Here is a guest column by Efavorite in which she analyzes Michelle Rhee's spreadsheet which was sent to Chairman Vincent Gray at his request. As Efavorite notes, this spreadsheet was created by Rhee after she was called on the carpet by Gray. This is an excellent analysis and a must read for everyone. Two thumbs up to Efavorite!
"Looking at the spreadsheet Chancellor Rhee provided to Chairman Gray is making me dizzy.
I can’t figure out why she would tell “Fast Company” magazine that she used the RIF as an opportunity to get rid of teachers who hit children and had sex with children, but then only RIF eight on a list of 68 “substantiated” abusers.
When I take a closer look at the spreadsheet, I see that three of the 8 RIFd teachers on the list were not even suspended for their actions, and none of them were sex offenders. Meanwhile, many others who were not RIFd did get suspended. So again, it’s a mystery why she would leave teachers in the system who got five day suspensions, while RIFing people who only got a verbal reprimand or were asked to do mediation with the principal.
To Rhee’s credit, she did RIF the only person who got a 10 day suspension, but then she oddly allowed the person who got the only nine day suspension to continue teaching. Weird. Also, another 25 people on the list left DCPS unrelated to the RIF, via termination, voluntary resignation or retirement. Still, there are 38 left whom she could’ve RIFd before cutting into some of the competent, non-abusive teachers who supposedly had to be let go for budgetary reasons.
On the surface, it looks like she is doing a very bad job of cherry picking from this list of potential RIFees. But it’s more likely that this list didn’t exist until Chairman Gray asked for it, making any relationship between it and the Chancellor’s RIFing decisions completely serendipitous.
If the Chancellor really had used the RIF to rid the system of bad apples, she would have constructed this list in advance and then fired everyone on it. She would have held a national press conference in which she announced her latest brilliant plan to “put children first” and received accolades from the adoring media for her bold, no-nonsense approach to school reform.
Obviously, that didn't occur to her. When you operate by the seat of the pants the way she does, these things happen. It’s the kind of thing really smart, but dysfunctional people do and get away with most of the time. Not this time, though. This time she’s backpedaling and painting herself into a corner and other mixed metaphors. Whatever is happening, a good manager would never do it. It’s fun to watch, I admit, but it’s tiring, and it isn’t helping children. Let’s stop it."
Posted by The Washington Teacher, featuring Candi Peterson- blogger in residence with Efavorite as guest columnist.
14 comments:
What a bunch of lies! MR is displaying child like like behaviors. Who can believe anything she says for does?
I'm waiting for the tank to roll over on MR.
What is Fenty waiting for? Fenty would had already fired someone else if they had pulled this kind of stunt!
A**holes!
I just finished reading today's 2/23/10 Washington Post, and there was an article once again about Michelle Rhee explaining her reasons for firing teachers with reference to abuse, sexual situations with students, and I must say, she is either lying or saying these things to cover herself. I have a question; were the parents, media, and law enforcement ever contacted about these issues when they occurred? Normally that would be the case. In her mind, she is making all of this up, and once again, DCPS and the City Council are allowing this to happen. What does the mayor of DC have to say about this? Oh, he has not heard anything about this or has yet to be briefed on it. This is so sad, people.
The real issue is always side stepped in all of this unrelated talk of abuse and misconduct. The fact that we give this talk audience is allowing for her misdirection to become fact. The EEOC has already begun its investigation. They will find multiple cases of outright discrimination. This will open the door for multiple or even one big fat class action suit. The taxpayers of DC will have to dig deep to fill this hole MR is digging. When it is all said and done that doesn't matter either. The taxpayers are grown. They support MR even if it is through inaction. Ultimately it is the children who will pay for all this foolishness and misdirection. The children are suffering now because they are being taught by untrained clueless do-gooders instead of qualified certified teachers. And if there were teachers conducting themselves inappropriately, they will be let back into the classroom with the rest of us because MR broke the law. Once again the children suffer.
Absolutely insane! This woman is evil and full of lies! If all of these incidents occurred, were the authorities, law enforcement, and parents notified? After reading this spreadsheet and looking at these incidents, all I can think of are major lawsuits being filed by parents. Was the teachers' union notified? My God!
This is what happens when a unqualified person is hired over a qualified competent, experienced Superintendent, not a make-believe-chancellor. The dumb-a** mayor Fenty is just as corrupt and careless as Michelle Rhee. He will not fire Ms. Rhee, because his ego won't let him, even at the educational expense of our children.
Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
ok im puzzled... what the heck is the spread sheet saying... a few verbal reprimands. a few administrative errors, probationary teachers.. a few of the ppep folks.
Rhee's spreadsheet is unbelievable. One essential piece that was omitted in Rhee's spreadsheet. Why didn't Rhee report this case of the teacher alledgedly had sex with an 18 year old special needs student, resultig in a pregnancy, in her spreadsheet to Chairman Gray?
Rhee describes this case in a cover letter to Chairman Gray. However, Rhee didn't include this serious matter in her report.
Who is Rhee covering up for? It appears to me that Rhee is covering up for the teacher, the Principal, Assistant Superientendent or herself.
Why wasn't this case reported to the proper authorities immediately in the spring?
Rhee needs to be held accountable for this serious case as well as her Fast Company comment. "I got rid of teachers who had hit children, who had had sex with children, who had missed 78 days of school. Why wouldn't we take those things into consideration?"
Again, this 18 year old special needs student case was not included in Rhee's spreadsheet.
Chairman Gray needs to disclose this case further immediately.
It is obvious that the DCPS students deserve a certified, competent, qualified and experienced Superientendent who will protect their rights.
No more EXCUSES!
Enough is Enough, Rhee must GO!
When? NOW!!!
Candi... I hate to change the subject but has anyone heard anything about the contract? I know Rhee mentioned it on the radio show but does anyone have any details to share? Is there money involved? Tenure? Early outs? When is it actually happening? What? I can't wait to see this one! Candi...do you have any info. on this subject?
Reply to Anonymous @ 8:01 pm
All I know is what WTU President George Parker said on this Tuesday at our rep. assembly meeting that he is still negotiating our contract proposal and that the retroactive pay is the area of dispute. We keep hearing that the proposal is coming out soon.
Under this regime, I imagine that you will have to give up something in exchange for a raise. The Race To The Top funds would not fund a retroactive raise and only include monies going forward.
Even though teachers will be cut in next year's budget, for some reason some still believe in fairy tales. I encourage all to read the entire contract proposal before a vote. Make sure you understand what you read. My hunch is that there will be more bodies in the water this year.
Well said Sheila
Sometimes we forget that a person can have a high IQ and a splendid education but still have "personality problems." Rhee reminds us of this.
I'm glad people like efavorite have the skills to uncover all the lies and manipulations. I'm also glad that the City Council is taking these irregularities seriously.
I recently discovered this blog and am grateful for it. I have read many responses by efavorite to articles in the Washington Post and have been impressed with the dept of thinking. Seeing this post puts both together and that's helpful to me, a person who was not paying close attention to the DCPS reform movement until I watched Rhee's testimony to the Council on the RIF's back in October and then learned just a couple of weeks later of her plan to close Scott Mongomery Elementary School in my Shaw neighborhood. I will go quite a long ways to give a person the benefit of the doubt but both those decisions just struck me as so hair-brained and carried out with so little professionalism or any kind of even perfunctory public relations. The comment in Fast company convinced me that Rhee is just not qualified for this job.
So, I can easily believe that this spreadheet was made up to jusify past actions, rather than being a document showing her review of all teachers upon arrival which would have clued her in on their various problems and she could have then gotten the facts straight and looked at the possiblity that some needed to be fired waaaaay before last October.
Anyway, keep up the good work and Thanks!
Thank you anon at 8:09 and thanks to The Washington Teacher for the opportunity.
I'm happy to hear that more people are paying closer attention and are becoming more critical of Rhee. She certainly brings it on herself.
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