Former D.C. schools chief joins Scotts board
Michelle Johnson, former head of Washington D.C. schools, has joined the board of directors at Scotts Miracle-Gro.
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. has named the controversial former head of Washington, D.C., schools to its board of directors.
Michelle Johnson, formerly Michelle Rhee, will serve on two of the Scotts board’s six committees – innovation and marketing, and compensation and organization, the Marysville lawn and garden company said Monday.
Johnson gained national attention when she became chancellor of the District of Columbia schools in 2007. She appeared on magazine covers and newspapers to highlight her reform plans, which went against many traditional public school approaches and emphasized standardized testing.
Teacher unions generally were not fond of Johnson; she closed schools and fired more than 200 teachers. Opponents often bristled at what they said was her my-way-or-the-highway approach, although she still had many supporters.
The appointment was vetted by the board, which “spent a lot of time getting to know her,” Scotts spokesman Jim King told me. She’ll help Scotts (NYSE:SMG) think through broad organizational issues, he said.
“Michelle is an innovator, a change agent and has clearly helped shape the national dialogue in her field,” CEO Jim Hagedorn said in a statement. “We look forward to her Former D.C. schools chief Michelle (Rhee) Johnson named to Scotts Miracle-Gro board - Columbus - Columbus Business First: