Comments on: Response to comments on my Michelle Rhee post https://andrewwolk.com/2009/11/14/response-to-comments-on-my-michelle-rhee-post/ Advancing Social Innovation - Investing in What Works Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:22:11 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: E Favorite https://andrewwolk.com/2009/11/14/response-to-comments-on-my-michelle-rhee-post/comment-page-1/#comment-5307 E Favorite Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:57:18 +0000 https://andrewwolk.com/?p=484#comment-5307 [continued] This isn’t a “radical approach,” it’s hubris and disrespect. No one who had the interests of children in mind would flaunt such behavior as a good example for schoolchildren or anyone. Did you know that hundreds of STUDENTS marched to DCPS headquarters in defense of their RIFd teachers? She has alienated parents, students and teachers. Did you know that? Please read Bill Turque’s articles in the Washington Post. He is an investigative reporter who reports facts, not Rhee spin. Your article and response is all about an ideal of social innovation and unfortunately, you’re all wrong about Rhee. It’s a huge disappointment, I know, I experienced it about a year ago. Since then I’ve just wanted her to get out. The longer she’s here, the worse the clean-up operation will be. [continued] This isn’t a “radical approach,” it’s hubris and disrespect. No one who had the interests of children in mind would flaunt such behavior as a good example for schoolchildren or anyone.

Did you know that hundreds of STUDENTS marched to DCPS headquarters in defense of their RIFd teachers? She has alienated parents, students and teachers. Did you know that? Please read Bill Turque’s articles in the Washington Post. He is an investigative reporter who reports facts, not Rhee spin.

Your article and response is all about an ideal of social innovation and unfortunately, you’re all wrong about Rhee. It’s a huge disappointment, I know, I experienced it about a year ago. Since then I’ve just wanted her to get out. The longer she’s here, the worse the clean-up operation will be.

]]> By: E Favorite https://andrewwolk.com/2009/11/14/response-to-comments-on-my-michelle-rhee-post/comment-page-1/#comment-5306 E Favorite Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:55:46 +0000 https://andrewwolk.com/?p=484#comment-5306 [continued] I know kids who have gone all the way through the DC system and gotten into premier colleges. They did well on their SATs, learning from some of the same teachers as kids who didn’t so nearly as well. How did that happen? No one wants to address that question because it doesn’t have a simple, politically correct answer that can be fixed by a reformer. No one expects Rhee to have “turned around the system” by now. Who said that? No one. We want the damage to stop so we can start rebuilding. We here in DC know that she’s made a bad situation worse by demonizing and demoralizing teachers, disregarding parental concerns and upsetting student learning by, for instance, holding a RIF in October, ending some classes in midstream, while doubling and tripling others. Did you know that Rhee said: “…cooperation, collaboration and consensus-building are way overrated.” <a href="http://aspenedsummit.blogspot.com/2008/09/panel-discussion-five-investing-in.html" target="_blank">http://aspenedsummit.blogspot.com/2008/09/panel-d...</a> [continued] [continued] I know kids who have gone all the way through the DC system and gotten into premier colleges. They did well on their SATs, learning from some of the same teachers as kids who didn’t so nearly as well. How did that happen? No one wants to address that question because it doesn’t have a simple, politically correct answer that can be fixed by a reformer.

No one expects Rhee to have “turned around the system” by now. Who said that? No one. We want the damage to stop so we can start rebuilding. We here in DC know that she’s made a bad situation worse by demonizing and demoralizing teachers, disregarding parental concerns and upsetting student learning by, for instance, holding a RIF in October, ending some classes in midstream, while doubling and tripling others.

Did you know that Rhee said:
“…cooperation, collaboration and consensus-building are way overrated.” http://aspenedsummit.blogspot.com/2008/09/panel-d...
[continued]

]]> By: E Favorite https://andrewwolk.com/2009/11/14/response-to-comments-on-my-michelle-rhee-post/comment-page-1/#comment-5305 E Favorite Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:53:14 +0000 https://andrewwolk.com/?p=484#comment-5305 Andrew, in your defense of Ms Rhee against her detractors, you say, Given…the state of affairs when Ms. Rhee was named chancellor, it seems hard to imagine that she could really do more damage to students on a macro scale than has already been done.” Hard to imagine, yes, but true. You have determined that “the system” damaged the children. That’s not a given. Certainly the children have been damaged and certainly the school system hasn’t prevented it from happening, but to presume that the schools are responsible for the breakdown of the social system is unrealistic, just as unrealistic as it is when Rhee says: “As a teacher in this system, you have to be willing to take personal responsibility for ensuring your children are successful despite obstacles…You can’t say, ‘My students didn’t get any breakfast today,’ or ‘No one put them to bed last night,’ or ‘Their electricity got cut off in the house, so they couldn’t do their homework.” (The Atlantic, 11/08) <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/michelle-rhee" target="_blank">http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/michelle-rh...</a> [continued] Andrew, in your defense of Ms Rhee against her detractors, you say, Given…the state of affairs when Ms. Rhee was named chancellor, it seems hard to imagine that she could really do more damage to students on a macro scale than has already been done.”

Hard to imagine, yes, but true. You have determined that “the system” damaged the children. That’s not a given. Certainly the children have been damaged and certainly the school system hasn’t prevented it from happening, but to presume that the schools are responsible for the breakdown of the social system is unrealistic, just as unrealistic as it is when Rhee says:
“As a teacher in this system, you have to be willing to take personal responsibility for ensuring your children are successful despite obstacles…You can’t say, ‘My students didn’t get any breakfast today,’ or ‘No one put them to bed last night,’ or ‘Their electricity got cut off in the house, so they couldn’t do their homework.” (The Atlantic, 11/08) http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/michelle-rh... [continued]

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