By Washington, DC School Superintendent Michelle Rhee’s name continues to come up even after the election of Barack Obama:
As a parent who reluctantly moved my own child to private school after the fifth grade, I appreciate the value of school choice. But what about the kids left behind in failing schools?
Michelle Obama offered a clue to what her family’s choice will be. She flew to Washington this week (Monday, Nov. 10) ahead of her husband and toured the private Georgetown Day School. Another clue: Their daughters currently attend a private school in Chicago.
Private school also was the choice of Bill and Hillary Clinton for their daughter Chelsea. The most recent presidential child to attend a District of Columbia public school was President Jimmy Carter’s daughter, Amy, in the late 1970s.
Chancellor Rhee, by contrast, is a 38-year-old single Korean-American mother with two young daughters in her troubled 46,000-student system. With the backing of Mayor Fenty, she has closed 23 schools, restructured 27 others, fired more than 250 teachers and dumped about one-third of the system’s principals. Still there’s more work to be done.
She recently put the critical question to a principal who was defending a teacher, according to Washington Post columnist Fred Hiatt: “Would you put your grandchild in that class?”
“If that’s the standard,” the principal replied, “we don’t have any effective teachers in my school.”
Rhee’s response: “That is the standard.”
The public schools belong to all of us, whether we use them or not. We should treat the students as though they belong to all of us, too. [Clarence Page - RealClearPolitics]
The efforts of Michelle Rhee to reform the education system in Washington, DC was supported by both Barack Obama and John McCain during a Presidential debate. However, I guess her efforts to reform the system were not good enough for the President-Elect to send his own kids there if the report of Michelle Obama shopping for a good private school is true.
So does this make the Obama’s hypocrites for sending their own kids to a private school when they expect other Americans to send their kids to a public school? Especially in light of another high profile public servant like Michelle Rhee willing to send her kids to a public school?
There is even more discussion on this topic by James Na over at DPRK Studies which also brings up some good points about the differences between the US and Korean educational systems that is worth reading in its entirety.
9:12 am on November 15th, 2008 1
“The efforts of Michelle Rhee to reform the education system in Washington, DC was supported by both Barack Obama and John McCain during a Presidential debate. However, I guess her efforts to reform the system were not good enough for the President-Elect to send his own kids there if the report of Michelle Obama shopping for a good private school is true.”
That seems like too much of a non sequitur to me. The Obamas and Ms. Rhee agree that the D.C. public school system needs improvement and reform, but since Ms. Rhee chooses to keep her kids in the public school system and the Obamas do not, the Obamsa are disingenuous?
The debate between Obama and McCain was linked to school vouchers. As I understand the voucher argument, it is about about how public education funds should be used. Should all public education funds be used to support and improve public education or should we concede that there was a limit to how much we could improve the system and just turn over some public funds to parents so they could opt out of public education. Ms. Rhee seemed to want to stay out of that debate as it was a policy decision above the pay grade.
I am trying to find an analogy that works here. This won’t satisfy everyone but it’s the best I can come up with now. The U.S. military in Korea has a water quality management and improvement responsibility to base residents. They say the water is safe to drink but they can’t promise it’s the best it could be. There is probably better quality water out there. Some people will only buy bottled water, some people will process and filter their tap water, and some will just drink tap water. The question is, should USFK concede that since they can’t guarantee the best quality water, should they just offer some of their water quality improvement funds to base residents for them to use towards purchasing bottled water or filter systems?
While Ms. Rhee chooses to keep her children in the public school system I am sure she also chooses a filtration process. I suspects she takes a much more active role in verifying the quality of her children’s education than most public school parents. If her children’s education is not up to her standards, their teachers and principal will hear from her. All public school parents have that option but many don’t get that involved. DoDOS parents seem to a better job at that, so their schools seem to be better.
The Obamas just choose to take the bottled water option.
Where Ms. Rhee and Obama do seem to disagree is with No Child Left Behind. Obama’s complaint is generally about the standardized testing mandate. Is it encouraging teachers to teach students how to pass the test at the expense of truly educating them? That is within Ms. Rhee’s pay grade and interest because it also introduces a teachers performance rating systems that is useful for identifying poorly performing teachers.
That’s a whole new topic that I have much more to say about, but I don’t have the time. It’s Saturday night.
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4:38 pm on November 15th, 2008 2
Can’t blame ANYBODY for choosing to educate their kids anywhere besides the public school system, especially in D.C.
We chose private Christian schools initially, but when they could not provide the level of well-rounded education that we wanted for our kids & that even our kids desired, we chose Home Schooling…we have never regretted that decision & our children’s grades, understanding of what they are studying (self-paced) and attitudes, have never been better…only wished we had made the switch earlier.
We are of the belief that WE, the parents, are responsible for our children’s education, etc…NOT the state, or some liberally influenced public school system.
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5:24 pm on November 15th, 2008 3
Oh yeah? Obama expects everyone else to send their kids to public school? RIGHT!
Bottom of the barrel on this one, GI.
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5:46 pm on November 15th, 2008 4
“So does this make the Obama’s hypocrites for sending their own kids to a private school when they expect other Americans to send their kids to a public school?”
The Obama family is rich and famous. Rich and famous people send their children to private schools.
Does Obama have a policy position that says people who can afford private education should not be allowed to pay for private schools? Has Barack Obama made statements about how rich and famous people must send their children to public schools?
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7:18 pm on November 15th, 2008 5
Equality ends at the front door.
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7:29 pm on November 15th, 2008 6
I was fortunate enough to have
“Public Schools”, teachers that
cared. A solid education outside the home is very important to parents. The child will appreciate
learning the “truth” inside the home as well. “HOME is where the brain is!”.
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8:25 pm on November 15th, 2008 7
WOW she is amazing, how did she do it.
Pay teachers 140K a year.
Spend more money per student they any distrct in the USA (maybe world)
Move from last place to 4th from last out of thousands of school districts.
Claim its because she is Koeran… lol.
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9:55 pm on November 15th, 2008 8
Those teachers earning K140,000 per year must accept a probationary contract during which their teaching will be evaluated. Any teacher who can meet Rhee’s high standards in a high-stress urban school deserves a six-figure salary. The kids most in need of highly skilled teachers are the least likely to get them. If we want outstanding teachers to take on high-stress assignments in unsafe environments, then we must compensate them accordingly just as soldiers get combat pay. Soldiers must go where the military orders them, but teachers as free agents are unlikely to choose struggling schools, and those that do often burn out and quit.
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10:32 pm on November 15th, 2008 9
They will be evaluated!!! how dare they actally evaluate a teacher. PROBATION!! Impossible! How DARE anybody put them on probation.
I have never ever ever heard of a job where you were not evaluated. I guess these so called teachers belive that they can do what they want.
What is sad is that these fat cat teachers with their BMW’s and Prada bags are just enriching themselves, and holding those kids as hostages.
Combat pay? I have never heard of a soldier in Iraq getting that much money just to sit behind a desk. In most states the teachers union is one of the most powerful special interest groups. Now they are claiming that they are in Iraq-like combat and demand 140k a year.
Rhee and her types will bankrupt cities at the expence of school books and chldren safety, just so her fat-cat cronies can line their pockets.
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11:06 pm on November 15th, 2008 10
All newly hired teachers in any district, including those with experience at previous schools, are put on probation for at least one year. All teachers are evaluated every year, but new teachers are observed more frequently and receive more comprehensive annual evaluation. What Rhee is proposing is that veteran teachers with tenure/continuing contracts accept a new hire probation.
At my school, nobody has a designer handbag, and only one teacher drives a BMW. Her husband earns a six-figure salary as an administrator at an elite private school.
I very rarely see teachers sitting at their desks when there are students in the room.
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11:22 pm on November 15th, 2008 11
Sonagi, you must be a teacher. Only teachers would makeup such a dishonest story that teachers are like soldiers in Iraq. Will 140k be enough for those lazy money grubbers? First they DEMAND 140K then they DEMAND 200K. They let drugs and crime run rampant in their schools, and then claim they are in Iraq like war and they need combat pay. Their students learn nothing, because they won’t teach and nobody can evaluate them. God forbid firing a teacher.
Pay attention class
:
Across the board pay cuts.
Fire all teacher who can’t do the job.
Hold teachers responcable!
Drug test, backround test and lie test them.
Class dismissed.
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11:25 pm on November 15th, 2008 12
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2:01 am on November 16th, 2008 13
Tripper,
You are a very troubled man. You have been blinded by your irrational hate of teachers, public schools, unions and anything else that the Right likes to rail against.
“I have never heard of a soldier in Iraq getting that much money just to sit behind a desk.”
Why most you compare these two things? A teacher is equally valuable. And you clearly don’t understand what teaching actually is outside of what you heard or read.
“Drug test, backround test and lie test them.”
I agree with the background checks, but a lie test? For what?
“Will 140k be enough for those lazy money grubbers?”
So, who is a money grubber? Is it my mother who taught elementary school for 23 years or my father who has been a professor for 27 years? I’m just wondering which one I should call and tell them that none of their students learned anything because of all the drugs, desk-sitting and smoking that they were doing.
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2:24 am on November 16th, 2008 14
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2:30 am on November 16th, 2008 15
Obama attended the famous Punahou School (on a scholarship? his mother was still a grad student on fellowship, if I recall), after attending international schools abroad. He probably grew up thinking that’s a pretty normal state of affairs.
But if you’re only going to support politicians with children in public schools? Good luck with that. There’s Mike Gravel, for one.
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2:39 am on November 16th, 2008 16
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2:55 am on November 16th, 2008 17
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3:39 am on November 16th, 2008 18
Time to review some of the comment rules?
# is abusive
# contains ad-hominem attacks
# promotes hate of any kind
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4:09 am on November 16th, 2008 19
Thanks for the reminder JoeC, I for one, would like the cl*m to change her name to something less insulting. Also, her comments about “the Right (sic)” do promote hate, but I say give her a pass. I will let her ad-hominem attacks roll off me like rain off a duck. I think after you reposted the rules, she will STEP BACK.
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6:10 am on November 16th, 2008 20
Actually, I think a lot of Soldiers in Iraq sit behind a desk. Higher ranks probably make around 140K (extra pay, tax incentives, benefits etc.) Of course they are evaluated once a year. “Took over a unit that was failing and turned it into the best unit in country” Same comments used year after year on different OERs for different individuals.
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6:12 am on November 16th, 2008 21
“So does this make the Obama’s hypocrites for sending their own kids to a private school when they expect other Americans to send their kids to a public school?”
No, it doesn’t. I think I speak for all Americans when I say that having a choice is a good thing.
Unfortunately, not all folk have a choice, really.
Let’s put it this way: If you had the choice (and money) to send YOUR child to a private institution that will provide your child with a superior education (be it liberal or classical) OR send your child to a public school that doesn’t match the quality would you choose the latter?
I think we all know the answer to that one, don’t we?
TripperMcMac: Dear sir, you are an ignorant fellow that likes to shoot first and ask questions later. Do you have children? Do you share your thoughts with the teachers of your children? How much time do actually spend being INVOLVED in the educational process of your children? I do wonder. So much anger and disgust. Makes me wonder what YOU do to actually change things in a positive way.
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6:37 am on November 16th, 2008 22
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7:31 am on November 16th, 2008 23
Sounds like TripperMcMac is our old friend Shattered. Blind hatred is easy to spot, pal.
Seriously GI, it’s time to regulate some comments here. This joker is highly offensive and promotes nothing but hate, ignorace and embodies everything that a “troll” stands for.
Moving on…
FOFLAPPY is dead on. Education needs to start and end in the home. That is where you get the motivation to make the best of your time in the classroom. That is where your parents quiz you for that big test and that is where you grow WITH your education gained from whatever school you might go to. That is what Obama made very clear on the trail. The school’s need to be fixed, but the parents also need to pick up the slack.
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9:49 am on November 16th, 2008 24
Just so everyone knows I am not around the computer all the time to moderate comments. Now that I’m checking the site I have moderated TripperMcMac who has now joined a select group of people with their IP address moderated. If TripperMcMac wants to come off the moderation list he needs to leave comments that are not launching personal attacks on people.
As far as Obama he is supposed to about change. Well if he put his own kids in public school that would be change because the last President to put his kids through public school was Jimmy Carter.
This would also show he has confidence in Michelle Rhee’s efforts to reform the DC public school system. She receives a lot of flak about her reforms but if President Obama puts his own kids into her school system the critics against her reforms would pretty much lose all creditability if the President of the United States has enough faith in her reform program to put his own kids into public school.
Also can you imagine the promotion of the PTA if Michelle Obama was showing up to all the meetings? This would get media coverage which would then hopefully cause more American parents to get involved in their own PTA programs.
Also having the President’s kids in the school would force everyone in that school to raise their standards improving the education of all the kids. Poor performance by teachers in the school would come back straight to the White House.
Sure it would take more work to ensure their kids get the education they need but then they would experience what the majority of other Americans experience trying to educate their kids in public schools.
Also a private school is no guarantee of success anyway. Carter’s kids turned out just fine in public school while Al Gore’s son who went to an elite private school and has been in and out of trouble with the law on a variety of charges.
Also remember the Obama’s haven’t made a final decision yet anyway. They are just reported to be scouting out private schools. I hope they send their kids to public school. If education really starts and ends in the home then sending the kids to public school shouldn’t be a problem then anyway?
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10:09 am on November 16th, 2008 25
Anyone unable to ignore personal attacks from anonymous strangers probably shouldn’t use the internet. Nevertheless, threads kept free of troll trash debris are more likely to attract thoughtful commenters, so the blogger’s moderation effots are appreciated.
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2:42 pm on November 16th, 2008 26
#24, G.I. at this point I think it wise for Obama not to make any more similarities between himself and Jimmy Carter
.
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5:01 pm on November 16th, 2008 27
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5:53 pm on November 16th, 2008 28
As our society approaches a nanny state where everyone expects someone else or the government to solve all problems, it is quickly forgotten that the primary responsibility of educating children falls on the parents.
This is even more true in areas where systemic poor parenting has forced schools to spend as much effort on enforcing discipline and security as they do on education.
(Hats off to CalmSeas.)
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9:12 pm on November 16th, 2008 29
Calmseas,
My sister and brother-in-law are considering doing the same. My wife and I would never do it personally, but I wonder if I could ask you a few questions.
Why did you leave the Christian school? And did you ever consider traditional public or private schooling?
Secondly, what are your concerns in regards to your children developing independent of uncontrollable social situations like those gained in school or on the playground?
I am not looking for a fight or anything. I’m just curious and hoping to gain some more insight on the subject.
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10:19 pm on November 16th, 2008 30
In response to #29:
The Christian School, or so they claimed, was in the PI & did not adhere to what they supposedly believed in. Quite the opposite & they were NOT approved this year & from what I have heard are in the process of closing their doors.
I have read a few accounts of kids NOT developing the appropriate social skills by being home-schooled…I find it all bunk. Kids will be kids…at church, at play, etc. My kids have probably a more varied social life now that they actually have to work at it, since they are not being force-fed into a social situaion not of their choosing, and are developing their own standards for friends, etc.
I would highly recommend it to ANYONE fed up with the Liberal, dumbed-down standard, fashion show, racial/bullying edifices commonly known as public schools.
As a parent, WE are in charge of all aspects of our childrens education, to include academic, physical, cultural, cyber, etc., it is time to put these asinine under-educated teachers on notice and start diverting educational funds where WE want them to go.
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2:04 am on November 17th, 2008 31
“I would highly recommend it to ANYONE fed up with the Liberal, dumbed-down standard, fashion show, racial/bullying edifices commonly known as public schools.”
Ditto head, huh?
But seriously, I would be concerned that there isn’t ANY real competition in class, with friends or even with girls/boys.
“As a parent, WE are in charge of all aspects of our childrens education, to include academic, physical, cultural, cyber, etc., it is time to put these asinine under-educated teachers on notice and start diverting educational funds where WE want them to go.”
So what is it? Do you want to control all elements of your childs life, insult teachers or stop paying taxes?
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4:09 am on November 17th, 2008 32
Just to be clear GI Korea.
These type of comments are OK right?
‘This joker is highly offensive and promotes nothing but hate, ignorace and embodies everything that a “troll” stands for. ‘
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7:37 pm on November 17th, 2008 33
#31:
d. All of The Above.
“But seriously, I would be concerned that there isn’t ANY real competition in class, with friends or even with girls/boys.”
In REAL life we are only in competition with ourselves & it is ourselves that we must depend on…not some artifical support network that we might think will always be there (i.e. friends & classmates), so the earlier a child comes to know theirself and learns to set their own goals, then that is a much more favorable headstart over others.
As I stated in post #30…being home schooled does not automatically cut them off from other avenues of social contact, but only enhances their selectivity in choosing the people who they wish to become friends with…don’t worry, bad influences will always be there no matter how hard you, as a parent, try to keep them away from your child, but at least home schooling gives us more of a fighting chance against these outside influences.
One very positive aspect is the noticeable change in our children’s attitudes, which have earned them more priviliges, allowances, etc.
I’m sure the teacher’s unions will fight Home schooling tooth & nail, as they have in certain states, but these types and parents who are raising “Latch-key Kids” need to remeber…these are OUR kids.
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9:10 pm on November 17th, 2008 34
“…these are OUR kids.”
I agree. It is our decision. Thanks for the insight. I might not agree what your reasoning is as sound as any.
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9:50 pm on November 17th, 2008 35
During the ‘60 Minutes’ interview, Ms. Obama mentioned something she indicated before and I would like to learn more about. She plans to take an interest in military spouses; a group that hasn’t received any real national advocacy in some time.
I am sure the immediate interest is about the impact of the many deployments on the families, but if Ms. Obama sticks around she will hear about the problems spouses have with finding employment after relocation, especially overseas. She may also learn some of the CONUS child education issues military families must deal with.
I found this comment:
Maybe when Obama visits Korea, we might to expect her to tag along and host a spouses group meeting. We’ll see how she follows through.
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12:34 am on November 19th, 2008 36
She is another Korean carpet bagger who goes into black neighborhoods and steal black jobs.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=p96aaTSdrAE
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12:36 am on November 19th, 2008 37
Obama knows his ROOTS and will stem the tide of Korean carpet-baggers like Michelle Rhee.
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4:26 am on November 19th, 2008 38
Whoa… that link is pretty shocking FrankBacon! I don’t know what a carpet bagger is but I hope Obama turns this around. I have heard about FUBU. For US by US, a brand for the African American community, that Koreans wear everywhere. FUBU does not stand for FOR KOREAN!
PEACE!
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8:27 am on November 19th, 2008 39
The election may be over, but I will still be looking for the President-Elect to show some kind of connection to issues that is more than theoretical. If he has the principle to put his kids into the education system that he has pledged to fix, I’d respect that. Otherwise, he’s just a lot of talk and is upholding the worst kind of “school choice” — school choice exclusively for the rich.
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9:41 am on November 19th, 2008 40
#39
I don’t understand the contradiction or conflict.
He says he will do the best he can to restore the economy too. Does that mean he should dump all of his savings onto Wall Street now?
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