Excerpts from;
The Activist Handbook. Second edition. 2013. Reprinted with permission.
Randy Shaw
Michelle Rhee, chancellor for Washington, D.C., schools from
2007-2010, is the front person for elite attacks on teacher unions and public
schools. Local school superintendents rarely become national figures, but Rhee
appeared on the cover of Time magazine holding a broom to signify plans to
sweep away teacher tenure. ..
By 2012 Rhee toured the nation promoting charter schools and
vouchers, assessing teachers based on their students’ test scores, and most
important condemning the evils of teacher unions. Rhee made more than 150 public appearances in 2011-2012,
reportedly getting as much as $50,000 per speech plus “first-class expenses.”
It’s a pretty good deal for an educational “reformer” whose reputation is based
on her controversial tenure as D.C. Chancellor. Rhee closed schools, fired over half of the teachers, and
tried to eliminate tenure….
Prominent educator Diane Ravitch has explained the Rhee
phenomenon:
“This formula which will be a tragedy for our nation and for
an entire generation of children, is now immensely popular in the states and
the Congress. Most governors
endorse it. The big foundations
endorse it. “
Shaw then goes on to list some of the major foundations
funding Rhee. These have been
listed here in prior posts. See also http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/anti-teacher-union-“reformers”-hoisted-own-petard
Shaw then goes on to describe what he sees as an effective
media fight back strategies taking
on Rhee and the billionaires supporting Rhee style “reforms”. This is a valuable guide to education
activists who oppose the Right Wing assault.
The Activist Handbook.
Second Edition.
No comments:
Post a Comment