D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee

The District of Columbia has some of the nation's most troubled public schools. According to new D.C. Public Schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, many of the problems have to do with adults in the system looking out for their own interests before the interests of children. At AEI on February 13, she discussed her vision for school reform and her tenure thus far as chancellor. 

In June 2007, Washington mayor Adrian Fenty named Rhee, an "educational entrepreneur" and founder of the New Teacher Project, as chancellor. The school district has struggled perennially with finances, leadership, and performance, and these were some of the problems Rhee faced when she assumed her post. Urban schools are difficult to manage, she said, but with the unflagging support of the mayor, Rhee has begun to take forceful action, going so far as to propose the closure of twenty-three schools due to under-enrollment. Initially, she received strong criticism from local politicians and members of the public. 

During one of her many visits to schools, Rhee said, students told her that it is hard to learn without good teachers. The students craved caring teachers who would go the extra mile to reach all students. To motivate teachers, Rhee created a TEAM Award that generously rewards all the staff of schools that post 20 percent gains in math and reading scores. Conversely, she took a hard line with incompetent teachers. Rhee said that she could not sit by while children "languish in their care"--children's education supersedes an incompetent teacher's need to be employed. Rhee is working on helping schools run themselves by assessing the performance of school administrators and by possibly bringing in contractors.

Rhee concluded that although "public education is supposed to be the equalizer in our country," socioeconomic and racial barriers continue to impair the education of children in urban school districts. Those who continue to put the interests of adults before the interests of students are standing in the way of education. 

For a video and summary of this speech, visit www.aei.org/event1660/.