{"product_id":"the-bee-eater-isbn-9780470905296","title":"The Bee Eater","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe inside story of a maverick reformer with a take-no-prisoners management style\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003eHailed 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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eRhee has been featured in the documentary \"Waiting for Superman\"\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eRhee's story points to a fresh way of addressing school improvement \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eAddresses fundamental problems in our current education system, and the politics of leadership\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreface v\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments xv\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 1\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 An (Asian) American Life 7\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 The Transformation Begins 25\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 Going National 45\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 Welcome to the Nation’s Education Superfund Site 65\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 Closing Schools 93\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 Randi and Michelle 107\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 New Hires, New Fires 131\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 Up from the Foundations: The Challenge of High School Reform 157\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 Rhee’s Critics Find a Winning Storyline 171\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 The Mayor’s Race 191\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 Lessons Learned 201\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 What’s Next? 227\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNotes 245\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the Author 263\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 265\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eRICHARD WHITMIRE is a veteran education reporter. He is a ­former editorial writer for \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e, immediate past-president of the National Education Writers Association, and author of the book \u003ci\u003eWhy Boys Fail\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE BEE EATER\u003c\/b\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuided 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 \u003ci\u003eTime, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, and a lengthy PBS series. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Bee Eater\u003c\/i\u003e holds the promise of educational excellence for today’s students and for tomorrow’s school reformers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jossey-Bass","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990165930213,"sku":"NP9780470905296","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780470905296.jpg?v=1761786756","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-bee-eater-isbn-9780470905296","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}