This week’s Time brings us yet another glowing magazine article about Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Who makes the cover of Time? Barack Obama, Vladmir Putin, Lance Armstrong — and Michelle Rhee.
If you missed the Rhee profile in Time, and you want to know how the out-of-town press sees her, no worries. You can grab the current issue of The Atlantic or back issues of: Newsweek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company.
Google Rhee and your computer might explode with references and links.
You can rest assured the attention and praise for Ms. Rhee rankles her detractors here at ground zero, where Rhee is locked in a battle to the death with the Washington Teachers’ Union. And the small group of professional activists and naysayers must be seething at Rhee’s growing national power base.
Seems to me Rhee replenishes the strength she needs to reform our decrepit schools from three sources: unwavering support from Fenty; cheers from parents and students and many teachers who actually go to D.C. schools and see improvement; and accolades she gets from fans all over the country who read articles like the one in Time.
Like the note from a teacher on the other coast: “In response to the naysayers about you, I commend you from the bottom of my heart. I left the school systems in California because I was an effective, hardworking teacher with a no-nonsense approach to teaching, and principals were more in awe of average daily attendance. When I heard about you I said: That is the kind of woman I would love to work for.”
From a science teacher in Hawaii: “The students are behind and the expectations are low. I say if you are a good teacher then you should have no problem laying your job on the line. People need to man/woman up and realize this isn’t just about holding kids’ hands. We can’t baby another generation. Keep up the good work.”
A teacher in Portland writes: “I would like to be part of a higher mission to try and reform our public school systems in America. If you are looking for teachers outside your district, please feel free to contact me.”
Rhee’s mailbox was jammed with more love letters, even one from closer to home: “A DC voter, NW. No kids yet but when i have them i want to send them to your schools — so stay tough RHEE!”
Are D.C. schools fixed? Hardly. Rhee has been at the job for less than one full school year. Does my daughter at Wilson High have lousy teachers? Indeed. Great ones? Absolutely. Is the school still shabby? You bet. I and most parents who have sent their kids through D.C. schools do not expect miracles or instant success.
But we do expect Rhee to stick around for years and years to finish the job. The glow from the Time article will wear off, but the support from fans like the ones who wrote her will help to sustain her.
