The rise, and looming fall, of 'education reformer' Michelle Rhee

[deminks]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/03/962962/-The-rise,-and-looming-fall,-of-education-reformer-Michelle-Rhee?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29

Give former DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee a dollop of credit: unlike a number of the voices in the current debate claiming to know all of the ills of the modern public school classroom, Rhee actually did spend time inside of the classroom.

Yep...for three whole years.

It is a fact she works hard to embellish: in a recent op-ed in the New York Post, Rhee refers to herself as "a former teacher with almost 20 years in the field." It was a clever rhetorical flourish, designed to give the impression that she had been a foot soldier in the classrooms for decades, when in reality her tenure as a classroom teacher ended in 1995, after having begun in 1992.

(snip)

Here is where the story gets considerably more difficult to understand. The Republican embrace of Rhee is easy: on the issue of education, they appear to be kindred spirits. The embrace of the press is probably predicated on the fact that her confrontational nature makes for an intriguing story.

But why has someone who spent very little time in the classroom, and has been a magnet for controversy, been given so much cache in this conversation from Democrats? That is a more complicated question, to be sure.

(end snip)

an interesting question indeed.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Rhee was a pointman for someone's agenda.

She crashed and burned because she went out on a limb on her own, where she fell off.

[leveymg]

3. She couldn't fly on her own when DC Mayor Fenty was drummed out after 1 term.

Yes, she is a corporate tool - and not a very aerodynamic one.

[Hutzpa]

4. How is she a corporate tool? n/t

[leveymg]

5. They're called "charter schools" - privatized public education - ever heard of it?

She was big on that along with the educational software and remote services market.

[Bozita]

10. That photo is absolutely perfect.

And Michelle Rhee is on the same flight plan.

[n2doc]

2. I disagree with one point- the embrace of the press wasn't due to her story

It was due to the fact that the press is owned lock stock and barrel by the rich.

[senseandsensibility]

6. Bingo.

I agree, and even many of our "liberal" journalists don't understand public education well enough to question the likes of Rhee.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. That 'looming fall' needs to hurry up and fall already

This woman is slime. She has not one iota of interest in helping kids. Please, make her go away.

[fishwax]

12. yep -- can't happen too soon n/t

[xchrom]

8. Arne will have to find another 'evangelist'. Nt

[PufPuf23]

9. Saw Rhee interviewed about a week ago on either MSNBC or CNN.

Rhee was far less than impressive and appeared to have scant perception of reality, but has a job to do and an ideology to push.

The interview was about DC schools and cheating on exams.

POTUS Obama has weakened public education in appointments (Duncan), sweet rhetoric, and labor and education policy. There are more opportunities for corporations and nutjobs to make profit and warp learning.

[LWolf]

11. There is an easy answer to that question.

The Democrats in power support her.

If her fall is truly "looming," I want to be there to cheer as she goes down.