Education reformer Rhee to leave advocacy group she founded
(Reuters) - Education reform advocate Michelle Rhee is stepping down from the nonprofit advocacy group she founded, saying she will focus on her family and the political career of her husband, former NBA star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.
Rhee's move from StudentsFirst, founded after she spent three years as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., schools, comes amid retrenchment at the organization and rising political success for Johnson, who won national attention for recent efforts to keep the Kings basketball team in Sacramento and serves as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.
"Kevin and I view our goals in life and public service as a team," Rhee said in a statement sent to Reuters Thursday. "He was right there with me when we created this organization and has worked alongside me throughout these past four years. I am excited to continue working side by side on these new opportunities we have."
Rhee, who took Johnson's name last year but still uses her own name professionally, did not elaborate on the new opportunities, and Johnson still has more than two years to go on his second term as mayor of Sacramento, California's capital. His spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Rhee started StudentsFirst in 2010, using it to push ideas that had led to considerable controversy during her time with the Washington schools, including tying teacher evaluations to student test scores and making it easier to fire teachers deemed incompetent.
Many of the ideas have gained some measure of acceptance. Earlier this year, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that five laws granting tenure and other job protections to public school teachers hurt students and were unconstitutional. The case was not filed by Rhee's group, but it highlighted policy issues that she was critical in raising.
Even so, teachers unions and many Democrats continue to view Rhee's group as anti-union. Despite the embrace of some reform agenda ideas in school districts across the nation, the organization failed to reach Rhee's ambitious goal of raising $1 billion in its first five years.
StudentsFirst, which has raised $62 million since 2011, has shuttered paid operations in Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Florida and Maine, said spokesman Francisco Castillo.
But he said the group would continue to press for reform. Even before Rhee's decision to step down, StudentsFirst has been seeking a new president to handle day-to-day operations, he said. A previous president left, Castillo said.
Rhee, whose transition will extend over the next few months, will remain on the organization's board.
"Even when she transitions away from her day-to-day management role, there is no question that her leadership and vision will continue to guide Students First," Castillo said.
(This story corrects amount of money raised, $62 million instead of $662 in paragraph 8, clarifies previous president leaving in paragraph 9)Education reformer Rhee to leave advocacy group she founded
FBI Capitol sting shines light on Latino caucus
Published: Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013 - 12:00 am
It makes sense that state lawmakers might feud over who gets to lead California’s Latino Legislative Caucus. The 25 Democrats who make up the group, after all, constitute more than a fifth of the Legislature, control hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds and wield influence that affects millions of Californians.
But the details of the most recent leadership fight caught the attention of FBI agents investigating one caucus member, state Sen. Ron Calderon, for allegedly taking bribes, according to a court-sealed affidavit made public by Al Jazeera America last month.
The affidavit alleges that another caucus member, Sen. Kevin de León, brokered a deal between Calderon and Sen. Ricardo Lara that resulted in Lara retaining the caucus chairmanship and the group paying $25,000 to a nonprofit run by Calderon’s brother, former assemblyman Tom Calderon. According to the affidavit, Ron Calderon told an undercover FBI agent that the brothers planned to draw eventually on money held by the nonprofit to make “part of a living.”
No charges have been filed, but the emerging case has exposed caucus decisions to public view just as the group’s influence is peaking. Its membership has grown from five members when it formed in 1973 to 25 members today – and the caucus now controls hundreds of thousands of dollars that donors with business at the Capitol give to its political action committees and nonprofit foundations. The caucus played a major role in influencing legislation this year, including a
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Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Calderon Scandal - The Sacramento Bee
Capitol and California - Political, Government and Election News - The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California: Special circumstance cited in Ron Calderon removal from film boardBy Christopher Cadelago - Published: 12:38 pmLawmakers took an extraordinary step to remove embattled Sen. Ron Calderon from the California Film Commission, a post he was entitled to hold until at least the end of his term.
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Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee answers Ravitch in New BookNational education reform advocate sought Calderon's influence | Al Jazeera AmericaNational education reform advocate sought Calderon's influence | Al Jazeera America: National education reform advocate sought Calderon'€™s influenceby Trevor Aaronson October 31, 2013 5:41PM ETA private meeting with lobbyists for Michelle Rhee occurred