I think it is important to remember that removing Rhee (and that seems likely) will not remove the damage she has done - to teachers, to schools, to kids.
Stop new harm. Then start trying to repair the damage done.
Ms. Rhee doesn't appear shaken at all. She appears to be tired. In fact, Mr. Gray sounds as if he's back peddling. I don't think he's going to fire her -- though he may try to reel her in a bit. Which I'm sure she won't accept.
Ms. Rhee is a national, high profile figure now and many other school systems would love to hire her. I don't think she has anything to lose -- except a company where the majority of her bosses don't like her.
Rhee told Oprah's audience that Balt'm teachers were ineffective, but she failed to mention that when she was a Balt'm 3rd grade teacher she used corporal punishment to discipline her students.
Perhaps now all will see that no one person controls all the answers. Without input from the community, meaningful change cannot occur. For an interesting take on outside input in the classroom, see my blog at teachermandc.wordpress.com.
I listened to Ms. Rhee's talk about the kids and the tape. She told that story in a light manner and it didn't sound at all as if she did it to punish those children. Honestly, who in their right mind believes that she would deliberately do such a thing and openly joke about it?
It must be true what they say, if someone truly loves you, you can do nothing wrong but if they hate you, you can do nothing right. Or as someone once said: If you're a champion swimmer, they'll spread rumors that you're useless because you can't walk on water. If you can walk on water they'll say you're useless because you can't swim.
Ms. Rhee appears to be among the best high profile educators since Marva Collins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3QIVDEgO5Q&feature=related ). All I can say to Ms. Rhee is, "You go girl!"
You really listened to the tape? Ms. Rhee joked about taping closed the mouths or her students, and them, when the thirty kids ripped off the tape off their mouths, there were thirty mouths bleeding.
Hardy-har-har... Let's all just have a good laught at that.
And the other story she told. She was driving kids back from a field trip in her own car. A major infraction. When one of the kids can't remember her address, the kid asks what she will do. And Ms. Rhee does her best Amos 'n Andy/Kingfish/Blackface voice, "Lawwwwwd, Ms. Rhee! Whatcha gonna DO?" And all the new 22-year-old hirees laugh at this monstrous racism.
To cap it all off, she hands the kid over to a person claiming to be a neighor, with that "neighbor" promising to walk the child the rest of the way home. This was irresponsible in the extreme.
Anon, The only thing I liked about your comment was your comparison of Rhee to Marva Collins. Both were 99% media hype. Neither did anything for their kids. Collins' private schools were a bust. So was Rhee's privatization scheme.
How do you think the hundreds of teachers she fired a vilified feel?
ReplyDeleteShe tried to walk away as he was talking? Just... wow.
ReplyDeleteThat appears to be an accurate headline.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to remember that removing Rhee (and that seems likely) will not remove the damage she has done - to teachers, to schools, to kids.
Stop new harm. Then start trying to repair the damage done.
Jonathan
Shaken, not stirred.
ReplyDeleteMs. Rhee doesn't appear shaken at all. She appears to be tired. In fact, Mr. Gray sounds as if he's back peddling. I don't think he's going to fire her -- though he may try to reel her in a bit. Which I'm sure she won't accept.
ReplyDeleteMs. Rhee is a national, high profile figure now and many other school systems would love to hire her. I don't think she has anything to lose -- except a company where the majority of her bosses don't like her.
Rhee told Oprah's audience that Balt'm teachers were ineffective, but she failed to mention that when she was a Balt'm 3rd grade teacher she used corporal punishment to discipline her students.
ReplyDeleteHere' the link to audio from The Washington Post:
http://dcwtp.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/the-%E2%80%9Ccelebrated%E2%80%9D-chancellor-rhee-used-masking-tape-to-silence-her-3rd-graders-and-joked-about-it-to-dc-teachers/
Perhaps now all will see that no one person controls all the answers. Without input from the community, meaningful change cannot occur. For an interesting take on outside input in the classroom, see my blog at teachermandc.wordpress.com.
ReplyDeleteI listened to Ms. Rhee's talk about the kids and the tape. She told that story in a light manner and it didn't sound at all as if she did it to punish those children. Honestly, who in their right mind believes that she would deliberately do such a thing and openly joke about it?
ReplyDeleteIt must be true what they say, if someone truly loves you, you can do nothing wrong but if they hate you, you can do nothing right. Or as someone once said: If you're a champion swimmer, they'll spread rumors that you're useless because you can't walk on water. If you can walk on water they'll say you're useless because you can't swim.
Ms. Rhee appears to be among the best high profile educators since Marva Collins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3QIVDEgO5Q&feature=related ). All I can say to Ms. Rhee is, "You go girl!"
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYou really listened to the tape? Ms. Rhee joked about taping closed the mouths or her students, and them, when the thirty kids ripped off the tape off their mouths, there were thirty mouths bleeding.
Hardy-har-har... Let's all just have a good laught at that.
And the other story she told. She was driving kids back from a field trip in her own car. A major infraction. When one of the kids can't remember her address, the kid asks what she will do. And Ms. Rhee does her best Amos 'n Andy/Kingfish/Blackface voice, "Lawwwwwd, Ms. Rhee! Whatcha gonna DO?" And all the new 22-year-old hirees laugh at this monstrous racism.
To cap it all off, she hands the kid over to a person claiming to be a neighor, with that "neighbor" promising to walk the child the rest of the way home. This was irresponsible in the extreme.
Do you still see nothing wrong with this?
Anon,
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I liked about your comment was your comparison of Rhee to Marva Collins. Both were 99% media hype. Neither did anything for their kids. Collins' private schools were a bust. So was Rhee's privatization scheme.