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NEW YORK – When Michelle Rhee resigned a few weeks ago as head of Washington, D.C. schools after her boss, Mayor Adrian Fenty lost his re-election bid, she told me she didn't know what she would do next.
Former Washington D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee is launching a new organization, Students First, aimed at transforming public education in America.
But, Rhee made it clear, despite all the controversy about her bold changes to overhaul a school district considered one of the worst in the country, she wasn't going to step away from education reform.
Now, she's made it official in a big way. She's announced the startup of a non-partisan, grass-roots organization called, StudentsFirst.org. Rhee says she's hoping to sign up 1 million members and raise $1 billion to help fix America's failing schools.
"If we want to regain our position as America being number one in the world, then it's going to start with our education system,” Rhee told me Monday. She’s aware of the big challenges ahead, saying, “It's going to take a lot of people across the country and a lot of resources to make that happen.”
Rhee explained, StudentsFirst will not be an alternative to teachers' unions but, a voice for students.
"What we really need is for laws, for policies to be based, not on what is going to be right for adults or what keeps the adults happy, but only based on what is in the best interest of children."
NBC News got a statement from The American Federation of Teachers saying they wish Rhee well, invite her to work with them and say they hope "she learns, as we have, that promoting education reform through conflict and division will not serve the interests of children and their education needs.”
When Rhee shut down 28 Washington D.C. schools, laid off 450 teachers and demanded accountability from those who remained she got some positive results.
Math proficiency scores went up from a dismal 27 percent to 42 percent. Reading proficiency improved from 29 percent to 43 percent.
But, she also got a lot of resistance from parents, teachers and voters who objected to the way she went about it.
Rhee admits she made some mistakes in Washington and hopes to develop a more inclusive style in the future. But she also says she doesn't regret rattling the status quo because it was failing students.
People in the education reform community are excited about Rhee's new plan. Like her, they say they know, change will not be easy.
It will be worth watching to see how well Rhee can form a new coalition of parents, teachers, and community leaders to get StudentsFirst to do what everyone says they want, which is, radically improve the nation's schools.
Click here to see more of NBC News' reports from Education Nation
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I am becoming more and more disappointed in Ms. Rhee. She has a real opportunity to help guide the nation toward a better educational system, yet all I hear from her is that teachers are the problem. This attitude is going to prevent her from enlisting the help and support she needs from the very people who are critical to our educational system.
However, the reason her reform will fail will not be because of lack of support from teachers, but because she has not diagnosed the real problem with our educational system. The real problem is the large number of students who have no motivation and no incentive to do the work necessary to become educated. Until we create a system that provides that incentive, educational reform will fail.
Charter schools have an incentive: perform or we kick you out. Public schools do not have that option. In fact, public schools have the perverse incentive that the less you do for yourself, the more the school system will do for you. This single fact explains nearly all of the performance problems of our schools, yet is is not even discussed in policy circles.
Ms. Rhee has correctly proposed that if we can change the incentive system for teachers, teachers can and will perform better. Lets do the same thing for the one element that has a greater impact on school success than teachers, the students themselves.
In NYT article also reporting on Rhee, I read this paragraph.
“Michelle Rhee likes to say that teachers unions are the problem, but the leading states and countries in educational outcomes — such as Finland, South Korea and Singapore — are heavily unionized,” Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who negotiated the Washington contract, said in a statement.
What R. Weingarten forgot to mention is that the quality of teachers in Finland, South Korea, and Singapore blows away the teachers in US. My wife is a teacher and I know there are GREAT teachers in US. But on average, quality of teachers in US is lacking, which is inevitable because of the following:
1. In US just about anyone with college degree who simply puts in time to get teacher credential can get a job as a teacher. In those countries (at least in South Korea from personal experience), getting a teaching credential doesn't automatically translate into a job. It's really really COMPETITIVE and hard to get a job as a teacher there.
2. So why is becoming a teacher in S Korea so hard? They get paid decent but that's not why. It's because they command the kind of respect lawyers/doctors get as teaching is a sacred/respected occupation, not because they make $.
3. In US when govt budget crunch hits, first govt employees to get axed are teachers. In S Korea during the IMF crisis (which was far more wrenching than what US is experiencing now), they did not layoff a single teacher. It was never even discussed.
R. Weingarten shouldn't put average US teachers on same level as ones from those countries. I'm sorry but R Weingarten is really insulting the teachers in those 3 countries.
As a teacher who considers herself a good teacher in a good distirct, I say, step up parents and take responsibility!!! These other countries we are comparing ourselves to do not have the family support obstacles that the U.S. has! As a parent I understand the work it takes to be supportive academically, physically, socially and emotionally to my children. And that is what it is... work. I love my "work" both at home and at school. Many parents do not and refuse to do their own work, expecting schools/teachers to do it for them! So take a look at the parental piece and stop complaining about schools and teachers and anyone else that can be and take responsibility!!!
I am totally behind Michelle Rhee and want my grandchildrens generation to have a better chance at a great education. I have watched two schools my grandsons have gone to and how they have different ways of dealing with same issues. They are in a Spanish immersion school now and are doing much better. This school requires total support with family et al. There is not one teacher that I would even consider average, they are all good/great teachers and keep in touch with the families and the students know they are being held accountable.
Being able to see what is expected each day online is just one of many ways this school is better. with California budget cuts we have lost 6 great teachers in the past 3 years and without someone changing the system more great teachers might be lost and barely adequate teachers will stay due to tenure. Please allow Ms Rhee to assist the great teachers and principals in doing a great job with our children's education. I am of the belief that Ms Rhee can turn this country's education system around and get us up in the top 5 again. Being 23rd and 25th in math and reading in the 30 industrialized nations is appalling and needs to change asap, Ms. Rhee can be the spearhead if we allow her to do the job.
While I like the intent of this organization, I have been frustrated my unanswered quiries regarding where the money is coming from and who are the board members & staff members. I will not consider donating without more detail and transparency.