Alexander Russo, a former Senate education staffer and journalist, writes a blog for the online edition of Education Week. Here's what he had to say following last week's decision by Mayor Fenty to tap Michelle Rhee to head DCPS.
Breaking News: Well-Dressed Reformers Hired To Run School Districts Across The Nation
Inspired by DC Mayor Fenty's surprise appointment of school reformer Michelle Rhee to head the District school system on Tuesday [June 12, 2007], elected officials across the nation have scrambled to announce their own hires from outside of traditional education circles: In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg on Tuesday evening fired Joel Klein and hired Teach For America Founder Wendy Kopp, despite the absence of any previous district experience. "She's been running the system for the past 10 years anyway," said Bloomberg in announcing the change. "We might as well make it official."
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced his plan to fire incoming chief Paul Vallas before he even starts, to be replaced by New Leaders For New Schools co-founder Jonathon Schnur. "I met him at a party and he seemed really smart," said Nagin. "Vallas is a nice guy, too, but I figure we should give this new generation of reformers a chance to show their stuff at running something."
Following his election victory last fall, Mayor Fenty made several "Best Practice Trips" to big cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. Visiting with mayors of these cities was apparently crucial in evaluating effective education models for DCPS. With Michelle Rhee now at the helm, the handwriting on the wall is clear: The current teaching staff across all DCPS schools will be under a microscope; higher standards will be demanded.
We anticipate there will be an increase in the number of new teachers entering DCPS in the short- and long-term. The students and parents (at all grade levels) will be jolted by the sudden accelerated pace of change and expectations. We'll continue to monitor these developments as the new administration settles in to guide DCPS toward becoming a "world class city."
