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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

Some people have suggested that there is an age gap and that people with elementary school age children are not as critical as those of us with older children. I've been a critic of Rhee because of specific things she did to hurt dd's middle and high schools. Also, while I am white and middle class, I don't live in NW. Maybe it's more the difference between people like me, who were already committed to public schools, who feel that she is making things worse whereas people with young children who are hesitant about DCPS feel that she is making it better for them. Just a thought.

+1 Astute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. She also said that the reason why most teachers are getting fired is because they are really, really bad.

Like that AP English teacher at Wilson that parents and students were up in arms about?

By the way he's back teaching AP, parttime.

There were a few mistakes, but the majority of the teachers who were fired needed to go. They were awful.

And you've just put your finger on the difference between the pro-Rhee and anti-Rhee sides: folks who hate Rhee can come up with one or two examples out of hundreds where the firing might be considered controversial. Folks who support Rhee know that there was a *ton* of deadwood, and that even the "great" teachers may have been incapable of performing in a collaborative (i.e. "team") environment.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
And you've just put your finger on the difference between the pro-Rhee and anti-Rhee sides: folks who hate Rhee can come up with one or two examples out of hundreds where the firing might be considered controversial. Folks who support Rhee know that there was a *ton* of deadwood, and that even the "great" teachers may have been incapable of performing in a collaborative (i.e. "team") environment.

There is only one difference? Really? It is amazing how much Rhee supporters know about those who don't support Rhee. Too bad so much of what they know is wrong. I could outline 10-15 arguments explaining why I don't support Rhee, none of which would involve which teachers were fired. But, the only response that I would likely get would be something along the lines that I am an irrational knee-jerk supporter of bad schools who hates asians.

[Anonymous]

I doubt that, Jeff! This undecided voter would love to have reasons for not supporting Rhee clearly laid out.

[Anonymous]

12:16, I mean, seriously? Have you read any of the threads here on DCUM. There are reason, after reason of why Rhee has made the schools worse. Most of them are pretty well argued.

Do you someone to make a shiny brochure with a scary looking picture of her on it and slide it under your door?

Was it Churchill who said that Democracy is the worst kind of government, except for all the others?

[Anonymous]

There is only one difference? Really? It is amazing how much Rhee supporters know about those who don't support Rhee. Too bad so much of what they know is wrong. I could outline 10-15 arguments explaining why I don't support Rhee, none of which would involve which teachers were fired. But, the only response that I would likely get would be something along the lines that I am an irrational knee-jerk supporter of bad schools who hates asians.

#1: she lies about WHY she's firing teachers. is it the budget? or are they incompetent? i don't like the games she plays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12:16, I mean, seriously? Have you read any of the threads here on DCUM. There are reason, after reason of why Rhee has made the schools worse. Most of them are pretty well argued.

Do you someone to make a shiny brochure with a scary looking picture of her on it and slide it under your door?

Was it Churchill who said that Democracy is the worst kind of government, except for all the others?

Yes, but he never governed DC. He might have found himself in favor of benign despotism had he done so.

[Anonymous]

#1: she lies about WHY she's firing teachers. is it the budget? or are they incompetent? i don't like the games she plays.

No, dummy. It's because they're all rapists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sad thing is, my kids are old enough to sit for the test that she thinks is the be all and end all to education. My money says those parents of 3 year olds aren't likely to be around in 5 years, when their child is old enough to sit for the DCCAS.

Rhee is kinda like the reverse-SYMS: "An ignorant consumer is her best customer!"

[Anonymous]

12:27 yes, really, I was reponding to Jeff. In particular I would like to see JEFF's reasons all laid out in one post. Can you point me to where that is? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

13:20, why not search under his login and find the numerous, well-argued reasons he has presented over several months? It's hardly his job to do your research, now is it?

[Anonymous]

Have not eveyone noticed the commonality in these beautiul spruced up schools, minus Eastern. They are all located in Upper Caucasia.

Actually, there are on-going projects in other wards. HD Woodson in Ward 7 is getting a brand new beautiful building and Anacostia HS is currently under remodel. School without Walls was completed last year and serves quite a diverse population. Off the top of my head I also think about the Columbia Heights Complex with both a new middle and high school.

[Anonymous]

I don't remember the name of it but the ward 7 middle school where my kids had their swine flu shots was beautiful - the improvements may predate Fenty and Rhee.

[Anonymous]

Kelly Miller Middle School? 2004, but I'm sure Rhee will take credit for it.

[Anonymous]

Rhee critic here -- but I have to say that I believe that Miner and Sousa were also renovated and they're not in "Caucasia." (then again that might have predated Rhee)

However, the suggestion that a pp made that Rhee opponents all oppose her because of her firing teachers is not accurate. That's not why I oppose her. She removed the highly competent principal at Hardy Middle School supposedly so he could start an arts magnet middle school. Sorry, but I don't buy it. There are a lot of reasons why that move was a huge mistake for Rhee but I've written about it so much I'm not going to review it again. And that's just one reason but I'm getting tired of restating them all.

I do suspect, however, that the Hardy incident might have been a big turning point in Adrian Fenty's fortunes. Too bad Fenty and Rhee didn't handle it better.