Rhee is an enemy of teaching unions, even those over here (as you can see in the video above). As Chancellor, Rhee threw out the old system of rewarding teachers based on their seniority — as far as she was concerned they should be based on their quality. When she first became chancellor in 2007, 92 per cent of students in Washington DC were failing to meet their expected grade, yet 98 per cent of teachers were told they were doing an excellent job. Rhee announced that she was going to grade teachers based on their pupil’s progress. Those who failed to deliver for their pupils quickly found themselves out of work. At the same time, Rhee rewarded those who delivered by paying the best teachers more money (up to twice the normal pay).
As far as Rhee is concerned, nothing short of a revolution in political attitudes to education will reverse the decline in educational standards, ‘We need policies based on kind of education we would want for our own children.’ Rhee had a simple policy, she would dismiss any teacher and headmaster who she didn’t think was up to the job of teaching her own children, an attitude apparently alien to most of her critics. A few years ago, a heckler demanded she reinstate the 266 poor-performing teachers she laid off during her time as Chancellor. Rhee agreed to do so — but only if he was willing to allow his children to be educated by one of these teachers. ‘Needless to say he didn’t take me up on my offer.’
While Rhee’s story doesn’t have a happy ending (she was forced to step down after the 2010 Mayoral elections) her message is uplifting to all supporters of educational reform: vested interests can be beaten.
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