It's been awhile since Michelle Rhee appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Feb.4). And it is not entirely an accident on my part that I have waited this long to comment. Rarely do I find my writings to be at their best when I take to the blogosphere while irritated and/or frenzied. Taking a week to calm down is actually pretty short in comparison to the usual "mental health holiday" needed anytime I read an article or watch a video featuring Michelle "I-took-a-5-week-summer-teacher-training-course-and-taught-for-three-years-and-then-became-a-political-appointee" Rhee.
What I find most interesting in her interview(s) is the incredulous act of, "Whaaaa? Why so serious everyone? What did I do?" Granted, Michelle, no one wants bureaucratic school district behemoths full of positions created simply for people to pull in a salary. Who doesn't have that at their school district? For example, at the district in which I work, we have a "professional development coordinator" with a very comfortable salary. However, we do not have professional development funding available for teachers. Michelle, I get that!
But I take issue with Ms. Rhee's philosophy of, as succinctly and masterfully put forth by Jon Stewart, "Here teachers....fix everything or your fired!" You see, poor Michelle can't understand this perspective. As you see in the interview, she dismisses the comment and continues with her scripted, rehearsed sound-bite agenda. After all, she has no interest in how concerned teachers are about being fired. Much like Saddam Hussein's infamous Gulf War video with children on his lap, Michelle hides behind the guise of doing everything "for the children" (the old political line that pops up on a 2-4 year cycle). She does not consider the fact that "the children" actively refuse to study and complete assignments. She does not consider the fact that "the children" often sit in a parent/teacher conference and feign ignorance when the parent says, "Well I ask them if they have homework and they always tell me 'No'" She does not consider the fact that "the children" eagerly show up for *insert favorite sport here* practice until 7 or perhaps even 8 o'clock in the evening. But math practice? She does not consider the fact that many charter-public school comparisons show almost NO DIFFERENCE in academic achievement.
According to Rhee, all of these things, and much more, are entirely the fault of the teachers and their broom-riding, ruby-slipper coveting union representatives. Now I'm not pro-union, either, but I am pro-let's-call-a-spade-a-spade.
In Michelle Rhee's world, if a child isn't performing, it's completely the teacher's fault, with no responsibility whatsoever on the parent or the child. She continues to erroneously and, what seems purposely, misquote Linda Darling-Hammond's highly referenced study in which teacher effectiveness is the most important factor IN THE SCHOOL. Michelle Rhee, and virtually all policy makers, continue to misrepresent this study and ignore research that shows NON SCHOOL factors like parental involvement have a far greater impact on student test scores than any teacher. I do not know why this escapes politicians and administrators. I do not know why they think it has nothing to do with a child's success, as if education is something that is done TO them, rather something that they are ultimately responsible for.
I wonder if the same thinking process is employed in other areas of her day to day life? While at the grocery store, when the sale item rings up incorrectly, I suppose it is the bag boys fault? When she takes her car in to be serviced, and it doesn't get properly repaired, I suppose she screams for the head of the salesman on a silver platter, even though he works in an entirely different department? Perhaps she takes her tax receipts to an accountant who forgets a few deductions, only to yell at the receptionist who had little to nothing to do with her tax document preparation?
Does she come home and find garbage strewn throughout her house, and then chew out the goldfish in the bowl?
You see, the point is, Michelle, you wanna know why you are not "fixing" education, and why you never will? Because you are focusing on a variable that is not the primary causal agent. Are there bad teachers? Absolutely! Are there districts full of salaried imbeciles? You better believe it. But let's start with programs and reform efforts to engage parents and have them be more active in their child's education. No one needs a PhD to grasp the fact that parental involvement is THE factor in the success of a student. Teacher effectiveness is #2, and only #1 in the school environment. You want to "work for the children?" Start here...with their home life.
Thank you for this post. I'm not a teacher, but having a teacher mother and a few teacher friends keeps me enough in touch with education that I was yelling at the tv the whole time she was on.
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