While Michelle Rhee isn't in danger of losing her crown as the nation's Education Queen of All Media, the District of Columbia school leader's popularity is taking a bruising hit back home.
A pair of polls released by The Washington Post this week show the personal popularity of Rhee and her chief patron, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, have taken a precipitous fall in the Nation's Capital.
Fenty, who took control of the school system and hired Rhee within six months of taking office in 2007, is up for re-election this fall.
In January 2008, 59 percent of residents approved of her and 29 percent disapproved. Now residents are divided: 43 percent approve of what she's doing, and 44 percent are dissatisfied.
Even so, residents said in the poll they believe safety and teacher quality have improved since Rhee took over.
Rhee has the opposite problem of many superintendents and other politicians: her reforms are more popular than she is. Most leaders find they are unable to transform their personal popularity into lasting traction for their