“Star” educator Michelle Rhee sparks debate in Florida
Former Washington D.C. chancellor Michelle Rhee sparks debate among Florida lawmakers, educators
MEET MICHELLE RHEE
Age: 41
Position: CEO, Students First; Education adviser to Florida Gov. Rick Scott Past positions: Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools, 2007-10; Founder and CEO, New Teacher Project, 1997-2007; Teach for America teacher, 1994-97
Career highlights:
Shrank D.C. school system from 150 schools to 123
• Winnowed central office administration from more than 900 to less than 600
• Overhauled principal ranks
Dismissed almost 1,000 teachers including at least 120 for poor performance
• Secured new teacher contract including performance pay
• Saw strong student achievement growth on local tests 2007-09, followed by declines in 2010; continued a string of improvement on NAEP begun schools under her predecessor
• Struggled with achievement gap between wealthy and poor district schools
(Sources: Education Week, Washington Post, StudentsFirst.org)
BY JEFFREY SOLOCHEK
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
Florida’s lawmakers were starstruck.
Before them stood Michelle Rhee, the former Washington D.C. public schools chancellor recently featured on Oprah, on a Newsweek cover and in the documentary film Waiting for Superman.
“I am here today to ask you to keep being a leader,” Rhee said, urging members of two education committees to tackle one the few reforms that Florida has yet to achieve: a streamlined way to get “ineffective” teachers out of the classroom. “There is so much more to do.”
Senate Pre-K-12 committee chairman Steve Wise called her a movie star, and even Sen. Eleanor Sobel, a more skeptical Broward Democrat, gav
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