Joy Resmovits of Huffington Post reports that Michelle Rhee is stepping down as leader of StudentsFirst, a group she founded in 2010. She is likely to remain a board member. She recently changed her name to Michelle Johnson.
“StudentsFirst was launched on Oprah’s TV talk show in late 2010 and immediately set ambitious goals, such as amassing $1 billion in its first year and becoming education’s lobbying equivalent to the National Rifle Association. Its policy goals focused on teacher quality, teacher evaluations, school accountability and the expansion of charter schools. But the group has failed to achieve some of its major goals. After revising its fundraising goal to $1 billion over five years, the group only netted $62.8 million in total: $7.6 million in its first year, $28.5 million in its second year and $26.7 million between August 2012 and July 2013. The group also has seen much staff turnover, cycling through at least five prominent spokespeople since 2010.
“After the group began, it saw some legislative and electoral successes. It claims credit for changing more than 130 education laws in many states. It has released report cards ranking states on their education policies, supported candidates through political action committees, and lobbied state legislatures and governors on reform issues.”
Although Rhee always claimed to be a Democrat, most of her group’s campaign contributions went to conservative Republicans. Last year, StudentsFirst honored Tennessee State Representative John Ragan as “education reformer of the year,” despite the fact that he was co-sponsor of the infamous “don’t say gay” bill). She opposed unions, tenure, and seniority, and she supported vouchers and charters. She was a leader of the privatization movement as well as the movement to evaluate teachers by test scores. Ironically, her successor in the District of Columbia announced yesterday the suspension of test-based evaluation of teachers, a move supported by the Gates Foundation.
Resmovits speculates that former CNN news anchor Campbell Brown will become the face of the movement to strip due process rights from teachers. StudentsFirst, however, is unlikely to have the national visibility that it had under Rhee’s controversial leadership.
Any bets on how Michelle Rhee…I mean, Michelle JOHNSON…will reappear? A bag of Skittles says she:
* Latches onto celebs in Hollywood in the hopes that their glitter will rub off on her and make her “sparkle” in the eyes of Wall Street investors and plutocrats again?
* Joins an education “institute” (as in conservative thinktank) that produces “studies” about “bad teachers”?
* Embarks on an anti-bullying crusade against the “mean” teachers who drove her out of StudentsFirst – maybe even filing a lawsuit against unions or BATs over their “mean hijacking” of hashtags on Twitter?
* Becomes the host of an MSBNC talk show?
* Pairs up with Chris Christie on “Dancing with the Stars”.
* Is caught drag racing in a 1985 Buick through Toledo, hence a disheveled mug shot appearing on TMZ.
* Hosts SNL
* Writes a book about saving the planet from evil teachers only to be cast as the next X-men in a summer blockbuster movie.
* Leads Scotts lawn care division with the new ad line “Hey all you kids, get off my lawn!”
Honestly, these people are ridiculous. Burst on to the scene, impose some grand “not invented here” scheme, screw up everything that works, then bail before you can be held fully responsible, leaving the mess for everyone else to clean up – mainly teachers.
Love it Math Vale…can see her doing a quick step with Christie…a riot.
There was a photo of her in the LA Times recently being dragged to some event by her husband of basketball and young girl fame. Mrs. Johnson looked very old and very haggard.
P.S. Michelle Rhee renaming herself Michelle Johnson is “pulling a Gillooly.” He changed his name, too, but we ALL know who he is. You can run, but you can’t hide from your reputation in the techno-age.
They do this renamed scam with lots of toxic repackaging.
She’s riding away on her broom.
We should be so lucky. Actually, if she sticks around she may be helpful since she evokes so much negative publicity. Between her cheating and self-proclaimed leadership in civil rights, she is proving our points on the nature of corporate Ed reform. So maybe Michelle Johnson with just be a soccer mom leading upscale parents to thier doom.
An embezzler/perp and a sociopath/egomaniac travel the country giving lectures on ethics…a new sitcom on Sarah Palin TV.
Ms. Johnson will join Faux News…
Denies ever being chancellor of DC now that tests scores are lower than ever.
Becomes spokesperson for Miracle-Gro since she is so full of manure.
Campbell Brown named new head of StudentsFirst
“Miracle” Gro is going to have to “REBRAND” the long-held company name as Rhee-Johnson has destroyed the word “miracle” via her “ed reform”…. Guess they should fire whomever had the bright idea to put Rhee on the payroll!
“Ms. Johnson will join Faux News…”
Where she will continue to spew fertilizer.
Whatever progeny she may produce there will probably not end up living with her or having her as main custodian . . . .
Ding dong the witch is…
Good riddance!
Ms. Michelle Johnson needs her own talk show. Maybe she can follow the Jerry Springer format and pit charter school principals against Randi Weingarten.
Or maybe she can pursue a guest appearance on Hollywood Squares. Smug, quippy, slick, vapid, and shiny. . . . She’d be perfect.
She can anglicize her surname all she wants. Under the tidy, Wonderbread last name is a smelly loaf of moldy, rotting bread.
Toss her into the trash, and don’t forget to put the trash out on the curb tonight.
Now that she and Mr. Johnson are in charge of the New Hope charters ($$$$$$$$), will their next stop be prison?
Michelle [fill in the blank] as a soccer mom, from Valerie Strauss, 1-22-2011, “What Rhee’s comments about her children say about her”:
[start quote]
“I can see it in my own household. I have two girls, 8 and 12, and they play soccer. And I can tell you that they suck at soccer! They take after their mother in athletic ability. But if you were to see their rooms, they’re adorned with ribbons, medals and trophies. You’d think I was raising the next Mia Hamm.
“I routinely try to tell my kids that their soccer skills are lacking and that if they want to be better, they have to practice hard. I also communicate to them that all the practice in the world won’t guarantee that they’ll ever be great at soccer. It’s tough to square this, though, with the trophies. And that’s part of the issue. We’ve managed to build a sense of complacency with our children.”
I could ask why she is insulting her children in public to make a point, but that would be so American of me, so I won’t. Instead:
Rhee doesn’t blame the soccer coach for not raising the level of her children’s play. Instead, she blames their own lack of ability — which she notes is such that all the practice in the world might not help them be great.
It seems fair, then, to ask, why Rhee insists that teachers should be held solely accountable for how well students do; she has even argued that it is fair to take a child’s standardized test score and use it to evaluate his or her teachers and determine their compensation. Hmmmm.
2) I’m going to assume that Rhee’s comment that her children “take after their mother in athletic ability” is not an argument that genetics is dispositive, because, of course, that doesn’t leave much room for improvement by means of education. It also justifies telling kids that all the practice in the world at something won’t make them great.
But Rhee says all this in the context of how Americans have “become so obsessed with making kids feel good about themselves that we’ve lost sight of building the skills they need to actually be good at things.”
Yes, a self-esteem movement in this country did exist, and yes, it did go overboard in trying to make kids feel great about themselves, and yes, it is true that telling kids (and adults) that they are great doesn’t make them great.
That doesn’t mean that bashing kids over the head is a better approach to getting the most out of them. Ultimately, they just wind up with a bashed head. (And yes, as always, there are exceptions — Chua’s children, for example, who seem to have turned out to be lovely people and who defend their mother’s harsh parenting approach. But the failure of one extreme is hardly a case for another extreme.)
[end quote]
Link: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/michelle-rhee/what-rhees-comments-about-her.html
The whole piece is worth reading.
As for the name change: looked at from her own POV, why does she suck at showing “grit” and “determination” in sticking with the “professional/public” name that has identified her for so many years?
Or has she developed such a sense of complacency, thinking she is the next Mia Hamm of “education reform,” that she is simply doing a Newt Gingrich-style rebranding in order to appear shiny and new? Then she just becomes old wine in a new bottle.
I think the old her would say of the current her:
“I reject that mind-set.” [Michelle Rhee]
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
😎
@krazy TA
Or old whine in a new bottle;)?
The entire state of Rhode Island is apparently adopting the agenda of this Learning Accelerator company in all the public schools:
“Cupertino, CA – August 6, 2014 – The Learning Accelerator (TLA), a nonprofit organization supporting the implementation of high-quality blended learning in school districts and states across the U.S., and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today announced an ambitious initiative to make Rhode Island the first fully “blended-learning state” in the nation. The announcement coincides with the release of TLA’s Framework for Cultivating High-Quality Blended Learning at the State Level, which outlines steps states can take to catalyze blended learning.
TLA’s unique combination of thought partnership and investments, coupled with RIDE’S pioneering leadership in personalized and proficiency-based learning in a digitally rich environment, will allow the pair to quickly turn the ideas found in the TLA framework into actions that accelerate high-quality blended learning in Rhode Island.
“This partnership with The Learning Accelerator recognizes and furthers our commitment to basing instruction on the needs of every individual student,” added Deborah A. Gist, Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Digital learning in all of its forms provides, literally, unlimited educational resources for every classroom, allows our schools to design flexible instruction schedules, and enables students and teachers to work closely together at a pace that is right for each student. With these funds, we will continue our commitment to innovation powered by technology.”
– See more at: http://learningaccelerator.org/about-us/news/2014/8/the-learning-accelerator-and-the-rhode-island-department-of-education-announce-innovation-partnership#sthash.QVXEuBNa.dpuf
They’re turning the whole state into a Rocketship charter school. People should watch the videos at the company website. Do they know all of this is coming straight from charter chains?
Here’s the person who will be running Rhode Island’s public schools:
“Joe Wolf is founder of The Learning Accelerator, as well as its president. He is also an investor and entrepreneur focused on providing deserving kids with superior educational and life opportunities. In addition to his involvement with TLA, Joe is on the Leadership Council at NewSchools Venture Fund, is on the board of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Learning, is on the National Board and head of the Innovation Committee for Summer Search (a leadership development program focused on low income youth), and is on the advisory board of New Classrooms (formerly School of One).
Joe was formerly a Partner at RS Investments (formerly Robertson Stevens Asset Management) from 2001-2012. At RS, Joe co-managed a team that grew from 100MM in assets to over 12B. His responsibilities included investment and portfolio management, strategic development, sales and marketing, and business management. Prior to RS, he worked at Goldman Sachs & Company in both the equities division and the strategic consulting group. Joe holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. ”
– See more at: http://learningaccelerator.org/about-us/board-of-directors#sthash.m0wgQB36.dpuf
Blended learning is the new Secret Sauce, and with Jeb Bush and Arne Duncan both selling it I see this as an excellent investment opportunity:
“Many previous education reform efforts have proven ineffective or inefficient. Only 5% of America’s students attend public charter or private schools while approximately 50 million students attend tranditional public schools. To truly improve student learning and the future of our nation, we need to act in our public school districts. ”
– See more at: http://learningaccelerator.org/our-approach#sthash.0zWMm2R1.dpuf
If you stuck your kid in front of a screen all day at home you would be a bad parent and neglectful. Propose it for schools and it’s innovative and “personalized” learning. Kids want to design and create with tech. They don’t want to read and answer questions endlessly on a screen.
Notice they are also a “nonprofit”. I don’t understand how all these organizations pull off the non profit status: TFA, students first, bloomboard, etc. Maybe our government can start looking into these scams. Ha!
I agree, but if you watch the videos the worst part of (to me) is the tracking.
They put the kids in front of screens partly because it’s cheaper (fewer teachers, more low paid assistants, hueg classes) but they also do it because the kids then become data generators. Everything they do is a measurement. They’re monitored and measured constantly- not by a teacher who is using a human, nuanced, sophisticated process to evaluate them as individuals, but by the computer program. Their entire day is a series of what are essentially test scores.
It’s funny because my eldest son works for a giant tech company, and he doesn’t want my youngest (his little brother) in one of these programs. He thinks it’s a horrible idea that will immediately be exploited and completely commercialized and he knows that industry a lot better than I do.
The Learning Accelerator uses Reynoldsburg public schools in OH as an example of a public school district they “partner” with in creative destruction:
“The Learning Accelerator launched its first school district partnership in August, 2013 with Reynoldsburg City Schools (RCS). Selected for its inventiveness and commitment to personalized learning, RCS otherwise typifies the American school district with 6,300 economically and racially diverse students across 14 schools. Recognizing that no single school model is a perfect fit for every student, TLA’s work with RCS focuses on strategy, design and implementation of a portfolio of autonomous blended learning models in tandem with next-gen systems reform.”
Reynoldsburg is the Ohio district that is getting rid of health insurance and pay raises for teachers while increasing class sizes.
In fact, it was reported yesterday that the teachers voted to strike there due to what are pay cuts- getting rid of health insurance is of course a pay cut, no matter how it’s marketed.
How much influence does this private California company that is run by a former Goldman Sachs manager have in that Ohio district?
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/07/17/teachers-board-dig-in-on-proposal.html
Not that it matters, but I think either Michelle Johnson or her husband are planning a run for office. I know he’s a mayor, but a run from there, or she wants to run.
I’m kind of curious what state she picks to run from. One of the things I’ve noticed about the huge cadre of unelected ed reform leaders who seem to be running public education is they don’t really RESIDE anywhere, in the “average person” sense. They move from state to state and just choose which state offers the best career opportunity. Where does Paul Vallas “live” for example? What gives him some unique insight into the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois? He just takes his traveling road show anywhere. He doesn’t know anything about any of these places he parachutes into.
Bingo and Vallas could give a crap. He’s not very creative. He uses the same loot and plunder tactics everywhere he lands. It’s a shell game with kids as props.
Chiara: good points.
Confirmation from none other than Paul Vallas himself:
“I go in, fix the system, I move on to something else.”
Link: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Paul-Vallas–213999671.html
The leading edge of the self-styled “education reform” movement could be aptly renamed “The Dance of the Lemons.”
😎
Three thoughts . . .
1. It would seem that this tiger mom is changing her stripes as well as her name.
2. “The group also has seen much staff turnover, cycling through at least five prominent spokespeople since 2010.” Oddly enough, this seems to follow the career path of many of those trained by Teach for America.
3. Increasingly, Michelle (Rhee) Johnson, reminds me of a recent vice-presidential candidate from the far north, though she too was unable to achieve her goals, has managed to remain in the public spotlight often making unfounded and even outrageous comments. Yet curiously, she maintains a significant number, often wealthy, of loyal followers.
Yes, the “Tiger Mom” whose children are being raised by her ex-husband, and who verbally humiliates (“My kids suck at soccer…”) them in public for her own venal political purposes…
However abusive Kevin Huffman is towards the teachers and public school students of Tennessee, at least he’s keeping Rhee’s daughters away from her and her pedophile husband.
And perhaps her kids will be so much better off for that. Now, what if they become teacher/union organizers in a dozen years. Wouldn’t that be sweet?
Michelle JOHNSON . ?? Interesting. Polly
Yeah, frightening when one’s own name has become so toxic that one would rather be known by the name of a child molester.
Breaking news indeed. Whenever she is referred to, the “Rhee” will be part of the name. Interestingly, she never went by Huffman. She must not have been proud of her then husband, or her daughters, but she sure is standing by her peddie hubbie.
One can only hope for his and her snaps courtesy of the local police department.
Too bad this group is focussed on doing away with public schools rather than supporting them. Public schools do so much with so little we should be pouring billions into them for technology, supplies, etc rather than focusing on taking away due process and privatizing schools so only the chosen can be educated.
Methinks Ms. Johnson has “stepped down” from StudentsFirst in the same way that Juan Rangel “stepped down” from UNO charter schools.
Right, lapdogs “pushed out” of ostensibly their own non-profits would probably be more accurate, due to pressures from the real owners, their political and corporate overlords.
Thankfully and mercifully she leaves another job. #Unfinished. Par for the course. Next up St. Hope and keeping an eye on Mayor Johnson?
Wow, even St Hope doesn’t deserve her…those parents should be up in arms that she is their consolation prize. Bringing in 1% of HER company’s fundraising goals?!? Perhaps all her flapping and commotion was the real strategy all along for Students First, that and having her ear to doors around Sacramento and schmoozing with corrupt politicians. Students first my toe.
“The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. ” MLK