The Future of Reform

Last Wednesday, Michelle Rhee, the most visible advocate for education reform, resigned as chancellor of the District of Columbia’s public schools, triggering three critical questions: (1) what is the future of D.C. schools?; (2) what is her next move?; and (3) who will emerge as the next national face of reform?
Despite being highly divisive as a public figure, Rhee saw clear successes during her three-and-a-half year tenure — test scores improved, dropout rates declined, and graduation rates rose. She made headlines for firing hundreds of teachers and instituting a new evaluation system. A staunch proponent of improving teacher quality, she championed the idea of merit pay and successfully negotiated a new contract with the teachers’ union this past June.
The Rhee saga demonstrates the success of centralized power. In 2007, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty wrested control of the schools from the Board of Education. This restructuring gave the chancellor the opportunity to truly effect change—and that is exactly what Rhee did.
Setting aside the list of accomplishments, there is still much that needs to be done, not only in D.C. but the rest of the country. In an op-ed piece published in Sunday’s Washington Post, Fenty and Rhee implored presumptive mayor-elect Vincent Gray and the rest of the D.C. public school team to continue working on reform. With top administrators staying in place and Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson filling the role of interim head, there is reason to be optimistic. Henderson has extensive experience in the field, serving in the past as Teach for America-DC’s executive director and vice president of The New Teacher Project.
There is much less certainty as to what the future holds for Rhee, who recently said in a television interview that she is “definitely going to stay in education and in education reform.” There has been speculation that she will lead the problem-ridden Newark, N.J., school district, but it appears as though she will take a position with a national platform. All signs point to her moving west to accomplish that, as she has stated that she wants to be closer to fiance Kevin Johnson, mayor of Sacramento.
Finally, if Rhee decides to bow out of the national spotlight, look for Deborah Gist to fill the void. As Rhode Island commissioner of education, she has proposed many wide-ranging, teacher-centric reforms, even capturing the attention of Secretary of Education Duncan and President Obama.
Regardless of who the face of reform is, it is imperative that educators and administrators across the country build on this movement’s momentum and not let this golden opportunity for change slip away.
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