tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post3681920781158038782..comments2023-04-24T23:09:57.655-04:00Comments on All Things Education: What's the Matter with Rhee-formUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-75754580567479929762012-04-04T22:22:39.576-04:002012-04-04T22:22:39.576-04:00I was directed here by Diane Ratvich's Tweet t...I was directed here by Diane Ratvich's Tweet tonight. Here, here. Is anyone listening? I have worked under the Rhee reign and returned after many years absence from the district. Not only can I confirm much of your report, but I can add. Years ago I taught for three years in DC. Things were not perfect but I had a marvelous principal (whom I ran into the other day) who supported ever opportunity to use this city as a classroom (and there is no better classroom than DC). She supported my efforts to loop and take my students on a cross-country field trip of a life time. Those students are doing well by and in large part to that school and experience. In those days, the Washington Post scoffed at my principal trying to get them to cover such an event. The reporter asked, "Did anybody die?" <br />In the Rhee years, you couldn't sneeze in education without it getting a report in the Post, but then again the Washington Post had a vested financial interest in the tests. All I kept thinking when I walked back into the "New DCPS," was that Rhee had fired every mirror the kids had to see themselves as successes and replaced them with the fresh TFA faces whose Bambi inspired ideals make them believe that all of their students can go to the Colleges and Universities they attended. The entire district including the central office well out of touch. So much time and money has been put into professional development that concentrates on teachers knowing what Impact expects from them but not on showing them how to get there. They actually banned field trips in the school I worked in, saying the test scores must rise first. I know that my using DC as the marvelous classroom it is, I was able to capture the attention of children and open that want to learn. I will take a look at teacherman post as well. Perhaps one day the policy makers will begin to listen to those who have the experience when making their decisions and policies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-14975486803973821522010-11-02T21:57:59.149-04:002010-11-02T21:57:59.149-04:00@teachermandc-
I read the post and really value y...@teachermandc-<br /><br />I read the post and really value your wisdom and thoughtfulness. If only I had read it before writing my post! The historical context you give is especially relevant--thank you. For my readers, here's a direct link: http://teachermandc.com/2010/10/16/try-to-rhee-member/Rachel Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06844728669493681943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-8882326108978346632010-11-02T21:36:22.670-04:002010-11-02T21:36:22.670-04:00@The Reflective Educator-
Yes, that's what V...@The Reflective Educator- <br /><br />Yes, that's what Valerie Strauss and her editor said when they read this original version: Too long! <br /><br />I agree a turnover of 2,400 is terrible, but if your idea of reform is based on firing people rather then on developing their potential, then you probably don't see it as a bad thing. <br /><br />Kaplan obviously has a small government, anti-union perspective--he writes for the American Spectator, after all. I don't know for sure, but he may think that Rhee (as sort of a representative of the DOE feds) and that the WTU are inherently bad actors. Maybe by "spoils," he meant control and power? <br /><br />You can probably trust the data from Mary Levy, and while those trends sound crummy to me, I think you're right that they sound good to people with different opinions. I think that programs like DCTF and TFA could work more effectively if they were training or internship programs--where the candidates would work as semi-paid interns and then student teachers for two years while taking relevant courses and participating in seminars BEFORE having their own classrooms. I think conventional ed school programs should work the same way--more of a med school model, but not for as long.<br /><br />I appreciate your blog, btw.Rachel Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06844728669493681943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-451281737173435272010-11-02T17:46:40.892-04:002010-11-02T17:46:40.892-04:00There is much food for thought here. I am hopeful...There is much food for thought here. I am hopeful more seasoned voices will prevail (and be heard) in the next round of DCPS musical chairs. As a teacher in DCPS, I appreciate your analysis here, and I ask your readers to visit my blog at teachermandc.com. The entry "Try to Rhee-member" attempts to address many of these issues from the perspective of a teacher and parent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-66718080106127123882010-11-02T17:00:07.498-04:002010-11-02T17:00:07.498-04:00Good lord that's an extensive post. Nicely do...Good lord that's an extensive post. Nicely done though. A few things:<br /><br />- I think it's ludicrous that Michelle Rhee turned over 2,400 teachers during her tenure. Why isn't anyone more concerned about that? How can you improve education when your staff is always changing?<br /><br />- What do you think Kaplan means when he says, <br /><br />"Miss Rhee, quite laudably, got into trouble with the Washington teachers' union. But the quarrel was ... over the division of the spoils, under the cover of non-issues like merit pay and tenure."<br /><br />He's suggesting the division of the spoils were not actually about merit pay and tenure...so what were they really about?<br /><br />- In looking at human capital data, Mary Levy found that the percentage of first-year teachers in DC increased by 6% between 2008 and 2010, AND the percentage of the most experienced teachers decreased by 10% in the same time period. I suppose Rhee's supporters would consider that a victory. I'd have to look more into who each of those teachers were, but I certainly don't think DCTF and TFA are the answers to solving DCPS's problems.james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.com