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Former Washington, DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee on the challenges she faced in reforming the city’s school system.
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You would never run a school system for.
I had never running school before.
And that's why people thought that Adrian -- -- not in almost 37 year old girl from Toledo Ohio.
And people said -- who.
People fed he's lost his mind her friends said she'd lost her I had two kids two -- nine and while.
And they put them in the DC public schools.
The schools were -- disaster.
Test results among the worst in America.
Chancellor -- quickly learned that although only 8% DC's kids were great thought there was something on about how the teachers were -- When I looked at the performance of valuations of the adults in the system how good is the adult do right how they're about the teachers doing.
I found that 95%.
The adults were being rated.
Is doing a great.
-- you have a system.
World the workers I think we're doing great job in great -- kids and what we're producing for them 8% success.
He visited schools and -- empty classroom.
I walk into this one school.
I go to the first classroom five.
Second class from nine -- costs and three kids advocate.
The finally -- like if if they're sick and -- the teacher said.
When all the candidates.
And she said.
Well it's Friday.
I just couldn't belief compelled to answer -- is that is that -- It now thought great piece in time that the Americans are fields ever -- that said it's raining -- But it turned out that not every classroom was.
Attendance -- quite teacher.
So I'm walking through on finishing you know my my visit and I -- in a one class -- her thirty kids.
Costs and in fact are not enough desks for the number of kids that -- there so there kids sitting on the radiators one that I go to one of the kids and I said.
We think that teacher said this is my best teacher Barbara.
As I was leaving in the school.
And this was about a 10 o'clock in the morning that young man and two of his friends were walking out of school.
So kept my opponents asking -- and then what do think you're going.
And they said to me well our first grade teacher the one you saw he's great so we came to school but -- second period teachers not so good so we're gonna roll.
And I okay.
This is not the picture that the American public have in their minds of true these children were making a very conscious decision.
To wake up early and come to school for first because they knew they were gonna get something out of it.
And the to leave after that because they -- gonna get any time and this great teacher he gets paid no more than all the other teacher that's right.
-- paid no more.
If we were doing seniority based layoffs -- -- gotten laid off first.
So -- decided she'd pay good teachers more.
And fire -- -- And that could not go for particular -- out.
Few weeks into the if I was visited my by my and then General Counsel he sort of comes rushing into my office and he says he kind of stuff -- people.
-- why I mean if if if people are.
Not doing the jobs that they're supposed to be doing.
We need to move -- and he said well welcome to DC public schools where we never fire anyone.
But you did fire a lot of these -- limited.
-- found the ninety day loopholes that are close some lousy schools and fires and teachers.
