interesting: every dcps parent i talk to in person supports rhee

[Anonymous]

i am still deciding on who to vote for. my child is in charter school, so i am leaning toward gray. through not currently a DCPS parent, i am very interested in the health of that system. because i don't have the same perspective on rhee as an actual DCPS parent, i frequently ask others wht they think of her. because i read this forum, i was expecting them all to rail against her. but, lo and behold, every parent i've spoken to supports her. i live in NW and speak mostly to other NW parents. i am struck by the differences bewteen this forum and my "real life" interactions.

what do others make of this difference?

i've spoken to parents whose children attend....ross, cooke, oyster, janney, murch, bancroft, eaton, tyler, hyde, hearst, west

[Anonymous]

I think you're witnessing the phenomenon of anonymous message boards + motivation. People with an axe to grind look for a place to grind it. And people are far harsher in private than they are in public. I've also noticed a lot of disgruntled teachers on this board (note to them: you are completely transparent and discounted). That said, there are parents on here who raise legitimate gripes, who talk about their willingness to work with Rhee and being rebuffed, being turned off by her attitude or affected by changes that maybe didn't have to be made. She's certainly made some mis-steps, and I think she could have been more effective with a little bit of softness.

But overall, most people I know support her too. Education is changing. Reform is here. For better and worse. There are an awful lot of people wedded to the status quo.

[Anonymous]

I sort of agree. Here is how my conversations tend to go:

DCPS parent: Rhee is doing such a great job. Just look at the new playground at Murch/Eaton/Hearst! And she got rid of this awful teacher we've all detested for years. Thus, a great job!


Me (silent): the playground was not her doing, or Fenty's really. Was on the books before they came into power.

Me (out loud): What do you think of those 3 other awesome teachers who left your school -- in one case, fleeing to MoCo -- because they couldn't take the culture of fear / IMPACT atmosphere at your Ward 3 school anymore?

DCPS parent: uhhh.


- - -

point being, I am sure it IS great that Sucky Teacher X is gone. But not a single DCPS parent I know can actually speak concretely and intelligently about the good teachers who are leaving or won't even apply, ORRRRR who are managed out, as with Wilson.

[Anonymous]

It makes sense that most charter parents are anti-Rhee, as she is essentially the leader of "the competition". If she wins money for DCPS, that's money the charters feel should also go to them. But they're two separate systems.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP. My conversations have actually gone on to talk about the morale among the teachers at these schools, which is very low.

I mean, you either have the poor teachers who are being dismissed (a good thing) or good teachers, fearing IMPACT leaving voluntarily (bad thing) with those remaining not sure about their jobs or what kind of creativity they will have in the classrooms going forward.

While most of my friends who have kids in DCPS defend it, they also realize that it is precarious right now, and Rhee may or may not be the right answer.

[Anonymous]

I am a DCPS parent with kids at Eaton and Deal and I do not support Rhee or Fenty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that most charter parents are anti-Rhee, as she is essentially the leader of "the competition". If she wins money for DCPS, that's money the charters feel should also go to them. But they're two separate systems.

I'm a charter parent and I have issue with Rhee. I think she's a little tone deaf, and better at re-organizing than nurturing, but it doesn't affect me either way. I don't see us in competition for the same $$ either.

My issue is entirely with FENTY not Rhee, because FENTY is the one breaking the laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that most charter parents are anti-Rhee, as she is essentially the leader of "the competition". If she wins money for DCPS, that's money the charters feel should also go to them. But they're two separate systems.

I'm a charter parent and I have issue with Rhee. I think she's a little tone deaf, and better at re-organizing than nurturing, but it doesn't affect me either way. I don't see us in competition for the same $$ either.

My issue is entirely with FENTY not Rhee, because FENTY is the one breaking the laws.

Sorry, that was meant to say "I have NO issue with Rhee..."

[Anonymous]

Well, if we're to believe the WaPo polling data, the fact that you live in NW and are mostly talking to parents in NW, would would lead you to talk to Rhee supporters. Are you white by any chance?

According to the Post something like 80% of white women think Rhee is great. Those numbers nearly reverse for African-American women.

I'd go to Ward 8 and chat up some parents there. I'd bet you would get a very different spin than your getting in Ward 2 & 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that most charter parents are anti-Rhee, as she is essentially the leader of "the competition". If she wins money for DCPS, that's money the charters feel should also go to them. But they're two separate systems.

Charters are not the competition. Gee Whiz, get a clue. Charter parents are also not anti-Rhee. Remember the charters were here before Rhee and will be here long after Rhee is gone. Charter parents have issues with Fenty as he does not support charter schools and believe they should die a slow and painful death. His part in the death march is to turn over closed public school properties to his developer friends. Answer me this, if the charters disappear for lack of adequate accomodations and the children returned to the DCPS school system, where do they go. The closed schools are now luxury condos.

Rhee on the other hand is very much in support of charter schools. At least she was prior to coming to DCPS. You obviously do not know of Rhee's prior background in support of the national charter school movement. Moreover, Rhee is very much in support of privatizing public schools, as she has recently done with Anacostia, Coolidge and I believe Dunbar.

[Anonymous]

Most Ward 6 DCPS parents I talk to seem to like Rhee and be so-so about Fenty. My neighbors are die hard Fenty people and the wife is a teacher at a good charter. Most of the people I'm talking to are white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that most charter parents are anti-Rhee, as she is essentially the leader of "the competition". If she wins money for DCPS, that's money the charters feel should also go to them. But they're two separate systems.

Charters are not the competition. Gee Whiz, get a clue. Charter parents are also not anti-Rhee. Remember the charters were here before Rhee and will be here long after Rhee is gone. Charter parents have issues with Fenty as he does not support charter schools and believe they should die a slow and painful death. His part in the death march is to turn over closed public school properties to his developer friends. Answer me this, if the charters disappear for lack of adequate accomodations and the children returned to the DCPS school system, where do they go. The closed schools are now luxury condos.

Rhee on the other hand is very much in support of charter schools. At least she was prior to coming to DCPS. You obviously do not know of Rhee's prior background in support of the national charter school movement. Moreover, Rhee is very much in support of privatizing public schools, as she has recently done with Anacostia, Coolidge and I believe Dunbar.

I didn't say it was a rational position; I was just describing the phenomenon. Most DCPS parents support Rhee because they realize she's the best hope for turning around the system. In the opposite camp, you have folks who want the same kind of reform we've had for the last 20 years: a new chancellor is appointed to much fanfare, then is turned into a bunching bag when he/she tries to actually *reform* the system, followed by a backing off in the face of the powerful interests (i.e. teacher's unions).

Everyone's in support of "reform" so long as nothing ever changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that most charter parents are anti-Rhee, as she is essentially the leader of "the competition". If she wins money for DCPS, that's money the charters feel should also go to them. But they're two separate systems.

Charters are not the competition. Gee Whiz, get a clue. Charter parents are also not anti-Rhee. Remember the charters were here before Rhee and will be here long after Rhee is gone. Charter parents have issues with Fenty as he does not support charter schools and believe they should die a slow and painful death. His part in the death march is to turn over closed public school properties to his developer friends. Answer me this, if the charters disappear for lack of adequate accomodations and the children returned to the DCPS school system, where do they go. The closed schools are now luxury condos.

Rhee on the other hand is very much in support of charter schools. At least she was prior to coming to DCPS. You obviously do not know of Rhee's prior background in support of the national charter school movement. Moreover, Rhee is very much in support of privatizing public schools, as she has recently done with Anacostia, Coolidge and I believe Dunbar.

I didn't say it was a rational position; I was just describing the phenomenon. Most DCPS parents support Rhee because they realize she's the best hope for turning around the system. In the opposite camp, you have folks who want the same kind of reform we've had for the last 20 years: a new chancellor is appointed to much fanfare, then is turned into a bunching bag when he/she tries to actually *reform* the system, followed by a backing off in the face of the powerful interests (i.e. teacher's unions).

Everyone's in support of "reform" so long as nothing ever changes.

You also have people like me who think that Rhee has done some great things and is completely incompetent at others. A sampling:

* elimination of middle schools in Ward 5 (& near-elimination in Ward 4): it makes sense to build on successful elementary schools, but for kids who want the resources (better labs, sports teams, advanced language) of a middle/junior high school, provisions outside the out of boundary lottery need to be made
* school closures: these needed to be done, but the final step is to redraw boundaries citywide--as it is kids from closed schools are being sent to the lowest-performing local school (because those have the most space), rather than the closest one
* inability to recognize talent: some great principals got axed this summer, leading me to think that Rhee just can’t recognize talent

[Anonymous]

"Most DCPS parents support Rhee because they realize she's the best hope for turning around the system."

Um, no. That's what the Jay Mathews keeps repeating, but there is absolutely no evidence for this statement.

I'm a DCPS parent. I want change. Rhee ruined the things that worked at my child's school and drove out good teachers and administrators. It's not so much to ask that we have a school leader that, I don't know, actually has so experience in the field of education. Is it?

[Anonymous]

Rhee is doing a great job. Who else is the alternative?