Rhee's no Superman, although her P.R. person deserves a large bonus for making the Oprah watching, moviegoing world think she is. Rhee's no educator, she's an operative whose lack of administrative and educational credentials were astounding when she was appointed. (only one uninspiring year in the classroom and never having managed more than a small non profit organization).
She has engaged in shameless self-promotion and reprehensible management practices since her inauspicious arrival in D.C., including repeatedly lying to the City Council on budget matters and eliminating the parental ombudsman position. Any improvements in D.C.P.S. test scores during her tenure where largely due to her predecessor, Dr. Clifton Janey and his herculean work in developing and implementing a robust master education plan for the school system. She only took credit for it.
Her engagement with the public was both antagonistic and dismissive and her treatment of parents and teachers was abominable. In a rapidly gentrifying city with numerous preexisting social divisions, this was tone deaf and inflammatory and smacked of the overtly exclusionary tactics once used during Jim Crow. This on its face was immoral.
The parents of Washington were not ignorant to these matters. They saw what was happening in the public schools and rescued their children by electing Chairman Gray. The parents are the real Superman. In the end, Rhee was a slightly more telegenic but no less dangerous, Lex Luthor. Her departure is welcome and we won't begrudge her the higher profile that she earned at our expense.
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