5 Questions for Michelle Rhee

Michelle Rhee flies from city to city advising anyone who will listen about how to run schools. Some claim the former Washington, DC school chancellor is racking up frequent flyer miles to dodge questions about the testing scandal that occurred on her watch.
It’s time for parents and teachers here to ask some questions of our own.

1. 1)  How does your short time in the classroom and brief stint as an administrator qualify you to make decisions about students here?
   While teaching in Baltimore, Maryland, Michelle Rhee taped an unruly student’s mouth shut. She later bragged about it. Few would agree this is good way to manage a classroom.
   When she was chancellor of Washington, DC public schools she had a TV camera crew follow her as she fired a principal. That’s not a great role model for students.
   Michelle Rhee is now a full-time lobbyist. Should we trust her to know what’s best for our students?
   
2. 2)  Why do you push policies that are unproven to help students learn & teachers succeed?
   Research shows--and both parents and teachers agree--that when students have smaller class sizes and a caring, effective teacher in every classroom children do better in the classroom. Reforms like these, Michelle Rhee doesn’t support — instead she focuses her million-dollar lobby organization on initiatives that weaken teacher voice and student learning.
   
3. 3)  Why won’t you identify who your donors are?
   Michelle Rhee has never released a list of her organization’s donors. By refusing to be transparent, we have no idea whether it’s testing companies that are backing her or companies that stand to profit by privatizing education or closing schools.
   
4. 4)  Why are you partnering with politicians who are making record cuts to schools?
   Students never recover from cuts. A fourth grader won’t get another shot at fourth grade. Yet Michelle Rhee has spent the last year working hand-in-hand with politicians who are slashing critical resources from school budgets.
   
5. 5)  Why won’t you put to rest concerns about your role in the testing scandal in
   Washington, DC?
   USA Today broke the story about testing scandal over a year ago, but Michelle Rhee still refuses to answer important questions. Rhee hasn’t revealed what she knew about the schools where students’ incorrect answers on standardized tests were changed. And she continues to tout these discredited scores as an example of her success.