When I heard her speak at a CEAFU conference, Rhee told us that because of the entrenched bureaucracy in DC, she could only do the job she's doing because of the support of Mayor Adrian Fenty--"Nobody tells Michelle Rhee no but me", and he didn't tell her no. Well, in part because of his backing of Rhee, Fenty has lost his reelection bid.
The question now is, how long will Michelle Rhee last?
In an outcome that had come to seem inevitable, though it would have been shocking six months ago, D.C. city-council chairman Vincent Gray beat incumbent mayor Adrian Fenty 56 percent to 42 percent in Tuesday's Democratic primary. Fenty, who swept to a massive citywide victory in 2006, fared well with white voters but cratered in the black community. He lost the city's black Democrats, even though the Washington Post reported in August that 67 percent of registered Dems thought the mayor had "brought needed change" to the city.
The contest assumed national significance because of its educational implications. It was Fenty who fought for mayoral control of the D.C. public schools, appointed Michelle Rhee as chancellor in 2007, and then stood rock-solid behind Rhee's remarkable efforts. Rhee has made it clear that she regarded Fenty as a stalwart champion and was skeptical she could be equally effective without that support. Her stance has been read as a particular dig at Gray, who had persistently equivocated on the contentious particulars of her efforts.
It's not yet 100 percent certain whether (or when) Rhee will leave. But nonetheless, for several reasons, the election results bode poorly for school reform in the nation's capital.
Her concern for, and focus on, the students in DC--students who, incidentally, are overwhelmingly black--cannot be denied. The changes she's made were necessary, and the kids deserve even better than those.
The chances that they'll get better are now close to zero. The new mayor will almost certainly appoint a new chancellor that will "get along" with the unions, the ward bosses, and the city council, and will return the schools to the status quo ante Rhee.
DC's students will be even worse off, through no fault of their own--the fault of their parents, perhaps, who voted for Gray, but no fault of their own.
And never let it be forgotten which group terminated vouchers which allowed motivated students and their families to opt out of bad public schools and seek better ones.
ReplyDeleteAs a minor point, Rhee was not a major part of Fenty's loss. He had a real problem dealing with the public and often insulted the electorate through his words and deeds. He probably would have lost even if Rhee was a non-issue.
ReplyDeleteRelated though, did you see the article the day after the election that two council members have already called on Gray to keep Rhee as Chancellor. It will be interesting fireworks whatever happens with the Gray/Rhee issue.
Are you aware that Michelle Rhee is engaged to be married to a Sacramento gentleman? I think that he is the mayor.
ReplyDeleteShe's supposed to marry Sacramento's mayor, Kevin Johnson, any day now.
ReplyDeleteIf I didn't know better, I'd swear you were griping about voters being too dumb to vote in favor of their own self-interests. Fenty lost--in part--because of Rhee. The electorate appears to disapprove of her. Isn't it nice they can do what they can to turn her out? Democracy in action!
ReplyDeleteGood that you know better.
ReplyDeleteI love voting. I'll love it even more in November.
So you like what the Tea Party insurgents are doing to Republican hopes? Me, too. Palin/O'Donnell 2012, I say!
ReplyDeleteYou can keep whistling past the graveyard--makes it even *easier* for tea party-supported candidates to win :)
ReplyDelete