The Bee Eater

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.

Preface v

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction 1

1 An (Asian) American Life 7

2 The Transformation Begins 25

3 Going National 45

4 Welcome to the Nation’s Education Superfund Site 65

5 Closing Schools 93

6 Randi and Michelle 107

7 New Hires, New Fires 131

8 Up from the Foundations: The Challenge of High School Reform 157

9 Rhee’s Critics Find a Winning Storyline 171

10 The Mayor’s Race 191

11 Lessons Learned 201

12 What’s Next? 227

Notes 245

About the Author 263

Index 265

RICHARD WHITMIRE is a veteran education reporter. He is a ­former editorial writer for USA Today, immediate past-president of the National Education Writers Association, and author of the book Why Boys Fail. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

THE BEE EATER CHRONICLES the extraordinary life and work of the dynamic and controversial school reformer Michelle Rhee. The author delves into Rhee’s childhood (as the only Korean American in her graduating class in her Toledo, Ohio school), her first teaching job in a West Baltimore classroom (where she once ate a bee to the amazement of her students), her appointment as chancellor of Washington, D.C. public schools and her launch of Children First, her national advocacy group that draws on the tough lessons of ­Washington. While the book reveals Rhee’s remarkable accomplishments, it also explores many of the fundamental problems in our current education system, the unpredictable politics of leadership — and her shortcomings.

When Michelle Rhee first arrived in Washington, she found a school district that had been so dysfunctional for so long that many had given up, choosing to blame race and poverty rather than poor instruction. There was no one being held ­accountable. The district central office had become an adult employment center, a place to deposit job seekers. Rhee was convinced that Washington’s inner city students could achieve, but considerable obstacles stood in the way — obstacles that needed removing.

Guided by the principles of outstanding leadership, strict accountability, and the power of effective teaching, Rhee was determined to turn around the ­Washington, D.C. schools. Her encounters with community politics and long-simmering racial tensions, and her battles with central office bureaucrats and teachers’ unions, were so extraordinary that her efforts were featured in Time, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and a lengthy PBS series.

The Bee Eater holds the promise of educational excellence for today’s students and for tomorrow’s school reformers.