Michelle Rhee fires 241 under performing teachers in Washington. Can you fire your way to better schools?
Washington, D.C., school Chancellor Michelle Rhee is drawing national attention for her ambitious reforms in the nation’s Capitol and for her no-nonsense management style that includes firing teachers she feels are not producing student gains.
Michelle Rhee, chancellor of Washington public schools, announced today that 241 teachers will be fired.
Today, the District of Columbia Public Schools announced the firing of 241 teachers for poor classroom performance. Teachers are being evaluated under a new detailed accountability system called IMPACT that looks at student progress, using what is commonly called a growth model.
In addition, 737 employees rated “minimally effective” by the new rating standard have a year to improve or face dismissal next year.
The academic growth of their students account for half of a teacher’s evaluation; most of the rest of the evaluation hinge on detailed classroom observations of the teacher.
The mass firings prompted this response from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who doubts the efficacy of firing your way to better schools. She argues the solution is helping teachers become better:
Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s signature education philosophy appears to be that you can hire and fire your way to better schools. Rhee fired more than 75 teachers last year under her old evaluation system. Last November, she used a budget crisis as an excuse to dismiss another 266. Today, the initial implementation of the new IMPACT system already has resulted in terminations of more than 200 teachers. Questions have been raised not only about the validity of IMPACT, but about the chancellor’s penchant for firing teachers rather than providing supports to develop their skills.
Mass firings such as these, and questions about the validity and reliability of IMPACT, are precisely why DCPS agreed with the American Federation of Teachers and the Washington Teachers’ Union and signed two side letters to the contract dealing with the system. One letter calls for an independent review, and the other provides teachers with an opportunity to share their concerns regarding the IMPACT system.
Our hope is that the recently approved contract for DCPS teachers will usher in much-needed changes for District schools. The terms of the contract call for all teachers to receive targeted professional development throughout their careers, with particular support for new teachers and for those who need specific supports.
Firing teachers en masse may sound to some like strong action is being taken, but in the absence of real professional supports and valid teacher evaluations systems, it simply perpetuates a destructive and failing strategy. Rhee’s approach ignores the fact that good teaching is much more of a learned skill than it is innate. All of us who have taught know this. Our common goal must be to improve teaching and learning so that the children educated in the District’s public schools are prepared to succeed in college, work and life.
Chancellor Rhee has numerous tools available to her in the contract we recently reached. She has a responsibility to follow the lead of school systems that successfully use such tools to develop highly skilled teaching forces, rather than stubbornly adhering to the destructive cycle of “fire, hire, repeat.”
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233 comments Add your comment
Happy Teacher
July 24th, 2010
11:52 pm
Let me just apologize to the readers of this blog, I got sucked into a pointles, circular argument with someone pushing an extremist point of view that doesn’t represent the views of caring Georgia educators. I am sorry for wasting your time. Lesson learned, tail tucked between legs. I feel silly now.
ethics and hypocrisy
July 24th, 2010
11:55 pm
“Yes really, especially if in the last 10-12 years that doctor has a sterling record of achievment at the highest levels of policy and administration.”
Well that clearly eliminates Rhee from this analogy. Rod “the Houston Miracle” Paige reached an even higher level-Secretary of Education. You stand by that as well?
ethics and hypocrisy
July 25th, 2010
12:09 am
The bottom line is this: if you are going to fire, or threaten to fire close to 1,000 teachers you better conduct yourself with a level of integrity that warrants the trust to support you in making life changing decisions of that magnitude. Rhee clearly has not demonstrated that level of integrity.
On the other hand, the fact that 80% of DC teachers went along with this scheme may be Rhee’s most compelling evidence that there are scores of incompetent teachers in DC.
Dunwoody Mom
July 25th, 2010
8:06 am
Just a question – where does Michelle Rhee going to find 241 “outstanding” teachers on such notice? What teacher in their right mind would work for this school system? She won’t find enough teachers and will end up with overcrowded classrooms.
Rhee crazy asian chick
July 25th, 2010
8:10 am
@5:38 Maureen stated 700+ more teachers placed on the min effective list and will be let go if scores dont increase.
Rhee will not be able to replace them. Who is going to move into DC, high crime, high rent, low pay, and BS one has to put up from Rhee.
Got a feeling there is going to be a huge walk out. The teachers in DC do have a Union, if they walk out for one or two weeks that will change Rhee’s attitude quickly.
Suavez
July 25th, 2010
9:22 am
Take this same bunch of “incompetent” teachers and give them some asian students and they will be winning accolades. Why is it teachers who are fired for incompetence are always teaching at ghetto schools? It’s the black parents, not the teachers.
Michelle Rhee fires 241 under performing teachers in Washington. Can you fire your way to better schools? | Get Schooled #edu « Parents 4 democratic Schools
July 25th, 2010
10:08 am
[...] Michelle Rhee fires 241 under performing teachers in Washington. Can you fire your way to better schools? | Get Schooled #edu Filed under: education — coopmike48 @ 7:08 am Michelle Rhee fires 241 under performing teachers in Washington. Can you fire your way to better sch…. [...]
joe smith
July 25th, 2010
10:14 am
Michelle Rhee is not a leader. A leader unites , inspires and lifts people up under a common purpose. This is a divider who deals in trickery, deceit , humiliation and demoralization. We need more from our leaders-not political appointees like Michelle Rhee. Yank her out of a position she is clearly not qualified to hold before she does more damage. She will only divide and ruin. I guess thats what the big guns really want-to break the last strong union in America.THE TEACHERS ARE NOT AT FAULT THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS OUR SOCIETY IS BATTLING GO WAY DEEPER THAN THE TEACHERS>
Vince
July 25th, 2010
11:16 am
Are people commenting on here familiar with the growth model? It takes a look at where children begin the year and then looks at where they are at the end of the year. Thus, students with disabilities and those who don’t speak English are looked at in such a way that their GROWTH is looked at…..not whether they are on grade level or not.
The growth model is a much better and fairer model than the one we are using now. The current model assumes all children are the same and that we should be able to get them all on grade level by the end of 2013. Comparing classrooms and teachers with our current method makes no sense. THAT is insane and unfair!
joe smith
July 25th, 2010
12:15 pm
Michelle Rhee is not a leader. A leader lifts up and inspires-brings out the best in people.. She uses the politics of deceit, treachery, lies and division. Such “leadership” will never do any good. Get rid of her.
NWGA teacher
July 25th, 2010
1:36 pm
Interesting comment on leadership. Do good leaders indulge in witch hunts? Do they “lead” through fear and intimidation?
Good leaders have no need to “inflate” their resumes. If I “inflated” my resume, I would be out of work, and I would never again be able to find work in education.
EMJ
July 25th, 2010
1:37 pm
What bothers me most about Michelle Rhee is she is holding teachers hostage. I know because I work in Chicago and we are being held hostage too. The Art teacher at my school found out Friday she is going 1/2 time. Track E starts August 4; students arrive the 9th! Our principal is trying to put a schedule together but more cuts are coming. He can’t! The Board is run by non-educators. This economic environment is a blessing to Rhee, CPS, Duncan….They can get rid of so many teachers now and replace them with cheaper teachers. Dunwoody Mom, you said it best, how is MR going to find outstanding teachers when she needs them? Who really wants to work for her? Even TFA teachers will leave after a while. Outstanding teachers need experience. She is throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Rhee crazy asian chick
July 25th, 2010
2:29 pm
@Vince
the growth model you explains makes sense thats why it will never fly.
GA and other states are on this “one size fits all” mandate.
Now this is way off topic but im listening to TV and just heard a Covergirl commerical about all the different shades and how one size does NOT fit all. If you follow government plans shouldnt there be only one kind of makeup and brand.
A makeup company knows more than the policitans and admin we got.
ethics and hypocrisy
July 25th, 2010
3:49 pm
Nothing wrong with inflating your resume by claiming you were featured on national TV shows that the TV shows in question have absolutely no record of you being featured on. Just part of being a happy educator, right Happy Teacher?
Phill Lombardo
July 25th, 2010
4:17 pm
Michelle Rhee is a product of the Broad Superintendents Academy. To understand Michelle Rhee, you need to understand Eli Broad. I suggest that readers of this blog learn about him. He gave an interview in the Bloomberg News Letter which is particularly informative. It can be accessed on the web.
Eli Broad, who started his career as an account, is an advocate of the free market. After all, it made him a billionaire. He wants to turn public education into a free market enterprise. Broad believes that a top-down business strategy is the way to do it. The purpose of the Broad Superintendents Academy is to create top-down managers like Michelle Rhee, Debra Gist, and Robert Bobb.
Eli Broad is attempting to dismantle public education. I’m a bean counter just like Eli Broad. I assure you that a public school system which offers teachers $20K to $30K bonuses on top of a 21% salary increase is not sustainable. Such pay-outs will not generate the revenue necessary to continue future salary and bonuses. Schools are not Fortune 500 corporations.
Furthermore, mass firings based on an unproven evaluation tool such as IMPACT seriously threatens to deplete the district work force, as well as draw attention away from factors, other than teacher performance, that are causing students to fail.
Michelle Rhee fired 241 teachers this year and gave 737 teachers notice that they will be fired next year if they don’t improve. The D.C. District teacher work force is only 4,000 teachers. It will not survive such a continuous turnover of personnel.
Parents, your kids are in jeopardy. Wise up before it is too late!
ScienceTeacher671
July 25th, 2010
8:12 pm
Meanwhile the AJC reports that Cobb County rehired the teachers it fired in the spring, and is looking for more.
Go figure.
D
July 25th, 2010
10:04 pm
Everyone on this blog is going to jump on me for this, but I truly don’t care anymore. This is my opinion and if you don’t like it, you can pound sand. It has been my experience after 15 years of teaching that women administrators fall into one of two categories: A) Completely hands off and lazy B) Completely over-involved and micromanaging. I have never met a female principal that was worth a plug nickel. My current one is of the latter type and truly makes teaching a chore. We have the highest turnover rate in the county and each year more and more females are hired into admin positions while males are shunned. Ms. Rhee is a shining example of the problems we face.
ScienceTeacher671
July 26th, 2010
7:55 am
D, I’d have to say that I’ve had a higher percentage of “bad” male administrators, but I suspect each person’s experience may vary.
As for Michelle Rhee, another take on this story today from the Eduwonk blog http://www.eduwonk.com/2010/07/fire-hot-in-dc.html Here are the points Rotherham makes (and lets hope my formatting holds up since there’s no preview here):
What happened in DC this week is significant both for the city and nationally, but three aspects of the DC teacher firings that don’t seem to be getting a lot of attention are:
(a) Look behind the numbers. About a third of the 241 teachers let go were dismissed for credentialing/license problems, not performance;
(b) If it bleeds it leads. More teachers performed in the highest tier under the new evaluation system than were dismissed so while the firings obviously get the ink let’s not overlook the great teachers in the D.C. system; and
(c) The bill is due. Weren’t we all told by national union leaders- in public venues – that everyone is for accountability and when this came to pass the union wouldn’t fight it? Let’s hope the pushback is just theater.
Dr NO
July 26th, 2010
8:15 am
Mass firings are usually a good thing and I would say in this case they are a GREAT thing. Everyone knows these become so entrenched it almost impossible to get rid of them.
Mass firings cull out the deadwood and get rid of the bad blood. Therefore the answer to the question is NO! You may not keep your job because you are FIRED!!
Rhee crazy asian chick
July 26th, 2010
8:53 am
@Phil,
thank you for the information about Board. I was wondering where this high pressure model was coming from, now I know.
if ppl would really look at the business model and what happened on Wall Street. To secure their bonuses these ppl LIED, CHEATED, and STOLE if pursuit of millions; they brought our country to its knees and now they want to use the same model in public education.
APS perfect example of how fast CHEATING can take hold for persons to secure their jobs and their BONUSES. I have also read that there are some ERASURE issues up in DC also.
South Ga Teacher180
July 26th, 2010
10:23 am
There is crap everywhere you go, but where will she find more teachers…someone said it earlier; they should look at the hiring process. Testing data is driving their decision….this is nothing more than a symptom to the bigger problem which is creating media to continually beat up on the profession of American educators and painting the image that American educators are not worth teaching our children….so now it will look good to the public to hire foreign teachers. This will be more political fodder to allow other education agenda that will continue to cripple us as a nation through destroying our educational system thus affecting our ability of economic success. In the same respect, there are teachers that need to let go.
South Ga Teacher180
July 26th, 2010
10:26 am
ScienceTeacher671
July 25th, 2010
8:12 pm
Meanwhile the AJC reports that Cobb County rehired the teachers it fired in the spring, and is looking for more.
Go figure.
______________________________________________________________________
For real!!!!
@Happy Teacher
July 26th, 2010
11:21 am
“Let me just apologize to the readers of this blog, I got sucked into a pointles, circular argument with someone pushing an extremist point of view that doesn’t represent the views of caring Georgia educators”
So desperate to shill, first you tried to dismiss the serious ethical concerns about Rhee doing “damage control” in a case involving allegations of inappropriate contact with a minor, because of the source. Then when it turned out the source was none other than the Congressional Record, you had nothing to say.
Next you tried to dismiss the ethical considerations concerning her unsubstantiated resume, again claiming the source but then when other reputable sources were produced-including the website of the organization she founded-that you could not refute, you all but admitted it was no big deal if Rhee lied on her resume, and now, realizing how far you have gone in your attempt to shill, you can only resort to an ad hominen attack by claiming people who think educators should act in an ethical manner is an “extremist” point of view?
It’s an “extremist” point of view to raise concerns about an educator who, according to the Congressional Record, sought to do “damage control” to shield a politician from charges he had inappropriate contact with a minor? Really Happy Teacher? A “caring” educator such as yourself has no concerns about that?
No wonder you’re leaving, tail tucked between your legs!
Teacher&mom
July 26th, 2010
10:23 pm
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/dc-schools/the-problem-with-how-rhee-fire.html
Skeptical Teacher
July 26th, 2010
10:45 pm
Is it possible that Ms. Rhee’s real agenda is to get rid of older, experienced, and therefore more expensive teachers and replace them with younger, less experienced, and less expensive teachers? Also, it is somewhat interesting that under Washington DC’s new teacher evaluation system, only 16% of the workforce is rated as highly effective and they’re the only ones eligible for any bonuses and/or merit pay under the new system.
@Happy Teacher
July 26th, 2010
11:27 pm
Didn’t exactly have dozens of “caring” educators jump to your defense for shilling for Rhee.
doh
July 27th, 2010
2:52 am
“When you are in the profession that supposed to influence others, it is perfectly valid to judge quality of your work based on what those you are supposed to influence perform, isn’t it?”
What a STUPID comment/question. The answer is no. If most of my class does not if they are going to get a meal when they leave school, worry if mom or dad will be home, or will be evicted from their hotel, or worry if they have to miss school because they have to take a part time job. School is the next to last thing on their minds, and some stupid standardized test is the LAST thing on their mind.
How is a teacher supposed to influence that? I had a student who was absent 60% of the time before the CRCT test, is that going to be MY FAULT if the child does not pass?
What an absolutely STUPID MORONIC idea it is to judge teachers based on the performance of their students. ABSOLUTELY STUPID!
Fedup
July 27th, 2010
8:49 am
The worst schools have the worst leaders who, in turn, recommend the worst teachers available for the children who have the worst parents imaginable in facilities in the worst conditions…the poor have no advocacy and therefore stay stuck in the mire and the affluent demand change and they get it…and the beat goes on and on and on and on………………
Happy Teacher
July 28th, 2010
8:59 pm
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2010/07/23/jk.rhee.school.teacher.firings.cnn.html
Gael
July 29th, 2010
10:44 am
The teacher’s performance hinges on the performance of the student,but how is that ascertained? If all student learning capacity is assumed equal and all results therefore standardized true teacher performance is not being accurately assessed. For one student achieving an “A” may not signify improvement, for another attending class may indicate marked improvement. The tasks of collating and interpreting pre and post tests on each student would be cost and labor prohibitive. It is therefore assumed that standardization of ability and result is used. Before this “firing spree” can be assessed, the details need to be known. In a “throw the bums out” environment, we need to be sure not to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Skeptical Teacher
July 29th, 2010
2:00 pm
Thanks for posting the video “Happy Teacher”. Watching it really solidified my theory about Ms. Rhee’s hidden agenda. She actually says that when they had to do layoffs, they had to let the younger and better teachers go. Also, they had to lay off many more of them since they were not commanding the higher salaries as the older, more experienced teachers. Now, I assume, under this new contract, she can get rid of the more expensive teachers first. It’s really an ingenious, fail-safe system to save lots of money and garner political points—–label the older teachers ineffective and get rid of them, in favor of the younger, cheaper, and so-called “effective” teachers. Then, in about five years, when those teachers quit because of the low pay or because they just can’t hack it anymore, Rhee can replace them with more newbies just out of college, Or if some of those teachers decide to stay on in teaching and start making too much money, Rhee can start labeling them as “ineffective”, fire them, and then hire a new round of younger, cheaper, and “effective” teachers. She is a slick one, this Michelle Rhee.
Former teacher
August 1st, 2010
6:20 pm
About time. In the 3 short years I taught, I thought teachers were some of the least intelligent, lazy, cry-baby people I have worked with. I blame the union.
Skeptical Teacher
August 2nd, 2010
12:20 pm
I’ve been teaching for twenty years now and I have seen the gamut in teachers from the worst to the best. Believe me, the bad ones don’t last very long. If the principals do their jobs, they can get rid of them. Anyway, they’ve had so many different types of “educational reform” just in the time I’ve been teaching, it’s ridiculous! From phonics to whole language and back again, from indirect to direct instruction, the “new math”, etc., the list goes on. Since NCLB, the focus has been on standardized testing in math and reading to the detriment of the other subjects. Teaching to the tests have become rampant in the schools. Unfortunately, Race to the Top continues this emphasis on testing and punishes schools and teachers who work with the poorest, neediest, and most challenging children. If anyone wants to learn more about the wrong path this is taking us, please read “THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM” BY DIANE RAVITCH. Ms. Ravitch was a former US Asst. Sec. of Educ. under Bush and a great supporter of NCLB, until she was confronted by the research that it was actually hurting education. Also, see http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/03/05/diane-ravitch-education-has-become-search-and-destroy-mission-and-teachers-are-the-targets/