I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. - Chris Christie, "An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ" October, 2009

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Why Isn't Rhee Facing Jail Time? Here's Why:

Diane Ravitch points us to the question that begs to be asked:

Why does Atlanta’s disgraced superintendent Beverly Hall face serious jail time for the cheating that happened on her watch–which she ignored or encouraged by demanding higher test scores–while Michelle Rhee continues to fly from state to state, urging legislatures to follow the DC model?
The article says that Rhee emerged–so far–unscathed because she has friends in high places.
That's certainly part of it; here's the other part:





Far too many very wealthy people have invested far too much money into Rhee's makeover as a reformy celebrity. And far too many members of the credulous press have staked their own reputations on Rhee's image as a miracle worker.

She's the Citigroup of reforminess: Rhee is too big to fail. Everyone OK with that?
We are!

ADDING: I missed that one of Diane's commenters made just this point. Sorry, wgersen, I didn't mean to steal your metaphor!

2 comments:

Deb said...

good analogy

reality-based educator said...

You forgot to put President Obama's picture up there as well.

It is his USDOE that conducted a shoddy investigation of her that exonerated her and it is his DOJ that won't look into the case.

Of course given how his DOJ also refused to look into the Bushies who conducted torture or the banksters who stole billions and wrecked the economy, I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

Those Central Falls teachers or Bradley Manning on the other hand...