Washington DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee
In the most politically powerful city in the world, among many of the most powerful people in the world, sits one of the most feared Asian Americans. She’s Korean American and Chancellor of Washington, DC schools, Michelle Rhee.
In the most politically powerful city in the world, among many of the most powerful people in the world, sits one of the most feared Asian Americans. She’s Korean American and Chancellor of Washington, DC schools, Michelle Rhee.
Shortly after Ms. Rhee took over as head of Washington DC’s public schools in 2007, she announced a plan to shut down almost two dozen schools in D.C.’s decrepit, shrinking, public-education system. Inner-city schools, in Washington DC have long been among the worst. Rhee showed she was serious by firing more than a hundred non-union central office workers, including administrators, and 36 principals (one out of four). She even fired the principal of the school where she chose to enroll her own daughters. The math and reading skills of its students lag two or three years behind national norms, despite per-student expenditures greater than in any major city outside of New York, according to www.newsweek.com .
Ms. Rhee is a change agent who had already transformed many urban public school systems through her work with The New Teacher Project (TNTP) which she founded in 1997, and is now a nationally recognized leader in understanding and developing innovative solutions to the challenges of new teacher hiring. As Chief Executive Officer and President, she partnered with school districts, state education agencies, non-profit organizations, and unions, to transform the way schools and other organizations recruit, select, and train highly qualified teachers in difficult-to-staff schools. Her work implemented widespread reform in teacher hiring, improving teacher hiring in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, New York, Oakland, and Philadelphia.
The lesson she learned at Harlem Park Community School informs her mission today: with the right teacher, students in urban classrooms can meet teachers’ high expectations for achievement, and the driving force behind that achievement is the quality of the Educator who works inside it. Additionally, Rhee is hoping to make D.C. teachers the best-paid in the country.
She graduated from Cornell University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in government, and earned a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
I was honored to speak with Chancellor Rhee this week for a half hour phone interview, although her questions were answered in about 10 minutes. Such great time management!
There is a culture that is the diametric opposite of accountability. People are used to not being held accountable for what they are producing.
ASIANCE: What brought you into the actual school system and current job? I know you taught at Teach For America.
Chancellor Rhee: I joined Teach For America right out of college. I taught second and third grade at an inner city school in Baltimore, MD. Based on that experience, I went and got my Masters in Public Policy with a concentration in Education Policy from The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Then I started a national, non-profit organization called The New Teacher Project after that.
ASIANCE: What is the toughest part of your job?
Chancellor Rhee: I’d say trying to change the culture, both internally in the organization and externally within the community. There is a culture that is the diametric opposite of accountability. People are used to not being held accountable for what they are producing. There is a broader mentality in the city overall, where oftentimes adults’ interests and what the adults want are taken in higher regard than what is in the best interest of the kids.
ASIANCE: What are your 3 main priorities for the upcoming year?
Chancellor Rhee: My three main priorities are:
1) The successful rolling out and implementation of our new teaching and learning framework. That is to set a consistent bar and expectations across the city about what good instruction looks like in the classroom.
2) The successful implementation of our new teacher evaluation system to make sure we are aligning the teacher’s performance with actually what results the kids are seeing and,
3) Our move towards insuring that we are seeing more choices and opportunities for our kids by developing a more compelling portfolio of school options.
ASIANCE: How do you think Michelle Obama is doing?
Chancellor Rhee: I think she has clearly taken a couple of things that are incredibly important to her in terms of health & diet and healthy eating. From our perspective, she has had an unprecedented outreach to the children of Washington, DC. Our kids and children across the city have been invited to dozens of events at The White House. I think the goal is to try and make The White House more accessible to the community and I would say she is absolutely doing that.
I’ve met lots of young Korean Americans who have been in this job, who have said, that me being in this position has helped them talk their parents into allowing them to work in public education.
ASIANCE: If you weren’t Chancellor what would you be doing?
Chancellor Rhee: Probably still be running The New Teacher Project.
ASIANCE: What advice do you have for women who are balancing a career and family?
Chancellor Rhee: My biggest advice is 1) that family always comes first and the thing that really helps me do that is 2) compartmentalization. When I am with my kids, I’m not on the phone or on the blackberry. I’m focused on my kids and not consumed by what’s going on a work. After they go to sleep, then I can go back to work again. I think it’s important to draw the lines and differentiate. I think if you don’t do that and you’re with your kids then you’re supposed to be reading with them or helping them with their homework not actually consumed with work things. I think you do a disadvantage to your family.
ASIANCE: How old are your children? Do they attend public school?
Chancellor Rhee: They’re 10 and 7 in fifth grade and second grade. They are both in DC public schools.
ASIANCE: What do you do in your time off?
Chancellor Rhee: I very much enjoy working. I’ve always been like that. Whenever I’m not with my kids, I’m usually working.
ASIANCE: Are there any Asian American women you admire or someone’s career path you have followed?
Chancellor Rhee: I would say that I have a lot of people who I have specifically followed their careers. I know of certain women, but most of the people who I admire the most and consider my mentors in the education realm, aren’t Asian American women but hopefully that will change over time.
I’ve met lots of young Korean Americans who have been in this job, who have said, that me being in this position has helped them talk their parents into allowing them to work in public education. So hopefully that will change.