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The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation's Worst School District
The inside story of a maverick reformer with a take-no-prisoners management style Hailed by Oprah as a "warrior woman for our times," reviled by teachers unions as the enemy, Michelle Rhee, outgoing chancellor of Washington DC public schools, has become the controversial face of school reform. She has appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, and is currently featured as a hero in the documentary "Waiting for Superman." This is the story of her journey from good-girl daughter of Korean immigrants to tough-minded political game-changer. When Rhee first arrived in Washington, she found a school district that had been so broken for so long, that everyone had long since given up. The book provides an inside view of the union battles, the school closings, and contentious community politics that have been the subject of intense public interest and debate ? along with a rare look at Rhee's upbringing and life before DC.
Rhee has been featured in the documentary "Waiting for Superman" Rhee's story points to a fresh way of addressing school improvement Addresses fundamental problems in our current education system, and the politics of leadership The book includes an insert with photos from Rhee's personal and professional life, and an "exit" interview that sheds light on what she's learned and where the future might take her.
Rhee has been featured in the documentary "Waiting for Superman" Rhee's story points to a fresh way of addressing school improvement Addresses fundamental problems in our current education system, and the politics of leadership The book includes an insert with photos from Rhee's personal and professional life, and an "exit" interview that sheds light on what she's learned and where the future might take her.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2011
25 people are currently reading
374 people want to read
About the author
Richard Whitmire
9 books4 followersRICHARD WHITMIRE (Arlington, VA) is a former editorial writer for USA Today and President of the National Educational Writers Association. A highly recognized and respected education reporter, his commentaries have been published in The New Republic, U.S. News, Politico, Washington Monthly, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Education Week. He also appeared on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition to discuss boy troubles. HIs newest book is The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation's Worst School District.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 24, 2011
After seeing Waiting for Superman I had an interest in learning more about Michelle Rhee, the apparently ultra-controversial educational reformer and superstar of DC. It wasn't until I was at the Global Leadership Summit and saw her speak that I was compelled to buy this book. After sitting and reading it in just the course of a couple of hours, I have mixed feelings. However, I can't rate this book on Rhee, but rather on the quality of the text.
Obviously the author shows an extreme bias towards Rhee and her radical policies. Even though he, in the preface, acknowledged that she did, in fact, have some flaws and oppositions and promised to cover them in Chapter 11, I was disappointed. By the time I got to Chapter 11, I was ready for a little change of pace. Instead, we were offered "The good, the bad and the ugly" style of argument, with "the good" having far more information than "the bad" or "the ugly," at which time he said, "Some may claim that...." and then immediately refute their opinions. Believe it or not, Mr. Whitmire, there are likely many people (as clear from the picketing and rallying) that disagree with Rhee...and that's ok.
Something that I will give to the author is that he is very data-oriented (apparently like Rhee herself). The text wasn't just a bunch of ass-kissing (if you'll excuse my language), but did include a great deal of factual claims and statistic-driven information to back them up. That's something I can appreciate.
On a slightly unrelated note, as the teacher of 2nd graders, I will say that there is nothing more distracting than when a bee flies in through the window during a perfectly calm math lesson. Maybe next time it happens, I should "pull a Crazy Rhee" and eat the damned thing!
Obviously the author shows an extreme bias towards Rhee and her radical policies. Even though he, in the preface, acknowledged that she did, in fact, have some flaws and oppositions and promised to cover them in Chapter 11, I was disappointed. By the time I got to Chapter 11, I was ready for a little change of pace. Instead, we were offered "The good, the bad and the ugly" style of argument, with "the good" having far more information than "the bad" or "the ugly," at which time he said, "Some may claim that...." and then immediately refute their opinions. Believe it or not, Mr. Whitmire, there are likely many people (as clear from the picketing and rallying) that disagree with Rhee...and that's ok.
Something that I will give to the author is that he is very data-oriented (apparently like Rhee herself). The text wasn't just a bunch of ass-kissing (if you'll excuse my language), but did include a great deal of factual claims and statistic-driven information to back them up. That's something I can appreciate.
On a slightly unrelated note, as the teacher of 2nd graders, I will say that there is nothing more distracting than when a bee flies in through the window during a perfectly calm math lesson. Maybe next time it happens, I should "pull a Crazy Rhee" and eat the damned thing!
October 5, 2011
What Would You Be Willing To Do?
What would you be willing to do if things were so out of control that nobody dared do anything?
What a tragedy it is that this book was even made possible in the wealthiest country on the planet. Having attended the second worst school district, Los Angeles (70's), everything in this book hit home. It is unbelievable that such low standards are maintained by the very people who claim to be fighting for the students, namely, the Teachers Union, Politicians, and the Teachers themselves.
The condition of the schools that Michelle Rhee was thrown into was abominable, but worst, the excuse for this most subtle form of racism was that the parents and students were to blame. For the mostly black population, the district's party line being that the parents were uncaring and the students were incorrigible, was patently racist. Rhee proved them wrong and brought down the wrath of an entire system designed for failure.
The Bee Eater consists of three parts. The first part deals with who Michelle Rhee is, where she came from, and what her core values are. Clearly, she has always felt that the students were all teachable and how passionate she is about education.
The second part deals with her rapid success as an educator and administrator culminating with her appointment as the Chancellor of the Washington DC School District. The battles she fought were primarily against the Teacher's Union machine that had allowed standards to exist that even a third world country would not accept. She must have known that her reforms must be sweeping and deep because her opposition would be relentless.
I was very impressed with her focus and determination in getting rid of teachers who did nothing, principals who allowed chaos, and administrators who didn't even know how to keep records. The amount of progress and new levels of competence she achieved in just a few years is proof that the excuses ginned up by the real problems were bogus.
On the downside, part three deals with the criticisms of how these reforms were enacted. More than fair, I feel, were the many charges leveled at her by the people who wanted Rhee out at any cost. Of course, the 'racist' chant, which was more a projection by people who had nothing substantive to say.
Some charges do stick, particularly where Rhee made decisions that were a bit too radical. When she refused to back off of the Hardy Middle School move, or maybe too hasty with Dunbar High School, many of her detractors were given plenty of ammo to take her down in the next mayoral race. That last third of the book is not sunshine and roses; there are some very important flaws in Rhee's approach and basic character that set her up for a short lived tenure.
We all have faults, and many are hard to excuse, but on the positive side few people have the kind of determination and passion for providing children the best possible education as Rhee. Her future as a school reformer has just begun and this book offers a hopeful vision for parents and students tired of being blamed for an institutional failure.
Read this book, I couldn't put it down.
What would you be willing to do if things were so out of control that nobody dared do anything?
What a tragedy it is that this book was even made possible in the wealthiest country on the planet. Having attended the second worst school district, Los Angeles (70's), everything in this book hit home. It is unbelievable that such low standards are maintained by the very people who claim to be fighting for the students, namely, the Teachers Union, Politicians, and the Teachers themselves.
The condition of the schools that Michelle Rhee was thrown into was abominable, but worst, the excuse for this most subtle form of racism was that the parents and students were to blame. For the mostly black population, the district's party line being that the parents were uncaring and the students were incorrigible, was patently racist. Rhee proved them wrong and brought down the wrath of an entire system designed for failure.
The Bee Eater consists of three parts. The first part deals with who Michelle Rhee is, where she came from, and what her core values are. Clearly, she has always felt that the students were all teachable and how passionate she is about education.
The second part deals with her rapid success as an educator and administrator culminating with her appointment as the Chancellor of the Washington DC School District. The battles she fought were primarily against the Teacher's Union machine that had allowed standards to exist that even a third world country would not accept. She must have known that her reforms must be sweeping and deep because her opposition would be relentless.
I was very impressed with her focus and determination in getting rid of teachers who did nothing, principals who allowed chaos, and administrators who didn't even know how to keep records. The amount of progress and new levels of competence she achieved in just a few years is proof that the excuses ginned up by the real problems were bogus.
On the downside, part three deals with the criticisms of how these reforms were enacted. More than fair, I feel, were the many charges leveled at her by the people who wanted Rhee out at any cost. Of course, the 'racist' chant, which was more a projection by people who had nothing substantive to say.
Some charges do stick, particularly where Rhee made decisions that were a bit too radical. When she refused to back off of the Hardy Middle School move, or maybe too hasty with Dunbar High School, many of her detractors were given plenty of ammo to take her down in the next mayoral race. That last third of the book is not sunshine and roses; there are some very important flaws in Rhee's approach and basic character that set her up for a short lived tenure.
We all have faults, and many are hard to excuse, but on the positive side few people have the kind of determination and passion for providing children the best possible education as Rhee. Her future as a school reformer has just begun and this book offers a hopeful vision for parents and students tired of being blamed for an institutional failure.
Read this book, I couldn't put it down.
January 3, 2012
I read this book for a few reasons. First, I’m insanely curious about Rhee. I actively seek out articles about her or interviews with her and followed her movement as DC schools chancellor closely. Coming from a family of educators, I find her to be a fascinating public figure. The second reason I wanted to read this book is that despite my interest in Rhee, I still didn’t feel knowledgeable enough about her—or her policies—to make a judgment call on the work she did during her term as chancellor.
Here’s the good about this book: it’s laid out well and organized in such a way as to boil down the not insignificant amounts of information about Rhee into approachable, easy to understand chapters. Whitmire did an admirable job of staying out of the weeds and focusing more specifically on the broad strokes of Rhee’s decision-making. The book also provides a non-DC resident some fairly good insight as to the major struggles in the education system—struggles that are echoed at-large in other areas of city politics. Whitmire explains the socioeconomic divides helped along by DC’s geography in a way that even a local may not fully grasp, and that’s helpful to remember throughout the book as a major context to the reforms Rhee was trying to put into place. Additionally, although I knew most of what Whitmire discussed in the book, there were absolutely some moments that took me by surprise. The multifaceted nature of Rhee’s tenure made it difficult to sort through all the information in real-time, and with the benefit of a year or two years of research, Whitmire has helped bring issues to the surface that were probably never touched on by the local media.
But…that’s the good. Unfortunately, there’s a major (bad) problem with the book. Luckily, the author himself addresses it in the forward, which is to say, that he mentions he was very close to the issue and in the process of seeking Rhee’s cooperation with the book (he got it), he also became a Big Rhee Fan. That bias is evident throughout, and although he tries to present legitimate criticisms of Rhee that led to her eventual ousting later in the book, Whitmire’s bias makes the entire chapter come off as defensive or excuse-laden rather than objective.
However, in the end, I still got what I wanted out of the book. I got an in-depth portrait of Rhee (both personal and professional) and feel more educated about the work she did as DC schools chancellor—enough to maybe discuss it without feeling like I’m grasping at straws or simply pulling random quotes from Post articles or NPR interviews. Whether you love her, hate her or know nothing about her, one can’t deny the fact that she brought attention to many issues that would have otherwise stayed buried…both in DC and on a national scale. It’s clear there were missteps during her term, but she also sparked positive education reform and got people talking about issues and looking for ways to solve problems. Whatever your personal opinion, she’s someone worth reading about.
Here’s the good about this book: it’s laid out well and organized in such a way as to boil down the not insignificant amounts of information about Rhee into approachable, easy to understand chapters. Whitmire did an admirable job of staying out of the weeds and focusing more specifically on the broad strokes of Rhee’s decision-making. The book also provides a non-DC resident some fairly good insight as to the major struggles in the education system—struggles that are echoed at-large in other areas of city politics. Whitmire explains the socioeconomic divides helped along by DC’s geography in a way that even a local may not fully grasp, and that’s helpful to remember throughout the book as a major context to the reforms Rhee was trying to put into place. Additionally, although I knew most of what Whitmire discussed in the book, there were absolutely some moments that took me by surprise. The multifaceted nature of Rhee’s tenure made it difficult to sort through all the information in real-time, and with the benefit of a year or two years of research, Whitmire has helped bring issues to the surface that were probably never touched on by the local media.
But…that’s the good. Unfortunately, there’s a major (bad) problem with the book. Luckily, the author himself addresses it in the forward, which is to say, that he mentions he was very close to the issue and in the process of seeking Rhee’s cooperation with the book (he got it), he also became a Big Rhee Fan. That bias is evident throughout, and although he tries to present legitimate criticisms of Rhee that led to her eventual ousting later in the book, Whitmire’s bias makes the entire chapter come off as defensive or excuse-laden rather than objective.
However, in the end, I still got what I wanted out of the book. I got an in-depth portrait of Rhee (both personal and professional) and feel more educated about the work she did as DC schools chancellor—enough to maybe discuss it without feeling like I’m grasping at straws or simply pulling random quotes from Post articles or NPR interviews. Whether you love her, hate her or know nothing about her, one can’t deny the fact that she brought attention to many issues that would have otherwise stayed buried…both in DC and on a national scale. It’s clear there were missteps during her term, but she also sparked positive education reform and got people talking about issues and looking for ways to solve problems. Whatever your personal opinion, she’s someone worth reading about.
May 24, 2011
Interesting, scary and eye opening are some of the adjectives I would use to describe this book. Written about the former chancellor of the DC schools, it makes one aware of the dire straights these schools were in before Michelle Rhee took over. Ms Rhee went in there like gang busters and aggravated teachers, administrators, parents, and stirred up the racial/political game. Tough and determined to put the kids first, she ruffled many feathers in order to achieve what she wanted, that of better educating the children of DC.
Ms Rhee was not there to win any popularity contests, as she went up against incompetent teachers, and administrators and took on the UFT. She was determined that the only way to improve DC's horrible two year behind everyone else's scores was by getting rid of the driftwood and hiring teachers and administrators that would get the job done. She gave ultimatums to staff and in most cases they had a year to shape up or get out. She accepted no excuses and made many enemies among the African American population as they accused her of racism. Since most of the teachers and admin staff were African Americans, of course it was that these were the people from whose ranks they were let go.
She was tough. She was determined, and she did bring up those scores. Did anyone really appreciate her efforts? It is hard to tell as she was pretty much forced out of her job when the mayor was not reelected. Sad that this is and was happening to our kids. Making excuses was not a part of Rhee's makeup. She demanded the best of all because she only gave her best to the kids. It was, it seems, never done with anything else in mind except making things better for the students. Too bad many people in DC did not see that.
Ms Rhee was not there to win any popularity contests, as she went up against incompetent teachers, and administrators and took on the UFT. She was determined that the only way to improve DC's horrible two year behind everyone else's scores was by getting rid of the driftwood and hiring teachers and administrators that would get the job done. She gave ultimatums to staff and in most cases they had a year to shape up or get out. She accepted no excuses and made many enemies among the African American population as they accused her of racism. Since most of the teachers and admin staff were African Americans, of course it was that these were the people from whose ranks they were let go.
She was tough. She was determined, and she did bring up those scores. Did anyone really appreciate her efforts? It is hard to tell as she was pretty much forced out of her job when the mayor was not reelected. Sad that this is and was happening to our kids. Making excuses was not a part of Rhee's makeup. She demanded the best of all because she only gave her best to the kids. It was, it seems, never done with anything else in mind except making things better for the students. Too bad many people in DC did not see that.
March 7, 2011
It's evident that Whitmire is a Rhee supporter, perhaps even a fanatic. However, he states his bias and attempts to illustrate her failures as well as her successes. It was important for me to read something with that skew, as I am an avid Rhee hater. After reading this, my hatred of her has not fanned, but I do understand more her motivations behind her policies, and understand how her upbringing and background are significant factors to her aggression.
Whitmire's prose is easy to read and interesting, though sometimes he repeats himself, and I often found myself questioning what he chose to leave in and what he decided to leave out. His research is thorough, though he is much too harsh of the Washington Post and of Teachers' Unions. His attention to detail, policy and politics is laudable. However, my biggest issue with this book was that, although Whitmire explains why Rhee was so hated by Teachers' Unions and DC residents, he never once touched upon why Rhee's initiatives were destined to fail from a strictly educational policy standpoint. It really bothered me that he looked ONLY at test scores, and ONLY at the short-term effects.
Perhaps this is a much too complicated issue to explain to typical citizens not involved in education, but I also think that Whitmire's admiration of Rhee blindsided him to the fact that her chancellorship was, in the long run, much more of a disaster than most people realize.
Whitmire's prose is easy to read and interesting, though sometimes he repeats himself, and I often found myself questioning what he chose to leave in and what he decided to leave out. His research is thorough, though he is much too harsh of the Washington Post and of Teachers' Unions. His attention to detail, policy and politics is laudable. However, my biggest issue with this book was that, although Whitmire explains why Rhee was so hated by Teachers' Unions and DC residents, he never once touched upon why Rhee's initiatives were destined to fail from a strictly educational policy standpoint. It really bothered me that he looked ONLY at test scores, and ONLY at the short-term effects.
Perhaps this is a much too complicated issue to explain to typical citizens not involved in education, but I also think that Whitmire's admiration of Rhee blindsided him to the fact that her chancellorship was, in the long run, much more of a disaster than most people realize.
June 11, 2011
It was difficult to rate this book because I initially felt that there were three elements I needed to assess:
1- the information in the book
2- the writing
3- Michelle Rhee
Then I realized that how I feel about Rhee should have nothing to do with my rating of this book. (But I totally approved of what she did and wanted to do. Her methods were sometimes not as polished as they could have been, but she was very sure of herself and what needed to be done just to make these schools marginal.)
Going on to #2 - the information in this book was astounding and shocking and depressing and, I fear, very very true and real. There can be no doubt that if the DC schools had sunk so low, it was the fault of the administrators and teachers - not the kids. If I had the power Rhee was given, I would have been hard-pressed to keep more than a few of those people in their jobs. Disgraceful. And how can a union DEFEND those teachers? How can they not think about the students and put them first? What a screwed-up entity!
#3 The writing.......I found so many grammatical errors in this book, and some terribly constructed sentences. It was VERY distracting, to say the least. I found at least 20 instances where an article (a, an, or the) had been left out and a lot of poor punctuation. So I arbitrarily decided to not use the writing to determine my rating.
But I would call this a very "qualified" 5 stars!
1- the information in the book
2- the writing
3- Michelle Rhee
Then I realized that how I feel about Rhee should have nothing to do with my rating of this book. (But I totally approved of what she did and wanted to do. Her methods were sometimes not as polished as they could have been, but she was very sure of herself and what needed to be done just to make these schools marginal.)
Going on to #2 - the information in this book was astounding and shocking and depressing and, I fear, very very true and real. There can be no doubt that if the DC schools had sunk so low, it was the fault of the administrators and teachers - not the kids. If I had the power Rhee was given, I would have been hard-pressed to keep more than a few of those people in their jobs. Disgraceful. And how can a union DEFEND those teachers? How can they not think about the students and put them first? What a screwed-up entity!
#3 The writing.......I found so many grammatical errors in this book, and some terribly constructed sentences. It was VERY distracting, to say the least. I found at least 20 instances where an article (a, an, or the) had been left out and a lot of poor punctuation. So I arbitrarily decided to not use the writing to determine my rating.
But I would call this a very "qualified" 5 stars!
August 6, 2011
Interesting read but it was extremely biased toward Whitmire's problematic (IMO) thesis.
Update: In thinking about it...obviously the point of writing a nonfiction book is to support your thesis :) I think what I meant was that I find his thesis problematic (mostly the way it seemed he was arguing that somehow the African American parents in D.C. were too uninformed to realize that Rhee was right all along...that they didn't know what they wanted) and that on numerous occasions he lapsed into a writing style that took a lot for granted or got a bit snarky toward that thesis. Obviously the facts he discussed supported the thesis and I didn't pick up the book expecting it to be unbiased.
I do think Rhee's legacy is more complicated than this book presents (but also more complicated than "she sucked").
Update: In thinking about it...obviously the point of writing a nonfiction book is to support your thesis :) I think what I meant was that I find his thesis problematic (mostly the way it seemed he was arguing that somehow the African American parents in D.C. were too uninformed to realize that Rhee was right all along...that they didn't know what they wanted) and that on numerous occasions he lapsed into a writing style that took a lot for granted or got a bit snarky toward that thesis. Obviously the facts he discussed supported the thesis and I didn't pick up the book expecting it to be unbiased.
I do think Rhee's legacy is more complicated than this book presents (but also more complicated than "she sucked").
April 5, 2011
I was a fan of Michelle Rhee's from GO! I thought of applying in her district. I applaud the work she did there and found this book a very good read. A good overview of what she tried to accomplish and I think a reasonable treatment of the positives and negatives of her tenure. If you want a good view of what could be the most important issue in reforming public education - human capital management - read on. BTW.. I found the title to be of little importance. I think the author wanted it to represent her fearless out of the box no holds barred attitude.. I just found it a bit strange.
March 26, 2011
It was interesting to dig into the Rhee experience in DC -- even though I closely followed the entirety of her tenure, I learned a good deal of new information. The book left me with a lot of questions, and I don't know if it was able to capture the whole story, but it's a valuable addition to the story of current ed reform.
September 30, 2020
I found this book at a book sale. Looked interesting so bought it for 50 cent, should have skipped it and kept my money. The part of it that gives a very small peek into who Michelle Rhee is interesting. The rest of the book is a walk through of what is wrong with the educational system in Washington, D.C. and how she jumped in to save the system AKA the children. Author is very one sided and writing is dry, boring and filled with politics.
June 19, 2017
The semi-hysterical writing style put me off, and I quit 2 chapters in. I think this book is a case in point that you can't affect change by being a warrior, only with compassion. The DC school district would have presented a challenge even for someone like the Dalai Lama, after it's years of spiraling dysfunction. Michelle Rhee knew what needed to be done, but not how to do it.
June 12, 2020
Loved this guided tour of Rhee's reform in D.C. I was alternately dismayed and inspired as I learned about the challenges in the district and the way Rhee tackled them head-on. I think she may be my new hero!
July 10, 2024
Solid research and stories about Michelle. Showed more of her heart behind the cold decisions.
August 16, 2011
The story of a lady, who one day walked into a low performing class and got their attention by doing something unexpected, is anything short of being an amazing story of how she went against the grain and did what needed to be done, all for the sake of the children.
Michelle Rhee is the type of person that this world needs more of. The change agents that come in and make change happen, whether people like it or not. The only thing is that most of the attention that is created came from the people who got moved out of a system that they were comfortable in but was harming children's futures. The story of this book explains the lifeline that showed how Michelle Rhee became who she is today. One day in college she was watching a documentary on students who went into Teach for America and it was that very moment that defined what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She just didn't know that it would take her to where she is today.
The story continues as to how she became chancellor of a school district and the different actions she took to make the change that then D.C. major, Adrian Fenty, was looking for. This book is great at detailing her very actions of what her management style is like and how she views people in jobs and how she understands the real purpose of doing great work. It is clear why so many people are turned off by her work ethic and style. In short, she is a work horse who will not stop until the job is done and if you are someone that gets in her way, she has no problem firing you, even if its on camera. Another reason why people are turned off by this style is because she expects people to work and if you don't do your job, there should be no coddling or nursing to help get the person back on track, just fire them and hire someone who does want to do and will do the job better. The last part is what gets under people's skin about her. No likes being told what to do in the first place, along with how to do their job as well.
Again, this the kind of change agent needed in many industries so companies don't have to waste their money on people who suck the system dry by requiring provisions in their workplace or excuses as to why they can't do such and such. A Michelle Rhee would have none of that, strip that person down of their bargaining rights, which saves tons of money immediately and in the long-run, and tell that person, ship-up or ship-out.
This book also chronicles the people that she found or who came to her, about how they helped make her much-needed change possible. There was one middle school so run down that teachers would be found sleeping in class with students doing whatever they wanted. A high school that was so bad that teachers were afraid of getting hit or killed by their students with no order what so ever in the classrooms and hallways. Michelle Rhee had a system in place for knowing how to bring all that to a halt. How did the community respond when she managed to bring up test scores beyond anything anyone has ever seen, even by the test company itself, along with bringing order to the hallways and classrooms? They made sure the mayor got voted out, and that the ones who got fired, the low-performing teachers got their jobs back. Does it matter that most of the jobs cut were of African-American teachers? It shouldn't but to the community that was made up of mostly African-American, it did. It was the whites in the neighborhoods who praised Michelle Rhee for all the hard work she did in bringing up test scores, but the news stories tended to overlook that part.
This book also went into showing that as reform was taking place in the Washington, D.C. schools, so was change taking place around the country for the first time. With the documentary, "Waiting for Superman," people were starting to see just how unions were hurting their children, how teacher's, regardless of their test-scores, were still allowed to work and how school systems had made it so difficult to fire bad teachers, with some teachers getting paid more money (some as high as six figures) to sit in a room away from kids then to actually teach because of union and contract laws. People were finally started to get that the education system needs to change.
For anyone interested in understanding how Michelle thinks and works then this is a great book to pick up. If you are looking for pointers on how to make change possible in your workplace then again, read this book. You will understand why so many hate her but at the same time, why so many people in top positions around the country were offering her special jobs, some even custom-made just for her to help fix their problems. It all started when she watched a simple documentary on how teachers can make a difference.
Michelle Rhee is the type of person that this world needs more of. The change agents that come in and make change happen, whether people like it or not. The only thing is that most of the attention that is created came from the people who got moved out of a system that they were comfortable in but was harming children's futures. The story of this book explains the lifeline that showed how Michelle Rhee became who she is today. One day in college she was watching a documentary on students who went into Teach for America and it was that very moment that defined what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She just didn't know that it would take her to where she is today.
The story continues as to how she became chancellor of a school district and the different actions she took to make the change that then D.C. major, Adrian Fenty, was looking for. This book is great at detailing her very actions of what her management style is like and how she views people in jobs and how she understands the real purpose of doing great work. It is clear why so many people are turned off by her work ethic and style. In short, she is a work horse who will not stop until the job is done and if you are someone that gets in her way, she has no problem firing you, even if its on camera. Another reason why people are turned off by this style is because she expects people to work and if you don't do your job, there should be no coddling or nursing to help get the person back on track, just fire them and hire someone who does want to do and will do the job better. The last part is what gets under people's skin about her. No likes being told what to do in the first place, along with how to do their job as well.
Again, this the kind of change agent needed in many industries so companies don't have to waste their money on people who suck the system dry by requiring provisions in their workplace or excuses as to why they can't do such and such. A Michelle Rhee would have none of that, strip that person down of their bargaining rights, which saves tons of money immediately and in the long-run, and tell that person, ship-up or ship-out.
This book also chronicles the people that she found or who came to her, about how they helped make her much-needed change possible. There was one middle school so run down that teachers would be found sleeping in class with students doing whatever they wanted. A high school that was so bad that teachers were afraid of getting hit or killed by their students with no order what so ever in the classrooms and hallways. Michelle Rhee had a system in place for knowing how to bring all that to a halt. How did the community respond when she managed to bring up test scores beyond anything anyone has ever seen, even by the test company itself, along with bringing order to the hallways and classrooms? They made sure the mayor got voted out, and that the ones who got fired, the low-performing teachers got their jobs back. Does it matter that most of the jobs cut were of African-American teachers? It shouldn't but to the community that was made up of mostly African-American, it did. It was the whites in the neighborhoods who praised Michelle Rhee for all the hard work she did in bringing up test scores, but the news stories tended to overlook that part.
This book also went into showing that as reform was taking place in the Washington, D.C. schools, so was change taking place around the country for the first time. With the documentary, "Waiting for Superman," people were starting to see just how unions were hurting their children, how teacher's, regardless of their test-scores, were still allowed to work and how school systems had made it so difficult to fire bad teachers, with some teachers getting paid more money (some as high as six figures) to sit in a room away from kids then to actually teach because of union and contract laws. People were finally started to get that the education system needs to change.
For anyone interested in understanding how Michelle thinks and works then this is a great book to pick up. If you are looking for pointers on how to make change possible in your workplace then again, read this book. You will understand why so many hate her but at the same time, why so many people in top positions around the country were offering her special jobs, some even custom-made just for her to help fix their problems. It all started when she watched a simple documentary on how teachers can make a difference.
April 28, 2012
The problem with reviewing biographies/memoirs is that I sometimes feel like, "What am I supposed to review here? The person's life or the writing?" I try to do a combination of both. I'm saying this only because this is my zillionth biography/memoir of the year and I feel sometimes it's tricky as to what to say. I digress . . .
The information/story of this book is definitely 4 stars, easily. The writing is ridiculously bad. The author is supposedly a journalist, and while the information, as I said, is top-notch, he has this bizarre, snide voice that creeps in at various times that made me absolutely CRAZY. And his worship of Michelle Rhee is often eye-roll inducing. His repetitiveness is irritating too - I could describe the photo of her on the cover of Time even if I've never seen it, he mentions it that much, as well as tell you about how utterly fashionable she is (repeated a thousand times), and how she's totally, totally not racist and that's totally ridiculous. (For the record, I didn't ever, and still don't, think she's even remotely racist. But I think any logical freaking human being would have come to that conclusion if you'd just let the facts speak for themselves instead of expressing utter outrage that anyone would call her that.)
Not that she doesn't deserve worship. I related to her in a way that is slightly scary to me. As in, the ruthlessness she displays when defending our nation's kids. The key mantra to me is, "There is nothing wrong with the kids. It's the adults that are the problem." It's true - we KNOW what works in education. We know what teachers are effective, we know what teaching methods/curriculum work, etc., and when we don't implement these changes, it's because ADULTS are terrified of losing their jobs because they can't deliver. I have absolutely NO problem with removal of crappy teachers, and never have. Frankly, I'm not sure how any teacher who thinks they're good at what they do WOULD have a problem with it. I asked a friend of mine who'd lived in D.C. and worked in the school system what she thought of Rhee, and she said that while the reforms were good, even good teachers were walking on eggshells and resented it. Well, too bad, says I. I appreciated that the author acknowledges the lack of community-building in Rhee's process as a criticism - though it's hard not to agree with her when she mentions how, when your main goal is collaboration, nothing is going to get done.
I knew she was a bad ass, but holy crap. Reading the entire context of what an utter crap-fest D.C. schools were make her achievements even more remarkable, and her urgency and ruthlessness even more understandable. I thought the most interesting defense of her methods was how D.C. didn't even have a proper database with which to track attendance, or even to tell exactly how many kids were enrolled. The fact that kids around the country with similar backgrounds and S.E.S's were still two years ahead is absolute insanity. I also was really glad to read more about how the schools are run from a government level, and all the red tape officials need to go through in order to get through anything.
Anyway, despite her achievements, and purely in terms of the writing, there was a "roundness" to the story that I feel could've made it better. Maybe it's because the author was writing this during or soon after her chancellorship, and the closeness made it a bit muddled, but overall it's a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in education and politics.
The information/story of this book is definitely 4 stars, easily. The writing is ridiculously bad. The author is supposedly a journalist, and while the information, as I said, is top-notch, he has this bizarre, snide voice that creeps in at various times that made me absolutely CRAZY. And his worship of Michelle Rhee is often eye-roll inducing. His repetitiveness is irritating too - I could describe the photo of her on the cover of Time even if I've never seen it, he mentions it that much, as well as tell you about how utterly fashionable she is (repeated a thousand times), and how she's totally, totally not racist and that's totally ridiculous. (For the record, I didn't ever, and still don't, think she's even remotely racist. But I think any logical freaking human being would have come to that conclusion if you'd just let the facts speak for themselves instead of expressing utter outrage that anyone would call her that.)
Not that she doesn't deserve worship. I related to her in a way that is slightly scary to me. As in, the ruthlessness she displays when defending our nation's kids. The key mantra to me is, "There is nothing wrong with the kids. It's the adults that are the problem." It's true - we KNOW what works in education. We know what teachers are effective, we know what teaching methods/curriculum work, etc., and when we don't implement these changes, it's because ADULTS are terrified of losing their jobs because they can't deliver. I have absolutely NO problem with removal of crappy teachers, and never have. Frankly, I'm not sure how any teacher who thinks they're good at what they do WOULD have a problem with it. I asked a friend of mine who'd lived in D.C. and worked in the school system what she thought of Rhee, and she said that while the reforms were good, even good teachers were walking on eggshells and resented it. Well, too bad, says I. I appreciated that the author acknowledges the lack of community-building in Rhee's process as a criticism - though it's hard not to agree with her when she mentions how, when your main goal is collaboration, nothing is going to get done.
I knew she was a bad ass, but holy crap. Reading the entire context of what an utter crap-fest D.C. schools were make her achievements even more remarkable, and her urgency and ruthlessness even more understandable. I thought the most interesting defense of her methods was how D.C. didn't even have a proper database with which to track attendance, or even to tell exactly how many kids were enrolled. The fact that kids around the country with similar backgrounds and S.E.S's were still two years ahead is absolute insanity. I also was really glad to read more about how the schools are run from a government level, and all the red tape officials need to go through in order to get through anything.
Anyway, despite her achievements, and purely in terms of the writing, there was a "roundness" to the story that I feel could've made it better. Maybe it's because the author was writing this during or soon after her chancellorship, and the closeness made it a bit muddled, but overall it's a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in education and politics.
August 2, 2011
The Message: Children deemed incorrigible can be taught!
On a humanitarian level The Bee Eater is quite compelling. One part I found distracting however, and that were the citations about the 'parents' reportedly 'in mass' disagreement over the teacher-firings. Inciting and citing `unsuspecting' gullible families blamed for the failing conditions of schools as one of the primary sources of opposition really was hard to read.
So, of course I jumped on Michelle Rhee's bandwagon. Coupled by what I remember of teachers teaching at underachieving schools, her motivations to see failing schools succeed, and drive to make this happen, were palpably clear. And even so I tried following the opposition's arguments by ignoring the humanitarian decibel, Michelle's unwavering contention which consistently maintained--children deemed incorrigible can be taught, and those who pursue careers to teach them must be held accountable.
Perhaps, maybe she wasn't handling the firings in the best interest of what may have worked better? One argument did catch my attention. `Educate the teachers who had been in the system for years instead of giving them pink-slips.'
But then Whitmire goes on to present classic case scenarios, accompanied by real examples of ways other teachers accomplished this task in the time it may have taken to educate, or `re-train' teachers that came with the school. Sousa's principal Jordan and Sunaria Tatum were beautiful testaments.
Finally, though not in the least, given today's advancements in technology, newer versions of systems and software rolling out seemingly every other day, I was particularly stricken by sluggish bureaucratic systems and thinking processes employed to handle reforms such as this. It seems not only logical, but key that critical decision-making tools improve as well. For these reasons, The Bee Eater is an impressively valuable read.
On a humanitarian level The Bee Eater is quite compelling. One part I found distracting however, and that were the citations about the 'parents' reportedly 'in mass' disagreement over the teacher-firings. Inciting and citing `unsuspecting' gullible families blamed for the failing conditions of schools as one of the primary sources of opposition really was hard to read.
So, of course I jumped on Michelle Rhee's bandwagon. Coupled by what I remember of teachers teaching at underachieving schools, her motivations to see failing schools succeed, and drive to make this happen, were palpably clear. And even so I tried following the opposition's arguments by ignoring the humanitarian decibel, Michelle's unwavering contention which consistently maintained--children deemed incorrigible can be taught, and those who pursue careers to teach them must be held accountable.
Perhaps, maybe she wasn't handling the firings in the best interest of what may have worked better? One argument did catch my attention. `Educate the teachers who had been in the system for years instead of giving them pink-slips.'
But then Whitmire goes on to present classic case scenarios, accompanied by real examples of ways other teachers accomplished this task in the time it may have taken to educate, or `re-train' teachers that came with the school. Sousa's principal Jordan and Sunaria Tatum were beautiful testaments.
Finally, though not in the least, given today's advancements in technology, newer versions of systems and software rolling out seemingly every other day, I was particularly stricken by sluggish bureaucratic systems and thinking processes employed to handle reforms such as this. It seems not only logical, but key that critical decision-making tools improve as well. For these reasons, The Bee Eater is an impressively valuable read.
June 28, 2011
If you liked Waiting for Superman and want a little more information about the day-to-day of school reform, this biography on Michelle Rhee's tenure as DC chancellor is an excellent start.
This book covers all the bases starting with Rhee's childhood and ending with what comes next for her. I think the book did a nice job of wrapping things up. Although Rhee had the right idea, the reader can see that her approach, which was often insensitive, was lacking. It's hard to argue with her philosophy though, which never waivered from "students first."
It's also hard to argue with the data. I guess the biggest selling point for me was the data she collected from equally poor black neighborhoods in urban cities like LA, Houston, and NYC. DC students were 2 years behind their LA, Houston, and NYC counterparts. It was good to hear that Aldine ISD was an example of a poverty stricken school district that is getting it right. Go Houston!
In the wake of the Rhee storm it seems a philosophy coined "Michelle Lite" has been embraced by DC politicians. It will be interesting to see if DC schools continue to show signs of improvement under the "Michelle Lite" model. Taking her approach and learning from her mistakes might prove to be the best way to see progress with school reform. I think everyone would have liked to have Rhee collaborate more with teachers and offer them professional development opportunities or to have worked more with curriculum reform.
Michelle Rhee's dragon lady approach to education reform has shaken all of us and required us to look at how far we've fallen. I will be interested in seeing what she accomplishes with her new endeavor, Children First.
This book covers all the bases starting with Rhee's childhood and ending with what comes next for her. I think the book did a nice job of wrapping things up. Although Rhee had the right idea, the reader can see that her approach, which was often insensitive, was lacking. It's hard to argue with her philosophy though, which never waivered from "students first."
It's also hard to argue with the data. I guess the biggest selling point for me was the data she collected from equally poor black neighborhoods in urban cities like LA, Houston, and NYC. DC students were 2 years behind their LA, Houston, and NYC counterparts. It was good to hear that Aldine ISD was an example of a poverty stricken school district that is getting it right. Go Houston!
In the wake of the Rhee storm it seems a philosophy coined "Michelle Lite" has been embraced by DC politicians. It will be interesting to see if DC schools continue to show signs of improvement under the "Michelle Lite" model. Taking her approach and learning from her mistakes might prove to be the best way to see progress with school reform. I think everyone would have liked to have Rhee collaborate more with teachers and offer them professional development opportunities or to have worked more with curriculum reform.
Michelle Rhee's dragon lady approach to education reform has shaken all of us and required us to look at how far we've fallen. I will be interested in seeing what she accomplishes with her new endeavor, Children First.
November 19, 2012
Michelle Rhee hit the nail on the head -- if you want better results from the classroom, get better teachers. And, in my opinion, smaller class sizes. She is right about the "problem" not being the children. Every child can learn; it is just that some children arrive at school with more baggage to unpack before they can get down to the business of learning than other kids. An inner-city school, with students who don't have the advantages and resources of affluent suburban schools is going to require a teacher with "snap." There will be far fewer kids who will learn "despite the teacher" when hunger, safety or health are issues. Teachers who aren't in control of themselves, their lessons and/or their students are bound to fail. However, I kept asking myself, "Who is this Whitmire guy?" The short bio on the back flap said that he is "veteran education reporter," but what does that mean? The opinions he offers at the back of the book, while interesting, lack authority. I'd much rather have read a book written by Rhee herself; her opinion about how her reforms influenced Washington D.C.'s public school system, both while she was in office and afterwards, would be gripping -- both because her personality can't help but come across in her writing, and because such unselfish passion for children can't help but produce results-driven ideas. And in the end, as educators, it's the children we want to serve.
September 13, 2013
This book is an interesting look at Michelle Rhee's term as DC public school superintendent and the reforms she brought to the system. It goes into detail on her upbringing, focusing on the steps which led Rhee to be the strong and determined woman she is today. While the author at times appeared to be verging towards acting like a sycophant towards Rhee, he also acknowledged her faults and gave a pretty good analysis of her strengths and weaknesses. I especially liked that in one case he stated that he didn't know what had suddenly caused a wider push for improving teacher quality across the nation, and since he didn't know he wasn't going to pretend he knew and make up reasons, as other reporters might have done at that point.
It was troubling to learn more about the terrible conditions of many of our nation's capital's public schools and I am glad this author decided to pursue this subject, as I feel education is one of the biggest issues facing the US today and this book will helpfully shed some more light on this issue for many people. I certainly feel that teacher quality is a huge part of the problem and improving it will greatly improve the quality of our schools and education. I am glad that Rhee had the guts to point to this as the main problem and stop letting educators use their students' backgrounds as an excuse for why the students were not proficient at basic skills in reading and math.
It was troubling to learn more about the terrible conditions of many of our nation's capital's public schools and I am glad this author decided to pursue this subject, as I feel education is one of the biggest issues facing the US today and this book will helpfully shed some more light on this issue for many people. I certainly feel that teacher quality is a huge part of the problem and improving it will greatly improve the quality of our schools and education. I am glad that Rhee had the guts to point to this as the main problem and stop letting educators use their students' backgrounds as an excuse for why the students were not proficient at basic skills in reading and math.
June 29, 2011
Whitmire gets an excellent result at a different task--portraying someone who doesn't have a whole lot of time or interest being portrayed. Michelle Rhee is who she says she is--someone who puts kids first. This means, of course, that everyone and everything else comes in a distant second. Whitmire does a masterful job showing that this is both a blessing and a curse.
It's a blessing since, really, that's what we want out of our educators. We see how all of her experiences in and out of the classroom made her see what needed to be done to fix failing schools, and that those changes could neither be gradual nor easy. And it's a curse because, in order to do such a thing, you have to work against people who also claim to "put kids first" while actually putting everything OTHER than kids first. While the author doesn't say this explicitly, it's obvious in the conclusion that that's what is going on. Her successes? Real. Her failures? Perception. And Rhee has no time for perception--kids are too important to her. The book is an easy yet informative read, and is a well-documented treasure to anyone who wants to know more about the DC schools beyond the soundbites of her enemies.
It's a blessing since, really, that's what we want out of our educators. We see how all of her experiences in and out of the classroom made her see what needed to be done to fix failing schools, and that those changes could neither be gradual nor easy. And it's a curse because, in order to do such a thing, you have to work against people who also claim to "put kids first" while actually putting everything OTHER than kids first. While the author doesn't say this explicitly, it's obvious in the conclusion that that's what is going on. Her successes? Real. Her failures? Perception. And Rhee has no time for perception--kids are too important to her. The book is an easy yet informative read, and is a well-documented treasure to anyone who wants to know more about the DC schools beyond the soundbites of her enemies.
January 28, 2014
Several years ago I watched a PBS documentary on Michelle Rhee......who became chancellor of the Washington DC school district. Her story is interesting, especially understanding the small episode of her actually eating a bee!, hence the title of the book. This book illustrates the power of politics in the school system, and how disadvantaged many people are because of the fact they have no choice but to send their children to this terrible school system. Rhee was a political appointment, and although she may have been doing a good job, her wings were clipped long before the end of the book by the inertia of a system that really does not want to change, in which children and the poor are held hostage by the system. Right after I read this book I read a book by a "celebrity" named Tony Danza about his year of "teaching" in Philadelphia.....his experiences with the kids of poor, disenchanted and disenfranchised youth reinforced that what I read in Mr. Whitmire's book about Michelle Rhee and the "worst school district" in the US may be true. Somewhat tedious in spots but a worthwhile glance into a broken system.
June 14, 2011
Michelle Rhee is probably one of the most polarizing figures in American education currently, and is polarizing almost entirely due to her battles with the DC educational establishment toward the end of the last decade. This book, which is pretty positive toward Rhee on a whole, tries to explain how she got to that point, and how the DC battles occurred.
The book tries very hard to be even-handed, often to a fault. That might be the only flaw in what is otherwise a fairly well-written while basic piece on the DC educational battles. I liked the basic outline of Rhee's rise, but would have preferred more detail as to the theories and policies regarding the educational systems in play. The book pretty much left me wanting in that way - in a book that could have done more to swing me to one side or the other, it instead asks a lot of simply accepting what's there. Kind of unfortunate.
This was worth my time, probably worth your time as well. Just don't expect a huge payoff, I guess.
The book tries very hard to be even-handed, often to a fault. That might be the only flaw in what is otherwise a fairly well-written while basic piece on the DC educational battles. I liked the basic outline of Rhee's rise, but would have preferred more detail as to the theories and policies regarding the educational systems in play. The book pretty much left me wanting in that way - in a book that could have done more to swing me to one side or the other, it instead asks a lot of simply accepting what's there. Kind of unfortunate.
This was worth my time, probably worth your time as well. Just don't expect a huge payoff, I guess.
August 27, 2012
Interesting journaling of Michelle Rhee's attempts to establish drastic school reforms. This book did suffer a few ways: (1) the author was rather biased towards Rhee, as she wrote the foreword to his previous book. This led to a telling of the tale that leaned heavily on one side, and wasn't as balanced as it could have been.; (2) despite the author's repeated interviews with Rhee, her cohorts and her family, this was still an unauthorized biography. Something was not quite ringing true with the Rhee camp, and it was never pointed out what that was.; and (3) some researched numbers seemed questionable, with certain liberties taken (statements about repeated site visits not producing 'evidence to the contrary' to his calculations). That being said, the book overall was an engaging read, albeit slight dubious on the research end.
April 1, 2013
Picked this up because I'm a big Michelle Rhee fan but the library doesn't have her book yet. Still an avid Rhee fan. The book goes over some key elements leading up to her tenure as DCPS Chancellor and then some of the major changes she led while in the job. It was written just after she left the post, so I was missing pieces on the lasting effect.
It was an interesting read, but about 2/3 of the way through the author switched to a much more subjective tone, and I didn't really connect with him. He jumped around a lot chronologically the writing seemed rushed at times. Almost like he was meeting a deadline so I felt like I was missing the time to really go deep on details. Also, it got a little preachy for me - sometimes the point just needs to speak for itself.
Looking forward to reading Rhee's book.
It was an interesting read, but about 2/3 of the way through the author switched to a much more subjective tone, and I didn't really connect with him. He jumped around a lot chronologically the writing seemed rushed at times. Almost like he was meeting a deadline so I felt like I was missing the time to really go deep on details. Also, it got a little preachy for me - sometimes the point just needs to speak for itself.
Looking forward to reading Rhee's book.
January 27, 2016
I thought this book was well written and presented a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering By the Washington DC mayor and Michelle Rhee in their attempt to reform one of the worst performing school systems in the country. Her ultimate measure of doing something or not was whether it was in the best interest of the kids in that system. Unfortunately for those kids, politics and turf wars by detractors on the city council as well as the teachers unions wore away at the improving results. And when racial politics were brought into the mix, the end of the reforms were in sight. A very insightful look at what went right and what went wrong during Rhee's tenure as head of the DC schools. Interesting read for anyone interested in what is wrong with our inner city education systems and what might be able to fix them.
May 15, 2011
Whitmire, clearly an acolyte of Michelle attempts the first draft on the tumultuous 4 years of school reform under Michelle Rhee. His book succeeds at exploring the underlying politics affecting the Fenty/Rhee reforms and in some respects the urgency that instigated their sometimes radical attempts. However the Bee Eater leaves one frustrated in trying to understand what it will take to get reform in DC, maybe that is DC's problem it does not really want it. As a person that has children in DCPS during this period I can confirm many of the problems identified by Whitmire, but I can also confirm for as radical as her reforms were they did not reach many schools, my child's included.
December 19, 2016
This book is rather uncritical of Michelle Rhee and her tenure as superintendent of the DC Schools. The author attacks those who say educators can do little to counter the influences of poverty and family by pointing to some cities and schools that do better than others. However, this assumes that poverty is the same everywhere, which may not be the case. The author is too quick to assume that the teachers Rhee fired deserved it. Only at the end does the author admit that Rhee had faults and her inability to play politics and win support among the public contributed to the defeat of the mayor who appointed her, leading her to resign.
December 26, 2012
If this book does not irritate/anger you as politicians who run on a platform of improving education, only to stand in the way of true progress, then I can understand how so many schools and ultimately children are neglected.
I was alternately proud to have people (Rhee and her staff) so dedicated and singularly focused on improving education as a vehicle to social reform, and I was so disheartened at the obstacles based on politicians egos, and a need to placate those that fail our students, that threatened the mission.
I think any parent, any voter, any citizen should read this. We will all become activists and refuse mediocrity in the classrooms and schools.
I was alternately proud to have people (Rhee and her staff) so dedicated and singularly focused on improving education as a vehicle to social reform, and I was so disheartened at the obstacles based on politicians egos, and a need to placate those that fail our students, that threatened the mission.
I think any parent, any voter, any citizen should read this. We will all become activists and refuse mediocrity in the classrooms and schools.
October 28, 2012
Really, really liked this book. The state of education in DCPS is appalling. Reading about the reforms that Rhee attempted to push through and the opposition she faced from district council members, union heads, and parents made me angry and so very sad for the children of DCPS. I can only hope that some of the reforms that she and her staff implemented can survive her departure and continued improvements will be made going forward. I would love to know the state of DCPS now, just 2 years after Rhee's resignation, and will be searching the Internet for more information. Additionally will be looking at Rhee's next project Student's First and how that is going. Highly recommend this book!
January 27, 2013
It's hard not to admire Michelle Rhee, and this book gives you many reasons why you should. Whitmire has created an easy-to-read portrait of a very polarizing figure. While there is a chapter in the book that alleges to review Rhee's faults, there are some holes in this story that Whitmire leaves out. Frontline's profile of Rhee was more balanced and included questions about possible cheating on standardized tests in D.C. during Rhee's reign. There's no mention of that at all in this book. Quite an oversight for an education reporter. Even so, I still enjoyed reading about Rhee's background and what led to her fight to improve D.C. public schools.
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