Michelle Rhee
| Michelle Rhee | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | St. Hope Public Schools |
| Role: | Board Chair |
| Education: | •Cornell University •Harvard University |
Michelle Rhee is an educator and education activist. She founded and served as the CEO of two nonprofit organizations, education reform organization StudentsFirst and The New Teacher Project, which focused on preparing teachers to work in urban schools.[1][2][3] Rhee served as chancellor of Washington, D.C. schools from 2007-2010.[4]
During the period of transition between the Obama and Trump administrations, Rhee was reported to be in consideration for a high-level appointment in the Trump administration. She had been considered for the role of Secretary of Education.[5]
Rhee is known to be a member of the Democratic Party.[6]
Career
Education
- Maumee Valley Country Day School, 1988
- B.A., Government, Cornell University, 1992
- Master's Degree in Public Policy, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
Public school teacher
After finishing her time with Teach For America, Rhee spent three years working as a teacher at Harlem Park Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland. Her students were, at the time, the lowest performing in terms of behavior and achievement. Rhee said her first year teaching was "rough going," and that she had difficulty controlling her classroom. Student test scores dropped in her first year teaching, and Rhee spent the summer after working on ways to improve lesson plans and involving her students in the achievement process. She also dedicated time to preaching to both parents and community leaders that time spent doing homework is better than "hanging out, playing video games, or watching television." It was successful, and her test scores improved significantly the following second and third years.[7]
The New Teacher Project
Rhee founded and began serving as the CEO of the nonprofit organization The New Teacher Project in 1997. The organization's goal is to aid urban school districts and states to recruit and train new teachers, provide capable staff to struggling schools and retain teachers who have improved student achievement.[3]
Chancellor of D.C. public schools
In 2007, Rhee was offered the position of D.C. chancellor by newly elected mayor Adrian Fenty. Rhee emphasized top-down accountability and stressed what she deemed to be the importance of performing well on standardized testing. In her first year as chancellor, Rhee closed 23 schools, fired 36 principals and cut staff by 15 percent. Rhee stated it was necessary because only 12 percent of the District's eighth graders were proficient in reading, and only 8 percent in math.[4]
StudentsFirst
On December 6, 2010, Rhee announced on The Oprah Winfrey Show that she was setting up StudentsFirst, an organization focused on reforming school districts one community at a time. With the hope of getting one million members and raising $1 billion for public schools, Rhee stated, "I'm going to do something different. I am going to start a revolution. I'm going to start a movement in this country on behalf of the nation's children."[8]
The main objectives of the group have been abolishing teacher tenure and supporting school choice. StudentsFirst backed 105 candidates in the 2012 elections, 90 of whom were Republicans. Of the 105 candidates supported, 86 won.[9] On August 13, 2014, Rhee announced her intention to step down as CEO of StudentsFirst.[10]
St. Hope Public Schools
On August 13, 2014, Rhee announced her intention to step down as CEO of StudentsFirst.[10] She also announced her new position as board chair for St. Hope Public Schools, which is a Sacramento-based charter school system that enrolls approximately 1,800 K-12 students. The St. Hope system was founded by Rhee's husband, Kevin Johnson[11]
Possible Trump appointment
| Possible Trump appointee (first term) |
|---|
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| During the 2016 presidential transition of power, Rhee was reported to be in consideration for a high-level appointment in Donald Trump's (R) first term. |
Full list of possible appointees |
See also: Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025 |
During the period of transition between the Obama and Trump administrations, Rhee was reported to be in consideration for a high-level appointment in the Trump administration. She had been considered for the role of Secretary of Education.[5] Rhee met with Trump on November 19, 2016.[12]
Publications
Rhee published her first book, Radical: Fighting to Put Students First, in February 2013. The book uses personal narrative to document Rhee's quest to "[found] a national movement aimed at dismantling bureaucratic barriers that path the way to outstanding public schools."[13] She was also the subject of the 2011 biography, The Bee Eater by Richard Whitmire.[14] She is featured prominently as a counterpoint in Diane Ravitch's book, Reign of Error.[15]
Educational philosophy
Rhee's approach to education reform focuses on both teacher and parent empowerment, abandoning party-infused agendas and spending education dollars wisely.[16] Her methodology remains highly criticized, with naysayers citing her aggressive style of reform and focus on standardized testing.
Common Core
Rhee is an advocate of Common Core. According to her organization, StudentsFirst, Common Core "ensure[s] schoolchildren are ready to compete with their peers in other states and around the world" and "establishes high learning expectations for students that are consistent regardless of district or state."[17] Rhee has been heavily criticized by those opposed to Common Core, the main argument being that the static excessive testing examines every child, including the mentally disabled, sick and homeless whose scores are then "lumped together."[18]
Charter schools
Rhee supports the expansion of charter schools and open enrollment for students across districts. She has also stated that she is an advocate for "parent-trigger proposals" which allow parents to vote and convert struggling schools into charter schools.[19]
School vouchers
Although she was initially opposed to school vouchers in alignment with general Democratic Party positions on education, Rhee changed her view after her time as Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools. She continually faced parents wanting to pull their children out of failing schools and enroll in one which, in their view, would provide a more promising future. Rhee maintains that vouchers allow both parents and their students to seek the best education possible. In her book, Radical: Fighting to Put Students First, Rhee states:
| “ | After my listening tour of families, and hearing so many parents plead for an immediate solution to their desire for a quality education, I came out in favor of the voucher program. People went nuts. Democrats chastised me for going against the party, but the most vocal detractors were my biggest supporters.
“Michelle, what are you doing?” one education reformer asked. “You are the first opportunity this city has had to fix the system. We believe in you and what you’re trying to do. But you have to give yourself a fighting chance! You need time and money to make your plan work. If during that time children continue fleeing the system on these vouchers, you’ll have less money to implement your reforms. You can’t do this to yourself!” “Here’s the problem with your thinking,” I’d answer. “My job is not to preserve and defend a system that has been doing wrong by children and families. My job is to make sure that every child in this city attends an excellent school. I don’t care if it’s a charter school, a private school, or a traditional district school. As long as it’s serving kids well, I’m happy. And you should be, too.” Here’s the question we Democrats need to ask ourselves: Are we beholden to the public school system at any cost, or are we beholden to the public school child at any cost? My loyalty and my duty will always be to the children.[20] |
” |
| —Radical: Fighting to Put Students First by Michelle Rhee (2014)[21] | ||
Affiliations
- Advisory board, National Council on Teacher Quality
- Advisory board, National Center for Alternative Certification
- Guest speaker, 2008 State of the Union address
- Board, Scott's Miracle-Gro corporation[22]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Rhee is married to Kevin Johnson, a former NBA player and former mayor of Sacramento, California.[1] Rhee has two children with her ex-husband, Kevin Huffman. Huffman has served as the Tennessee Commissioner of Education since April 2011.[23]
Media
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Michelle + Rhee"
See also
- Donald Trump potential high-level administration appointments
- StudentsFirst
- Education influencers
- Public education in the District of Columbia
- Education policy project
- Education policy in the United States
- Public education in the United States
- Common Core State Standards Initiative
- Diane Ravitch
External links
- StudentsFirst
- The New Teacher Project
- Radical: Fighting to Put Students First, by Michelle Rhee
- The Bee Eater, a biography of Michelle Rhee
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Sacramento Bee, "Michelle Rhee just getting started on shaping California education policy," January 27, 2013
- ↑ StudentsFirst, "About StudentsFirst," accessed December 26, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 TNTP, "About TNTP," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 CNN, "'100 mph' school chief seeks 'radical changes'," September 9, 2008
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 POLITICO, "Donald Trump's Cabinet-in-waiting: What we know so far," accessed November 22, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Michelle Rhee meets with Donald Trump. Could his education secretary be a Democrat?" accessed November 22, 2016
- ↑ Washingtonian, "Can Michelle Rhee Save DC Schools?" September 1, 2007
- ↑ Oprah, "Michelle Rhee's Big Announcement," December 6, 2010
- ↑ Salon, "Michelle Rhee’s right turn," November 17, 2012
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 POLITICO, "Michelle Rhee drops out of school group," August 13, 2014
- ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "St. Hope taps Michelle Rhee as board chair, removes superintendent," August 1, 2014
- ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson visits Trump during Michelle Rhee’s cabinet interview," accessed November 22, 2016
- ↑ Radical: Fighting to Put Students First, "Home," accessed December 30, 2013
- ↑ The Bee Eater, "About," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ TPM CAFE: OPINION, "Book Club: Michelle Rhee Is The Face Of The Corporate Education Reform Movement," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ StudentsFirst, "Policies," accessed December 26, 2013
- ↑ StudentsFirst, "Uncommon Equity and Rigor: StudentsFirst Supports the Common Core, February 21, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Eight problems with Common Core Standards, August 21, 2012
- ↑ Education Week, "Michelle Rhee Talks Vouchers, March 21, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Women in the World, "Michelle Rhee: My Break With the Democrats, February 4, 2013
- ↑ Columbus Business First, "Michelle Rhee gets full 3-year term on Scotts board," January 30, 2015
- ↑ Tennessee Department of Education, "Commissioner of Education," accessed November 23, 2012
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