's hypocrisy and laziness (yes, laziness, because she is working from Janey's curriculum, Janey's Master plan, and an ideology borne out of her cliquish "Teach for America/New Teacher Project/New Leader for New Schools" arrogance, which has a "my way or the highway" ring to it). Moreover, she does not have nearly as many responsibilities on her plate as her predecessors did. Fenty took away facilities matters from her and gave it to Alan Lew, the Technology department was meshed with the city's, the curriculum was already in place, thanks to Dr. Janey, and certification was assumed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, OSSE. All of these matters were managed by her predecessor. Yet, what has indolent Rhee done with her free time? She has roamed the nation bad mouthing teachers and well-meaning people, who are nonetheless ignorant of education, have drunk her kool-aid and fallen victims to her indoctrination.
Trust me, if you really care about D.C. and its children, you too will come to see the light about Rhee and realize that she is not who she purports to be.
-----
The call for Mr.Fenty to end the Council/Rhee bickering is ridiculous. Mr.Fenty has neither the skill nor the motivation to enter into this fray. The man can hardly put together a coherent sentence. Mr.Fenty was never known as a conciliator. Remember he is the original loose cannon of the Council. To ask him to mediate anything is laughable.
-----
Borrowing from Paul Hollander’s commentary today (link below) on the fall of communism, this is how DC school Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s oppressive brand of school reform could end – hopefully soon:
“[Rhee’s School Reform] collapsed for many reasons, including the economic inefficiency…and pervasive and mendacious propaganda, which amounted to the routine misrepresentation of reality highlighting the gap between theory and practice, and promise and fulfillment.”
“The political will of [City Council supporters] …diminished over time -- in part because of …revelations about …crimes but also because of their own experiences of the system's flaws.”
“The failure of [Rhee’s brand of school reform] confirms that humans motivated by lofty ideals are capable of inflicting great suffering with a clear conscience.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/01/AR2009110101702.html
11/2/2009 7:59:28 AM
-----
Keep in mind here:
Ms Rhee has never attended a day of public school in her life, or taught in one, or guided a child through one. [Actually Rhee did "teach," but as a Teach for America person for two years--hardly qualified to run any school district.]
Private schools, no matter how "open" or inclusive, choose their students, and the students or parents choose them. That, in and of itself creates a completely different culture from a public school which is obligated by law to accept anyone who finds their way in the door, and do what they can to teach them. Certain things in every business can only be learned in the trenches. I worked a number of years in a retail pharmacy. You don't know what you are doing until you have been at the counter with a winter storm warning posted.
Ms Rhee, has also never managed a large, politically charged organization in a volatile environment before.
I don't doubt her intention for a nanosecond. She is, however trying to manage something that can't be managed by chart and graph.
11/2/2009 8:32:32 AM
-----
When Rhee mouths the line she's "doing what's best for the kids, she is simply parroting a new slogan created in ultra-conservative think tanks. She's not alone. Joel Klein is doing it in New York City, Paul Vallas is doing it in New Orleans, in fact, every graduate of the Broad Center for Superintendents is singing the same tune. There isn't an ounce of sincerity in one of them, especially Rhee! They are all ideologues and functionaries who collect fat paychecks to do as Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Jeb Bush and other super-rich men instruct them.
These think tanks are places like the Hoover Institute where neoliberals crawl around considering how unions, public schools and Social Security can be destroyed and the US can be transformed into a vast slave labor camp.
Since the DCPS is overwhelmingly populated with African-American children and other children of color, Ms. Rhee's comment implies that until she came along, no one cared for these children. No one cared, not their parents, not their teachers, not the men and women who represent their parents in political office, no one before Michelle of Arc.
Seems like a fair question next time you see her, Chairman Gray. Ask Ms. Rhee if she really believes that she cares about Black children more than you do. Ask her to go back in her life and cite concrete and demonstrable acts that prove her anti-racist credentials and superior wisdom on these matters.
11/2/2009 9:10:32 AM
-----
More on oppressive regimes that do great damage before their ultimate failure - from Vscribe, DCPS refugee and Paul Hollander, communist refugee.
Vscribe: “[Rhee] has raised cronyism at DCPS to a level not seen in prior administrations. She has fired almost everyone at Central Office with institutional knowledge who were excellent at their jobs, so she could put people in place loyal to (or fearful of) her who would not question her about her wrongdoing.
“[Teachers] are being unfairly slandered by her and her likewise supercilious supporters, as if the failures and ineffectiveness of DCPS is their fault alone.”
“She has roamed the nation bad mouthing teachers….”
Hollander: “Political violence under communism had an idealistic origin and a cleansing, purifying objective. Those persecuted and killed were defined as politically and morally corrupt and a danger to a superior social system.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/01/AR2009110101702.html
11/2/2009 9:21:05 AM
-----
Rhee is a total disaster but ideal for those with the Eli Broad bent. In any case, she's gotta go.
No comments:
Post a Comment