And all parents know that they will have the tools and power to hold all of us accountable.
To what end? What is possible?
America is the greatest nation in the world. We should have the greatest education system in the world to match. I believe it is possible for the United States to move from the bottom third on international tests to the top third in a ten-year time span. It’s doable. It’s been accomplished by other nations. Finland educated and exalted teachers. Germany made improvements to public education a national priority after reunification, and its students responded by moving to the top third of international rankings.
Elevating our children into the top third is possible only if we make education, teachers, and students the priority of the entire nation. That means acknowledging that our system is broken, but that its radical improvement is within our grasp. It means setting aside other issues, knowing that education is the key to the comeback of America and its economy.
It means putting the interests, dreams, and future of our children at the forefront of our country’s collective efforts.
It means putting students first.
Acknowledgments
So many people made this book possible. It was truly a group effort.
First, thanks go to my husband, Kevin Johnson. I couldn’t ask for a more patient and supportive partner. You push me to be a better person, a more effective leader, and a more thoughtful advocate. Your passion for kids and public service inspire me every day, and you set a high bar for what hard work looks like. Your strategic advice and insights are second to none, and when all else fails, you make me laugh.
To my daughters, Starr and Olivia. Thank you for allowing your mom to be away more than we’d like so that we can take on this important work. While I know it’s not always easy being my daughters, you handle it with great aplomb, and moreover, you’ve become impressive education reformers yourselves!
Next, to my mom and dad. While all of your friends are enjoying their retirements on the golf course or the beach, you’ve taken on the duties of chauffeuring the kids around and attending field trips. Dad, you taught me about social justice and to fight for the underdog. Without that, I wouldn’t have chosen this course. Mom, without your help, I would not have been able to take on the jobs I have. Thank you for your sacrifices.
To my brothers: Erik for helping me start StudentsFirst and serving as my attorney on this book, and Brian for always supporting my efforts and keeping me humble.
Much love to Jason, Alissa, Ann, Myung-Seok, Young-hae, Stephanie, Ted, Namhee, Sungjin, and Mitchell for always being on my side. Appreciation to Denise Merano and Dana Peterson for making my and my husband’s lives better every day. And to Mother Rose and Shawn Branch, who are my biggest cheerleaders and defenders!
There were many people at StudentsFirst who helped with the book, but special thanks go to Dominique Amis, Dmitri Mehlhorn, Enoch Woodhouse, Tim Melton, Matt David, Mike Phillips, and Brian Wanlass. Each of you added to the book in different ways, and I appreciate all of your help.
To my colleagues from Harlem Park Elementary: Michele Jacobs, Deonne Medley, Andrea Derrien, Chris Isleib, John Wagner, Bertha Haywood, Rhoda Jones, Pam Saunders, Neva Camp, Everlyn Strother, and of course, Linda Carter. You made me understand what great teachers do and look like. To my students and their parents, you helped me to see what is possible in this world. My experiences with you are what have shaped my entire career. You showed what is possible when adults believe in children.
To the leadership and staff at The New Teacher Project. The work that you do is some of the most important in the country. Ari Rozman, Tim Daly, Karla Oakley, Jessica Levin, Victoria Van Cleef, Karolyn Belcher, Robin Siegel, Roger Schulman, and Bruce Villineau, you are one of the best teams a person could have asked to work with. You taught me a tremendous amount.
I can honestly say that this book and story would not have been possible without my fearless colleagues at the DC Public Schools: Kaya Henderson, Richard Nyankori, Lisa Ruda, Jason Kamras, Jim Sandman, Erin McGoldrick, Abigail Smith, Michael Moody, Carey Wright, Noah Wepman, Cate Swinburn, Peter Weber, Peggy O’Brien, Tony Tata, John Davis, Billy Kearney, Dwan Jordon, Anthony deGuzman, Chad Ferguson, Susan Cheng, Pete Cahall, Brian Betts, Bill Wilhoyte, Scott Cartland, Angela Williams-Skelton, Joyce McNeil, Dave Anderson, Errick Greene, Barbara Adderley, Clara Canty, Tim Williams, Willie Lamb, Reggie Ballard, Mafara Hobson, Kaitlin Murphy, and last but not least Margery Yeager. Each of you took on one of the most daunting tasks imaginable, and you worked at it every day with dedication, fervor, and an unshakable belief in children.
Thanks to my agent, Simon Green, and my editor, Tim Duggan, along with his assistant, Emily Cunningham. George Parker, Kahlil Byrd, Hari Sevugan, and Eric Lerum were integral to the book by reading drafts, giving insights, and generally making it a better read. Harry Jaffe’s writing guidance was essential.
To my best friends, Layla Avila and Liz Peterson. You keep me sane, happy, fed, and looking cute! You are wonderful aunties to my children and the kind of BFFs every girl needs.
To my teachers Susan Zaliouk, Chuck Lundholm, Beneth Morrow, Sam McCoy, Margaret Blackburn, Karen Horikawa, Jane Bishop, Laszlo Koltay, Mari Dorfmeyer, Al Getman, Bob Russell, Ken Meineke, Ron Euton, Sandy McPeck, David Burkett, Jenny Barthold, and Hope and Peter Stevens. You ensured that I got the great education that we should aspire to for all of our nation’s children.
To the members of the D.C. government who were so supportive of our efforts: Victor Reinoso, Dan Tangherlini, Peter Nickles, Neil Albert, Joanne Ginsburg, Bridget Davis, Kate Gottfredson, Cathy Lanier, Allen Lew, Jesus Aguirre, Carrie Brooks, and Tene Dolphin.
Much thanks to those in D.C. who supported me from beginning to end: Beth Dozoretz, Katherine Bradley, Mark Ein, Jim Joseph, Don Graham, JoAnne Armao, Mary Sidall, Tijwanna Phillips, and “the clock lady,” Lenore Moragne.
To Adam, Steve, and Mary Weiss, Gretchen Verner, Patrick Day, Peter Chung, Melissa Williams-Gurian, Jenny Kim, Donald Kamentz, Chris Bierly, Wendy Kopp, and Jewel Woods—you all shaped my views on the world and life for the better.
In my research, I relied often on A Change for Every Child: A History of Toledo Public Schools, by Robyn Hage and Larry Michaels; The Bee Eater, by Richard Whitmire; and Dream City: Race, Power, and the Decline of Washington, D.C., by Harry Jaffe and Tom Sherwood.
And finally, I owe a debt to my mentors: Joel Klein, thank you for having more confidence in me than I do in myself at times. You are my hero. To Kati Haycock, who taught me to be fearless and speak my mind. You are my role model. Fred O’Such, you believed in me when few others did. To David Coleman, who forces me to think deeply about everything, no matter what the topic.
And to Adrian Fenty, who is the most courageous politician I have ever met. Your leadership on education reform has benefited the children of the entire nation. We owe you a debt of gratitude.
About the Author
Michelle Rhee is the founder and CEO of StudentsFirst, a political advocacy organization for education reform. She served as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public schools from 2007 to 2010. She is also the founder of The New Teacher Project and a former Teach For America corps member. She divides her time between California—with her husband, Kevin Johnson, the mayor of Sacramento—and Nashville, Tennessee, with her daughters, Starr and Olivia.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
Credits
Cover design by Richard Ljoenes
Cover photograph by Jeff Lipsky
Copyright
The names of some of the students featured throughout this book have been changed to protect their privacy.
RADICAL. Copyright © 2013 by Michelle Rhee. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of t
his text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks.
FIRST EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rhee, Michelle.
Radical : fighting to put students first / Michelle Rhee.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-06-220398-4
1. Public schools—United States. 2. Educational change—United States. 3. School improvement programs—United States. 4. Education—Aims and objectives—United States. 5. Rhee, Michelle. I. Title.
LA217.R495 2013
371.010973—dc23 2012038474
13 14 15 16 17 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Epub Edition © FEBRUARY 2013 ISBN: 9780062204004
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
http://www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollins.com
Radical Page 27
