Randi and Rhee, Two for Tea

Leonie Haimson wrote at nycednews:

Michelle (Take no prisoners) Rhee, head of DC schools and former media darling, is now in hot water, given her mismanagement of the budget, teacher layoffs, and the like. Rhee also recently announced her engagement to Kevin Johnson, former NBA player, charter school head and current mayor of Sacramento. See http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/11/michelle_rhee_kevin_johnson_pu.html

In today's WaPost, Jay Mathews, education columnist, nominates Randi Weingarten to replace her if Rhee decamps for California. Excerpt:

From the pen of Jay Matthews (who will be writing the ICE/TJC campaign lit):

She [Randi] is a practical and imaginative leader who likes to defy conventional wisdom herself. She endorsed Republican George Pataki for re-election as governor of New York in 2002. She set up union-run charter schools in New York despite many union members distaste for that reform. She even signed a contract with the New York City school system allowing payment of teacher bonuses if students's test scores rose, another no-no to many unionists.

Most importantly, running the D.C. schools would give her a chance to demonstrate in the most visible way her oft-expressed view that teacher unions are just as committed to raising the achievement of students as anybody. She has already accepted money from big charter school supporters many of her members do not like, such as Bill and Melinda Gates, for her union's new program to encourage teacher innovations.

Read it all at:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/11/dcs_next_schools_chief_how_abo.html


One commenter was astounded:
Are you sure you're feeling ok Mr. Mathews? Because I can't remember reading anything filled with so much tortured logic and deluded thinking in my life. Of course Randi Weingarten will never be the Chancellor of the DCPS but thanks for letting all of us know that she's a lesbian. That's always an important consideration in matters like this. Certainly it's an area where Michelle Rhee is want.

Matthews, who is so often laughed at by educators, may be onto something as he lays out the full sellout of the AFT/UFT. Aside from the sexual orientation issue, the ideology of Rhee and Randi is not as far off as some people might think.

By the way. How could Randi do all these things so many teachers in her own union don't want? The answer is the Unity Caucus dictatorship that makes people like Putin jealous. Can he match 100% of the Exec Bd endorsed by one party?