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Michelle Rhee: Education Reform Should Be a Bi-Partisan Issue

By: Brad Jackson (Diary)  |  October 2nd, 2012 at 09:59 AM  | 

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On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Michelle Rhee to discuss the teacher strike in Chicago, the tug of war within her Democratic Party between school reformers and teachers unions, and why serious education reform should be a goal that both Democrats and Republicans can get behind.

We’re brought to you by Stephen Clouse and Associates and The Heritage Foundation’s Morning Bell. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at bjackson[at]coffeeandmarkets.com. We hope you enjoy the show.

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Related Links:

Chicago teachers strike underscores shift among Democrats
How Michelle Rhee Is Taking Over the Democratic Party
Students First

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COMMENTS

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  • agooglyminotaur

    One can only imagine how a Democrat like Rhee felt, when her initiative failed due to obstinate and grabby unions. I doubt she could have imagined anyone would reject a pay-by-performance contract. D’oh!

  • rightlane1111

    Sorry…but I will say it again. I agree with Perry’s proposal. Get the Department of Education back to the States. When government is closest to the people…the more freedom we have.

  • http://www.thefrustratedteacher.com tft

    We are NOT 14, 17, or whatever numbers Rhee is touting.

    When you disaggregate poverty schools from affluent schools you find our American affluent schools score #1 in the world. Period.

    Rhee is full of lies.

  • http://www.thefrustratedteacher.com tft

    Michelle Rhee put tape on her student’s little mouths to shut them up when she was a co-teacher for 3 years in Baltimore. Upon removal, their little lips bled.

    Michelle laughs about the story. She should have been fired.

  • streiff

    dere wittle wips bwed?

  • streiff

    so your point is that kids in failing schools don’t exist? That is very candid of you. Most on the left aren’t so honest.

  • http://www.thefrustratedteacher.com tft

    Yes, if I understand you correctly, they did indeed bleed, according to Michelle Rhee’s own words.

    You seem to think that’s funny. If it were your child who had been abused in that way, do you think you would be joking?

    I doubt it.

  • http://www.thefrustratedteacher.com tft

    Merit pay never worked. It assumes teachers are holding back; they’re not. It’s a stupid idea, which is why RedState likes it.

  • http://www.thefrustratedteacher.com tft

    No, my point is that our generationally impoverished kids are and have been the ones reform is supposedly focused on, but nobody focuses on them. They use false numbers to condemn the whole system–the same system that puts out the highest scores on earth.

    The problem with our low-scoring students is almost exclusively poverty, and until we admit that and decide to reduce it, we will get nowhere.

  • streiff

    and we’re done here.

  • streiff

    eh, bull****

  • streiff

    hey, she was part of a teacher’s union when that happened. Hard to see why it is surprising. The education unions are nothing more that institutionalized child abuse.

  • TFT

    That’s how you deal with being wrong–prevent folks from showing how wrong you are.

    Grow up.

  • TFT

    Really? Explain how it’s bull. I don’t think you can.

  • TFT

    Teachers are the union. Unless someone knew about it they could not do anything about it. Michelle herself is the one who outed the story.

    Nice try. She’s irresponsible. That’s her fault.

  • Bill S

    No, we don’t give left-wing dumbasses the privilege to post here. Sucks to be you.

  • Bill S

    Derp derp derp

  • agooglyminotaur

    It doesn’t really matter to me whether the teachers are “holding back.” Some of them are great teachers, and some of them are bad teachers. The kids’ chances at success aren’t dictated by how hard their teacher is trying; they’re dictated by whether the teacher can do the damn job.

    This isn’t a little kids’ talent show. You don’t pat the teacher on the head and say, “All that matters is that you do your best!” The kids need to learn and the teachers need to teach.

  • agooglyminotaur

    See my response above to tft—- I do think it’s more effective if you point out why someone is wrong, although I’m sure modding this site is a teeth-clenching job.

  • streiff

    we don’t argue with the left. It is a strategy that fails everytime that it is tried. This is a conservative site for conservative activists. Period. That is who we have discussions with.

  • agooglyminotaur

    That deprives other commenters the benefit of learning to better argue their position in the real world. Democracy is improved when people are able to make a convincing, reasoned case. This country was founded on political debate, and I think we’re in a pretty sorry state right now, where plenty on the left and right think they “know” their position is correct but can’t explain why.

    I’m quickly noticing that their are two categories of articles and two categories of commenters on this site. On one side, there are reactionaries who stick to derisive, unsubstantiated platitudes, and on the other side intelligent, thoughtful contributors who’ve done their homework and could win an argument against a liberal in the real world. You clearly seem to have a bone to pick with me because I think the latter add value and the former add nothing, but that doesn’t make me a troll. Go look at ShineOn’s comments on the “Debate Advice” post. That’s what a troll looks like.

  • streiff

    that’s not why we’re here. I’m not picking on you, I’m trying to set you straight on basic ground rules that are not up for discussion. I’ve been a mod here for 8 years. We have never debated the left. The debate we have is among center-right activists. There are other sites to go to if that is what you want to do. If you allow a site to become a debating society it is inevitably becomes a left leaning site.

    ShineOn is gone. He was within minutes of posting.

  • agooglyminotaur

    I’m not concerned about ShineOn. I’m not concerned about any two-bit moron who thinks he can argue politics when he can’t, whether right or left. I’m concerned with the future of America, and if you want my opinion, Romney is winning the debate right now, and though I don’t think either an Obama or Romney presidency will end in the apocalypse, I respect where a point is made well. I hope you can do the same for me.

    AGM.

  • agooglyminotaur

    And hey, I’m sure we’ll have a lot more to talk about in tomorrow’s early hours, but I can hope you agree that, on the policy level where I stand, Romney won this debate hands down. I’m looking forward to the discussion!

  • murrylane

    Check your facts. She was a TFA recruit when that happened. NOT union.

  • streiff

    what..ev..er.

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