USA Today was first to report the cheating scandal in the District of Columbia.
Here is the follow-up story by Gregg Toppo, about the memo first leaked to John Merrow.
Eventually, the allegations were investigated by the DC Inspector General, who decided not to look at the erasure analysis or to interview many people. It was not the kind of full-scale investigation carried out in Atlanta by professionals. The DC Inspector General decided the cheating, if it happened, was not widespread.
This was confirmed by the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education.
But suspicions lingered, as did the cloud over the district, and the cloud refused to go away.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Well, well, well. The truth about Michelle Rhee is finally making headlines.
Yes, it is. Here’s the link to yesterday’s follow-up. This is the new story that Diane is writing about.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/11/memo-washington-dc-schools-cheating/2074473/
Thanks, my executive assistant forgot the link. She sometimes does. I will get a replacement as soon as possible.
@Diane… hahahahaha! I’m sure you’ve collected the data on your EA!
Hannah, keep it a secret. I have no assistant, and I can’t fire myself.
OH, you could fire yourself but what good would that do????
When I read the title of this post, I totally cracked up because we all know that this blog is a one-woman-band. Diane, if you ever need an editor or any help at all with the blog, just say the word. Lots of your loyal followers have editing and tech experience and are willing to help out for free. In the meantime, give your ‘executive assistant’ a raise. I think a few ‘thank you, mommy,’ kisses from your newest doggie might suffice.
If this was Facebook, I’d have hit the “like” button! All the angsty turmoil in education & in my own career as a teacher has been disheartening and… well, this was a good laugh! Tell ya what, DON’T use “IMPACT” on your EA..er..yourself… accept that there are imperfections because… ok… I won’t tell… ,whispers… “you’re a human being!”… (Hannah runs & hides from the “thought police” for speaking too much truth).
Diane, I thought you were pleased with your assistant Mitzi’s job performance. I think you should give her another chance.
Will there be a professional investigation into this?
Slither away Michelle and be gone! You are a pariah and a disgrace to OUR profession and our gender.
It’s Watergate all over again. Well, Rheegate this time, or Arnegate, or Obamagate.
It’s a shame the Washington Post wasn’t as diligent as the Atlanta Journal Constitution investigating the obvious cheating in DC.
I foresee lots of “I don’t recall” and “my lawyer will answer that” answers from Ms. Rhee in the future.
Yes, I agree. A lying sociopath will continue to lie. It’s her schtick.
Rhee’s slogan:
Walk softly and carry a big eraser…see pix:
“With liberty and justice for all” is made into a mockery if this woman is granted impunity.
All this confirms is that the Dept of Education is complicit in covering up the misdeeds of ed depts in the various states. Unless the public is aware and the issues are brought to light, the federal and state departments of education will go along with the prevailing side.
Let’s email Arne:
arne.duncan@ed.gov
Thanks for the email address Linda!
Don’t use any big words, he won’t understand the message.
Love the big eraser remark! 🙂
Peg
Rhee is a tool being used by the BB club. Of course, she’s a user too. Her fall is inevitable; the fallout is not. Will the story be primarily about a twisted self-promoter, or about the entire power structure that she represents? Our job is to connect the dots and to push the truth relentlessly.
I have been told that lying, illegal actions is a “family feature.” Her husband is reputed to be in the slammer (or soon will be) for his gaming the system involved in credit cards.
The arrogance that Rhee had towards teachers slaving away in hard to serve schools was truly indicative of a sociopath characteristic…no empathy for the pain of others,
I’m sure Arne and his rat pack in D.C. are scurrying at a frenetic pace to cover this every growing scandal. A scandal that seems to be popping up across the nation like the weeds of spring. Good old farmer sense should have made these “miracles” laughable. Just shows how ALEC and all the other cohorts in this milking of the public schools have no scruples about fudging figures to a ridiculous extreme!
Mary–I know that was a typo–“to cover this everY growing scandal,” but, in truth, we ARE going to see/hear about–& I hope, VERY soon–EVERY “growing scandal.” As they say on the news,
“More to come…” As we thanked John Merrow, we must also thank the reporters at USA Today–that was the very first media outlet where I read/heard/saw anything about D.C. (AND Atlanta).
Keep up the excellent work! I smell Pulitzer Prize!!
And these two were speaking on ethics last year in Hawaii. Save us from these sick, self absorbed, pompous, disgusting, poor excuses for humans.
Folks,
This is the original article from 2011. It is nothing new other than it’s good to remind people what’s going on.
Duane
Diane’s staff apparently left out the link to the new Toppo story. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/11/memo-washington-dc-schools-cheating/2074473/
Thanks for the link. It’s hard to wear two hats at a time but Diane usually does a great job.
Just saw John Merrow on MSNBC, and it was te best. It was short but he really came down on her, finally.
Wow! that’s an awesome interview. It’s up online already. Here’s the link:
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/all-in-/51523921?ocid=twitter#51523921
Thank you, chemtchr. It is, indeed, awesome.
kb1459: I just went to the link below and saw it for myself:
http://tv.msnbc.com
When you get to the above home page, click on the graphic of John Merrow that bears this caption:
“New memo implicates Michelle Rhee in DC schools cheating scandal”
Note that when she got the memo, she was about to plant her star in the celebrity firmament. At this uncertain juncture she was confronted with a moral dilemma: certain “education hero” or possible “education villain.”
Remember, it’s always and forever, $tudent$Fir$t.
Guess which one she chose?
chemtchr: thank you for beating me to it!
🙂
No–always & forever Rhee Fir$t.
Ms. Medusa of Mediocrity now stands to turn herself into stone, as she takes a good long hard look at herself in the mirror and thinks about what she has done and why.
It is my only hope that someone high up, like the USDOE or the USJD, investigate or reopen this case. The more mainstream (YIPES!) media reports on Merrow’s discovery, the more likely that Rhee will be investigated further.
Enough of her Rheediculousness.
Robert, methinks you give her way too much credit as for any humanistic qualities. She certainly will NOT take “a good long hard look at herself in the mirror and think about what she has done and way.” Evidenced by what she HAS done–ruined education for not only the children of D.C. but, in fact, all across America, ruined the lives of all the GOOD, DECENT, HARDWORKING teachers and administrators who have been fired/forced out, ruined the livelihoods of certified school personnel who lost their jobs when schools were closed, not to mention the consequences felt by hundreds of thousands of family members of these people.
Does anybody who reads this blog seriously think that she is going to reflect upon what she has done, even to apologize? If she had any sense of decency or humanity, she would have taken the high road long ago.
Nope…not gonna happen. And–she knew this was coming, having previously lawyered up.
I truly hope that she has/is using some of the money that has been donated to $tudent$ Fir$t (she probably has already).
Then she will most assuredly be indicted for fraud.
As if she hasn’t perpetrated enough fraud on Americans already.
Robert, I consider her to be one of the most shameless criminals in American history, for to kill the minds and the souls of innocent and good people–particularly children–is as heinous as physical
murder.
While laughing all the way to the bank.
Good analysis rbmtk!!
Well, actually I blame those who put her in the Chancellor’s position with three years of “teaching” experience.
Robert Rendo, I await your drawing as described in your comment. 🙂 I adore your work.
http://takingnote.learningmatters.tv/?p=6232
This is Merrow’s 4/11 blog on the “problem”. All should read it along with the actual original memo about the erasure “problem”: http://learningmatters.tv/pdfs/memo.pdf.
Please send requests for a full investigation to Arne…see email here:
arne.duncan@ed.gov
Dearest Arne,
Let the throwing-under-the-bus begin! Rhee will attempt to blame anyone and everyone in her path. Such a pity that all that image cultivation will go to waste. I’m sure this will not be her “fault.”
I have been talking about Michelle Rhee craptastic FOREVER http://whereiskatima.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/michelle-rhee-and-anomaly-theory/