Editorials
D.C. chancellor a bad example
Oct 29, 2009 9:59 AM
The Washington, D.C., public school system is in crisis. Chancellor Michelle Rhee has fired hundreds of highly experienced teachers, most of them with satisfactory performance ratings, just two months after she had hired 900 new teachers.
The reaction was so strong that the D.C. Council convened a hearing that lasted 18 hours. More than 100 witnesses testified and, according to the Washington Post, nearly all were “scathingly critical of the firings.”
Thousands of protesters, including the Washington Teachers Union and our parent union, the American Federation of Teachers, supported by civil service unions and others, rallied in Freedom Park on Oct. 8. They do not accept at face value the chancellor’s claim that those particular cuts were necessitated strictly as cost-saving measures. Neither do we.
“Students in D.C. schools, teachers, staff and all residents deserve the truth about the school budget and what really led to these cuts,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten.
The education shortfall in the D.C. public school system reportedly has been reduced from $40 million to $12 million. The budget’s red ink is a red herring. We suspect that Chancellor Rhee’s true motive is evident from her managerial style.
She has assumed raw executive power, ruling practically by decree.
Her tactics have been cheered by conservatives who back any attempts to break labor unions, and she has opposed many of the protections that historically have been associated with civil service such as tenure, seniority and due process. She has shown a predilection for targeting not just experienced teachers but also those who express any dissident views or methods.
Rhee claims to want to reverse the downward spiral of the school system which has, according to the Washington Post, only 44,000 students while nearly 28,000 are enrolled in charter schools there. That goal is laudable.
But torpedoing the professionals who can make it happen is not a viable strategy for success.
It’s sad to note that Rhee is symptomatic of a growing breed of school system managers across the nation.
Here in New York City, our union must remain resilient as our profession is being challenged from all sides. We need to make sure that people understand what is truly required to encourage effective teaching and learning.
