DC SCHOOL DISTRICT -- RANKED WORST IN THE NATION - 11-24-08

            Hello again… it’s Monday… and we’re going to continue examining education – particularly for teachers.

 

            DC public schools have long ranked as one of the worst performing districts in the nation… in fact it has been THE worst up until the current DC mayor picked Michelle Rhee and made her Chancellor of District Schools.

 

            She had the reputation of an iron-lady reformer interested in results – and especially interested in the education the children were attaining. She found a mess in the DC schools. She’s been there a year – and I won’t go through the statistics… but they are in the nature of a major shake-up.  She’s closed something like 27 failing schools… replaced a dozen or more principals who don’t meet the standards and proposed a new pay scale which is giving the teacher’s union a nightmare.

 

            Ms. Rhee says teachers can opt for a pay scale about 10 percent higher than the present one, which can double their take home pay in a matter of just a few years IF they will give up tenure. – Tenure, in the education world, is attaining a level at which you can’t be fired. They can choose the higher pay with its higher standards or stick with the tenured system if they wish, but pay wise, they are likely to be left behind.

 

            This causes smoke to come out of the ears of the NEA personnel also located in DC. Well… the lady came to improve the system and it looks like she’s dead set to do it. Let’s check back in a few months. I wish her well for the benefit of the DC school kids!

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

 

            Jack Buttram

 

http://www.jebcovoice.net/audio/jama11-24-08.mp3

 

http://www.jebcovoice.net/scripts/jamt11-24-08.doc

 

 

“JUST AMINUTE”

DC SCHOOL DISTRICT -- WORST IN THE NATION.

JUST A MINUTE: OK – since I’m in the woodshed already, I might as well go ahead and point out Washington DC – up to very recent history – the school district, 100 percent empowered by the U.S. Government, is the worst performing one in the nation… that is UNTIL DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee came along.

She’s fired tenured teachers – closed poorly performing schools, replaced failing principals and, horror of horrors, she told the profs they may opt for a newly increased pay raise IF they’ll give up tenure – or they can slog along at a lower rate, opposing her. And the message is sinking in.

Tenure – getting to where you ‘can’t be fired’ in educational circles is the
holy grail. Chancellor Rhee is causing educational earthquakes, but they expect to see tremendous improvement in the DC schools, which up to now have been horrible – and she threatens to shake up the whole educational establishment.

I can only say ‘more power to her’ may her tribe increase.
And may it rub off on some of our closer-to-home education administrators.

<> I’m Jack Buttram

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