Michelle Rhee turns in resignation at D.C. Schools

Rhee has resigned from D.C. Public Schools within the wake of a new mayor-elect. According to the Boston Globe, Michelle Rhee’s resignation had been a “mutual” decision made by herself and newly elected Mayor Vincent Gray. Kaya Henderson, D.C. Public School’s deputy chancellor, will assist via at least the close of the current school year, reports the Washington Post. Article source – Michelle Rhee resigns in D.C., schools everywhere lose by Personal Money Store.

Teachers’ union questioned by Michelle Rhee

Test scores in the public educational facilities of the District of Columbia tend to be pretty low. Rhee arrived and changed all that. Rhee fought to make educational facilities better by forcing under-performing teachers to either shape up or ship out. The teacher firings in Washington D.C. started to go up pretty high. This made Rhee an enemy to most teachers’ unions and those who got fired. Based on Innovative Education Management, the system had enabled teachers who had been at a school for 3 years or more to become a fixture at that school. Firing under-performing, tenured teachers required a large burden of proof. Numerous of the tenured teachers had so much job security that they didn’t even put forth hardly any effort to make the institution better.

‘Unions can smell blood’

Michelle Rhee has resigned now which means the agenda she had in mind can have to be kept up by Kaya Henderson. The Globe describes though, “the unions can smell blood.” Henderson is expected to be “gone by Christmas.” Also, tenure will continue and all the teaching talent in the D.C. public educational facilities will probably go elsewhere within the near future.

The foundations that funneled fast cash into D.C. Schools due to Michelle Rhee’s passion for education reform might be re-evaluating their investment plans. D.C. Schools may be on the road to recovery, however some critics say even Rhee’s drive and focus were not able to produce results, and if Michelle Rhee cannot do it, who can? Mayor Gray supports the D.C. teachers union which means anyone who wants an education reform may not see it. The forecast seems to call for more business as usual for D.C. Educational facilities. Plus, America’s public schools lose a reformer who could have inspired others.

Citations

Boston Glove

boston.com/community/blogs/rock_the_schoolhouse/2010/10/_she_will_be_replaced.html

Innovative Education Management, Inc

ieminc.org/