Michelle Rhee blasted DC voters at "Superman" premiere. Audience cheered her.

[madfloridian]

The WP's Valerie Strauss thought it was a "chilling" moment when Rhee was cheered for her remarks toward voters. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee had been appointed by DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, and he lost this week. She had openly campaigned for him.

Waiting for Superman is a pro-charter school documentary introduced by Bill Gates at Sundance and filled with reformers.

Here's part of one Sundance attendee's review (Matt Belloni, from the Hollywood Reporter):

"In fact, for all its focus on underprivileged, inner-city kids, sections of SUPERMAN feel like they could have been cut together by Bill O'Reilly. Slo-mo footage of union leader speeches opposing reform that could help problem schools. Hidden-cam video of a teacher reading newspapers and checking his watch as his class goofs around. New York educators being paid millions to not teach. A major subject of the film, reform-minded DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, runs into a crippling teachers-union road block in her effort to shift pay structures to reward good teachers."

..."And who are the stars of Guggenheim's film? None other than NYC's own Geoffrey Canada, supported by Michelle Rhee and KIPP founders David Levin and Mike Feinberg, backed by a song written and performed just for this movie by John Legend."

..."So where is the Superman who can save our little blond children from these incompetent teachers and their devil's-spawn unions? Where's Clark Kent when we need him? Never fear, that bespectacled, geeky guy is here, only this Superman's street-clothes identity is Bill Gates. Numerous reports from Sundance indicate that billion-dollar Bill has shown more than a passing interest in this film. In fact, he was a highly visible participant at the Sundance Festival's "Waiting for Superman" screening, actually sharing the stage at the Q&A afterward with Guggenheim and Canada. He even twittered gushingly from the screening that there was "not a dry eye in the house." (Sniff, sniff).

Waiting for Superman

Here is the column from Valerie Strauss about Rhee's public comments at premiere.

Why 'Waiting for Superman' premiere was chilling

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee used the occasion of the D.C. premiere of the “Waiting for Superman” documentary -- which portrays her as the educational Joan of Arc -- to blast D.C. voters yet again for daring to reject her style of school reform. In front of a star-studded audience -- Washington D.C. stars, that is: legislators, government policy makers, journalists, political movers and shakers, etc. -- Rhee trashed the majority view of the electorate, which tossed out her patron, Mayor Adrian Fenty. Disagreeing with the vote is one thing; accusing voters of doing something stupid is something else.

“Let me not mince words, and say that yesterday’s election results were devastating – devastating. Not for me, because I’ll be fine. And not even for Fenty, because he’ll be fine, too. It was devastating for the children of Washington, D.C.”

More from Strauss about the "star-studded audience.

According to Politico’s Mike Allen, these were some of the people spotted on the red carpet:

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), David Axelrod, Roland Martin, Michelle Rhee, Davis Guggenheim and Elisabeth Shue, Jeff Skoll, Jim Berk, Kristin Gore, Melody Barnes, Bill Sessions, Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Alma Powell, Savannah Guthrie, Jake Tapper, Ed Henry, Luke Russert, Chris Matthews, Mark Halperin, Guy Cecil, Rep. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Daniella Gibbs Leger, Dag Vega, Heather Higginbottom, Rob Nabors, Christine Varney, Julianna Smoot, Ebs Burnough, Raj Shah, Geoff Garin and Juleanna Glover.

Strauss found it odd that they would cheer Rhee's remarks about the DC voters.

It is chilling to consider that last night’s premiere audience thought it was appropriate to applaud Rhee after she accused the city’s voters of bringing disaster on the kids because they didn’t agree with her and Fenty.

Eugene Robinson of the WP also jumped into the fray. She offended him as well.

Michelle Rhee has managed to offend me now, too

There are some people that Michelle Rhee managed not to offend during her tenure as chancellor of the District of Columbia's public schools. Apparently, in whatever time she has left, she's determined to make it all the way to the bottom of the list.

Speaking Wednesday night at the Newseum, where a documentary on school reform was having its red-carpet premiere, Rhee pronounced the following words: "Yesterday's election results were devastating, devastating… Not for me, because I'll be fine, and not even for (Mayor Adrian) Fenty, because he'll be fine, but devastating for the schoolchildren of Washington, D.C."

Okay, she can put a big check next to my name.

The arrogance takes one's breath away. Rhee essentially declares Fenty -- and herself -- to be indispensible. Moreover, she alleges that District Council Chairman Vincent Gray, who will be the city's next mayor, is prepared to allow students of the D.C. public schools to suffer "devastating" consequences. I know this will sound like hyperbole, but it's literally true: I've seen Latin American juntas surrender power more gracefully.

I guess after all that Michelle Rhee figured she'd better explain her remarks.

In a note to the WP today she tries to clarify what she said.

This week I used the word “devastating” to describe the potential effects of the D.C. mayoral election (front page, Sept. 17). I want to be very clear: In using this word I was not criticizing D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray. I was describing the perception by some that this election had been a referendum on reform of the D.C. schools itself. If the results were to be read as a repudiation of reform, that indeed would be devastating for D.C. children, for the city and for children throughout the country who are so dependent on successful school reform efforts.

The writer is chancellor of the D.C. Public Schools.

That sounds like she still thinks her reforms are the only way.

I hope those who applauded her when she made her remarks at the premiere were only being polite. My feelings are that this reform is more likely than not already set in stone...and someone else will be along even if the new mayor lets her go.

[earthside]

1. The Corporate Nationalization of Public Schools.

The Bush-Spellings-Obama-Duncan-Rhee-Gates-O'Reilly vision of education reform is what is "devastating.

Let's hope the DC results are being read as a repudiation of this kind of so-called 'reform'.

[Starry Messenger]

2. Why does Michelle Rhee hate democracy?

If parents wanted this, they would have voted for it. Case closed.

[CreekDog]

15. And maybe they wanted the schools run by someone who didn't seem to thrive on celebrity

but on actually improving the schools.

:shrug:

[Starry Messenger]

17. I'll hope this marks the beginning of a trend.

There's been talk that Rhee is coming out to CA next. Her fiance' is mayor of Sacramento.

[Hannah Bell]

24. you mean the pedophile who used to run a charter school?

and every time someone complained he used his connections to get out of it?

[Starry Messenger]

40. The very same.

They are both appalling.

[Hannah Bell]

21. because she's the love child of syngman rhee?

[Cal33]

27. I wish things were always this simple. They rarely are. For

instance, how many of these parents really know something about the ability
or lack of ability of teachers, and how many of them really understand
something about the quality of what is being taught. If Johnny can't
read by a certain grade, is it always the fault of the teachers. What
about the conditions at home, are they conducive to the child's learning.
And what is the particular child's native ability to learn. These are
just the beginning of a host of conditions that all play a role. The
words "Case closed" remind me of a shut mind. It's wiser to keep a
mind open.

[dkf]

3. Scores in DC are going to be watched very carefully.

Is what they did reversible? Will teachers who got the bonus now have it rescinded?

[madfloridian]

5. Remember when Gates, Broad el al threatened to pull funding..

for merit pay I think....if Rhee wasn't still there? Or did they fix that?

They may have found another way to fund it, not sure.

Corporately funded merit pay for teachers

[Hannah Bell]

20. they didn't do anything. there was no increase in scores not explained by the change in demo-

graphics, & rhee's gains were no larger than the previous regime's.

it's all smoke & mirrors.

[Tatiana]

4. Not only am I an educator, but I am also a parent.

I would never put my children in one of the so-called reform projects that Rhee has installed in DC. I think she is quite the ego-driven narcissist. She doesn't see those kids as human beings, in need of love, caring, and individualized instruction. She sees them as commodities who should be trained to be good little test taking machines.

I would also never send my children to a KIPP charter. EVER.

You know what I wonder? Why aren't there more teacher's union-run charters? Why are the majority corporate-run? I think we might have some interesting results if we gave some of the teachers and professional educators the opportunity to do what they have been trained to do without interference.

[chimpymustgo]

7. You have nailed it. And Rhee's behavior post-election has betrayed her true concerns:

it's all about her.

We voted HER - and her corporate education bullshit - out!

[madfloridian]

9. I agree with you....it is all about her and not so much the kids.

[Radical Activist]

11. Union charters.

The NEA seems to be on a campaign to demonize all charters as a corporate takeover being waged to destroy public education. That's certainly the view pushed by the most active posters here. Maye that perception about charters keeps more teacher-run charters from being initiated.

[sulphurdunn]

46. I hear you, but

the expression "union run charter" is an oxymoron. Well funded and administered public school systems can do anything they want in the way of educational innovation. Unions wouldn't stand in the way of such innovations unless they included provisions for stripping educators an organized voice or a seat at the table when such decisions are made. The whole charter school movement is nothing more than a business venture by authoritarian, for profit business interests, and their plans always seem to require eliminating collective bargaining rights and benefits for teachers. Who, just happen to be the people who do the heavy lifting in education.

[BrklynLiberal]

28. AZlbert Shanker's original idea for "Charter" schools was nothing like what is being

done by the corporate run schools.

The Charter School Idea Turns 20
A History of Evolution and Role Reversals
By Richard D. Kahlenberg

September 18, 2010

Twenty years ago this month, in a landmark address to the National Press Club in Washington, American Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker first proposed the creation of “charter schools”—publicly funded institutions that would be given greater flexibility to experiment with new ways of educating students. At the time, some conservative education reformers opposed the idea, saying we already knew what worked in education. Today, the positions are reversed: Conservatives largely embrace charters, while teachers’ unions are mostly opposed. How did the notion of charter schools evolve over 20 years? And might a return to Al Shanker’s original idea improve the educational and political fortunes of the charter school movement?

In Shanker’s vision, small groups of teachers and parents would submit research-based proposals outlining plans to educate kids in innovative ways. A panel consisting of the local school board and teachers’ union officials would review proposals. Once given a “charter,” a term first used by the Massachusetts educator Ray Budde, a school would be left alone for a period of five to 10 years. Schools would be freed from certain collective bargaining provisions; for example, class-size limitations might be waived to merge two classes and allow team-teaching. Shanker’s core notion was to tap into teacher expertise to try new things. Building on the practices at the Saturn auto plant in Nashville, Tenn., he envisioned teams of teachers making suggestions on how best to accomplish the job at hand. Part of the appeal of charter schools to Shanker and many Democrats was that they offered a publicly run alternative to private-school-voucher proposals, which they feared would undermine teacher collective bargaining rights and Balkanize students by race, religion, and economic status. A charter school, Shanker said, “would not be a school where all the advantaged kids or all the white kids or any...

http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/26/29kahlenberg_ep.h27.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/26/29kahlenberg_ep.h27.html&levelId=2100
...................................................................................................................................
http://prorev.com/schools.htm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcschools/2010/08/feds_follow_hatch_complaint_ag.html

Feds follow Hatch complaint against Rhee

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the agency that oversees compliance with the Hatch Act, is investigating complaints by an outspoken critic of Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee that she violated the statute by speaking out last month on the mayoral race.

The Hatch Act, which regulates political activity by federal and District employees, says they "may not use their official authority or influence to interfere with the result of an election." In a series of interviews with The Post and other news organizations this summer, Rhee clearly staked out her support for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and characterized his Democratic primary opponent, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, as a conventional politician too concerned with public opinion to lead the school reform effort.

The complaint was filed by Robert Vinson Brannum, president of the D.C. Federation of Civic Associations and a supporter of Gray's mayoral campaign.

Rhee declined to comment Thursday and referred questions to DCPS general counsel James Sandman, who said that the Office of Special Counsel was required to initiate an investigation any time a Hatch violation is alleged. "The fact of an investigation means nothing and reflects no judgment about whether any violation occured. Someone filed a complaint, and I am confident that there has been no violation," Sandman said.

Officials found to violate the Hatch Act can be removed from their posts. But if the Merit Systems Protection Board find that the violation does not warrant removal, there is provision for a 30-day suspension.
<snip>

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. +1

[Wilber_Stool]

6. What is a good teacher?

We all have are definitions. But I can tell you how a school administrator defines then. They keep their mouths shut and do what they are told. That's a good teacher.

[madfloridian]

8. That's how my last principal defined it. Just exactly.

They tried to fire her once, she threatened to sue....they caved in.

[Radical Activist]

10. Insulting the same voters who re-elected Marion Barry?

How dare she!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Barry#Legal_problems

[rpannier]

18. Deflection is your specialty I see

All the people who voted for Gray also voted for Barry and the people who voted for Fenty didn't vote for Barry.
That's amazing
It's also amazing that you have chosen to spin her comments in that way
Were you in attendance?
Did she mention Barry in her remarks, because I don't see them anywhere

I mean, it couldn't have ahd anything to do with any of the following:
1. the mayor's unannounced vacation in Dubai that was paid for by a foreign government
2. Allegations that the mayor's fraternity brothers had gotten lucrative city contracts prompted the council to sponsor a special investigation and hold months of public hearings.
3. That night, four people were killed and five wounded in shootings on South Capitol Street, the deadliest spasm of violence in the city in years. The mayor didn't show up to the crime scene until 24 hours later, his arrival prompting boos from the crowd and a renewed wave of complaints that he was disconnected.
Where had Fenty been? Initially, he and his aides were vague about his whereabouts, but then they confirmed that he had been on a family vacation in Jamaica. During an interview Saturday, the mayor amended the story to say that after Jamaica, he had taken his two sons to a tennis tournament in Florida, which is where he was when he learned of the shootings.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/15/AR2010091500834.html?nav=hcmoduletmv&sid=ST2010091500843

[Radical Activist]

31. So the people of DC have elected worse mayors than Barry?

Once again, HOW DARE anyone insult their judgment!!! :eyes:

[Chan790]

47. If you'd like to know really.

Barry endorsed Gray but had nothing nice to say about either candidate...they'd tag-teamed him out of public life and public office.

Fenty's core support came from the now-wealthy constituencies of NW DC and Capitol Hill. Overwhelmingly, he carried the upper-class, whites, small business owners, fiscally-conservative Democrats and the endorsement of municipal trade organizations.

Vince Gray's support more closely mirrored that of Tony Williams than Marion Barry: liberal religious-leaders in the community, organized labor (Yes, the teacher's union, but also the firefighters and the police unions as well), middle-class African Americans, African American professionals, Hispanic voters.

Barry's core constituency traditionally consisted of what we derisively called Barrycrats locally, though the technical term politically is "patronage voters". These split in this election explicitly along the lines of who the individual voter's patron was. Essentially, a wash, though a clear racial divide is obvious. What needs to be said here is that both Gray and Fenty are essentially-corrupt individuals: Fenty's a corporatist (and a self-admitted one), Gray's a demagogue, albeit a liberal populist. It's all about whose dogs you want to hitch your sled to; who is going to bring home your bacon, so to speak.

[madfloridian]

12. Sounds like Gray might keep here on as chancellor.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcschools/2010/09/gray_still_wants_to_sit_down_w.html

"Her declaration of devastation not withstanding, mayor apparent Vincent C. Gray still wants a meeting with Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. Speaking on the "The Kojo Nnamdi Show" this afternoon, Gray did not directly address her Wednesday night comment that this week's primary election result was "devastating" for the city's schoolchildren--nor her Friday morning clarification that she did not intend it as a criticism of the council chairman.

Gray stuck to his campaign answer, that he wanted to sort things out with her before he made a decision about the chancellor's post.

"I'm going to be true to my word and that I want to sit down with Michelle Rhee," said Gray. "I voted for her confirmation. I've worked with her....We worked very closely together. There are some days when we've done very well together, the other days, just by the nature of the process, when it's been contentious. But that's to be expected. That's the nature of the business we're in....I want to hear from her what's important to her with respect to continuing with reform."

[Orlandodem]

13. Obama/Duncan will follow Mayor Fenty. Teachers helped elect Obama and teachers can choose not to

vote for Obama in 2012 if he keeps his RTTT crap up.

In 10 years I can't wait to flick off all the teacher demonizers and say "see. I told you that tying a teacher's pay to a test score won't do any good!"

[madfloridian]

14. I never really expected it to go this far.

Teachers are paying attention now for sure.

[Jim Sagle]

16. Hey, fellow Americans!!!! You're what's for dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[YvonneCa]

44. Teachers on the menu; Ravitch tweet...

...seems to apply. :7

http://twitter.com/DianeRavitch/statuses/24726462607

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[chimpymustgo]

22. Check out Rhee's CHILD ABUSE in her own words:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/08/13/VI2010081305444.html

[Hannah Bell]

23. where she tapes their mouths shut & when they pull it off they bleed?

or where she mimics her students in a "eubonics" accent for the edification of the teach for america audience (who think it's soooo humorous, being as they come from elite schools.....?

[girl gone mad]

26. The woman is vile trash.

[malletgirl02]

29. That is Horrible

The mocking her students is bad enough, but how did she get away with taping her students mouths shut? In most places if a teacher did that they would have been fire quickly.

[malletgirl02]

37. Teach for America

Sorry about posting again, I didn't realize that the people Rhee was mocking her students to were either teachers or soon to be teachers. These people who are teacher are laughing at a woman who is mocking their students, that is fuck up. As with my previous post, Rhee should not be in her position, she should have been fired in disgrace for taping students mouth hut.

[BrklynLiberal]

25. Guess none of the cheerers had children in the schools that Rhee was in charge of.

Thanks Madfloridian for being such a passionate advocate for our public school system.

[perdita9]

32. Change is Hard

You may not like Michelle Rhee personally but she has gotten results.

[Hannah Bell]

33. yes, she's been able to fire some teachers and close some schools.

but so far as improved education for those at risk?

nope.

[Catshrink]

35. The difference in test scores is most likely attributable to changing demographics

not Rhee's changes. The most significant indicator of student performance on those standardized tests is parent SES and parent involvement. Firing teachers won't change that.

[Hannah Bell]

38. also, the magnitude of the increases were not significantly different from previous years.

saw the data, will try to find it again.

[LWolf]

36. Change is only valuable when it changes things for the better.

Her "results" emphatically do NOT.

[cjbgreen]

42. results

Really, what are you defining as results? Anger, increased racism, a drop in test scores this year, problems with the budget, parents who are not welcome at their children's schools, a poorly implemented program that pays students for grades resulting in declining test scores for those students participating in the program. Seriously what results, she fired people. Did she create a culture where people believe all children can learn and everyone works together towards that end. No she didn't. She had support and blew it. Even the people she hired quite with 40% turnover of administrators hired leaving.. And now she is saying everything will fall apart because Fenty lost. That isn't leadership I believe in.

[Richard Steele]

45. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about, and thus appear foolish.

nm

[chervilant]

49. hmm...

This isn't about liking or disliking Michelle Rhee. This is about recognizing that she is singularly unqualified to educate children.

[chervilant]

50. Durn...

I had to sleep on it to realize what bothered me about your post... You know what really bothers me? "Change is hard." Why do you, and others like you, automatically (and condescendingly) presume that those of us who are opposed to Michelle Rhee are opposed to change?!

Please, remove yourself from your 'morally superior' stance and strive for objectivity as you read what opponents of Rhee are posting.

You MUST consider that 40% of the adult population of our nation is functionally illiterate. Of the remaining 60%, a vast majority cannot comprehend what they can read. This suggests that public education has failed to 'educate' our population for quite some time now.

Speaking for myself (and several of the veteran teachers with whom I've worked), I have long been clear that fundamental change of our system du jour is critically essential. We teachers have been committed to finding innovative ways to teach our students for decades, most recently in spite of NCLB. Now we'll have to figure out ways to teach in spite of RTTT. Within the microcosms which are our classrooms, we gauge our students, develop approaches that work for them, and suss out ways to overcome the ennui, depression, resentment, and boredom that typically overwhelms the vast majority of our students. This is a challenging and scary responsibility--NOT one we take lightly.

Until and unless you have walked a mile in a teacher's shoes, please refrain from condescendingly assuming that we're opposed to change.

[Stinky The Clown]

34. I am thrilled that Fenty, and by extension Rhee, have only a finite number of days left.

She's despicable.

[MichiganVote]

39. Rhee made the obvious--apparent. There is DC $$ think and there is voter think.

The voters chose and that is their right. For the people who applaud the margins of the Oligarchy like Rhee, they deserve to be thrown out on their bums.

I like change. I want change and I want changes in public education. But I don't want Bill fucking Gates and his money to run my country.

AND THAT is the message voters sent to DC.

[AnnieBW]

41. She's got the personality of a bucket of shit

She may be trying to do good. I mean, she does have a point - you're talking about a city that continues to elect Marion Barry to city government. But she's really got the personality of a bucket of shit. It doesn't help that she's Asian in a primarily African-American city, either.

[cjbgreen]

43. Rhee brought this on herself!

Her only game was firing and hiring and running schools like a business. She was clueless about how to create successful schools and masked her inadequacies by bullying and name calling. This is not about racism. This is about an incompetent Mayor and his crony.

[Chan790]

48. Insulting the bucket.

It helps her even less that she says insensitive things about African Americans in a mocking tone in inner-city street-slang then tries to couch her racism by arguing that "(she) can't be a racist...(she's) engaged to a black man."