Michelle Rhee, Governor Branstad and Masking Tapegate
On Monday, Governor Branstad will meet with the former Chancellor of DC public schools, Michelle Rhee. As a former teacher, Rhee once put masking tape over her students’ mouths to keep them quiet on the way to lunch.
This is no joke, although you can watch the video of her joking about it right here.
As you watch and listen to this very strange video, keep in mind: This is Governor Branstad’s idea of who should be telling Iowa how to educate Iowa’s kids.
Rhee is currently under federal investigation for a major role in the “Erasergate” standardized tests cheating scandal in the DC public schools. According to the NYTimes:
“Ms. Rhee’s reputation as a national leader of the education reform movement has rested on those test scores, which soared while she was chancellor. Then, last March, USA Today published the results of a yearlong investigation of the Washington schools that found a high rate of erasures on tests as well as suspiciously large gains at 41 schools — one-third of the elementary and middle schools in the district. “ When Standardized Test Scores Soared in D.C., Were the Gains Real?
ASK THE GOVERNOR
Why are you inviting Rhee, a failed teacher, fired administrator