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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Does Rhee really back probe of D.C. schools? | Opinion Blog | dallasnews.com

Does Rhee really back probe of D.C. schools? | Opinion Blog | dallasnews.com

Does Rhee really back probe of D.C. schools?

Former Washington, D.C., schools chief Michelle Rhee now tells a TV station that she welcomes an investigation into evidence of cheating on standardized tests while she was there.

Rhee has been facing questions since a a USA Today published an investigation into widespread cheatingin D.C. schools.

Her initial reaction was this:

"It isn't surprising that the enemies of school reform once again are trying to argue that the Earth is flat and that there is no way test scores could have improved ... unless someone cheated."

One writer on the Washington Post's Education Page, in calling for subpoenas for Rhee and anyone else who can shed light on the allegations, says that Rhee had her own chance to root out cheaters but went soft. Excerpt:

My colleague Bill Turque wrote back in 2009 about an investigation into possible cheating at