Not In A Clique

The biggest thing the new chancellor of Washington D.C. schools has is probably the fact that she's an outsider. Michelle Rhee doesn't have a long list of friends and colleagues she has formed ties with over the years. She can come in and make the necessary cuts, without regards to the status quo. When I read what she said about NCLB. That broke the ice. I was willing to listen to the other things she had to say. Unlike most educators these days she isn't using it as an excuse for failure.

I have often said that the NEA is the biggest problem facing public schools. In their drive to better the benefits for those who choose education as a profession. They have gotten out of hand. It has created top heavy systems all over the country. They have allowed problems to fester in order to accommodate promotions within the ranks. Everybody wants to be a specialist these days, and nobody wants to deal with the basics. The Washington D.C. system has less than half the students of the MCS, but they have almost three fourths of the employees. Yet the students are still failing. That says something right there. I wonder how many national search firms recommended Ms. Rhee for any superintendent job? Not many if any. Being a Korean-American heading a predominately black school system. In Memphis she wouldn't have even been considered. I bet she won't support programs just because they're headed by one of her soros. She can make bold and unprecedented moves. She's not in a clique.