Michelle Rhee's group gave D and F grades to most states in this country for their school policies.

[madfloridian]

First may I say that I would not trust this group to judge education in all the states. Well, they call it judging education "policy", but basically it does judge those states by Michelle Rhee's criteria of education reform.

Just picture this Students First group's credibility after watching this ad against public education in America which aired during the Olympics.

Michelle Rhee's group defends offensive ad that targets schools and overweight people.

How much credibility can you possibly give to a group that defends ridiculing teachers and public education during the Olympics on TV.

Here is the ranking and grades of the states given by Michelle Rhee's group Students First.

Report Card by Students First

43 Alabama F 0.67
39 Alaska D- 0.75
8 Arizona C- 1.85
26 Arkansas D 1.15
41 California F 0.69
9 Colorado C- 1.83
18 Connecticut D+ 1.35
11 Delaware C- 1.75
4 District of Columbia C+ 2.40
2 Florida B- 2.73
15 Georgia D+ 1.42
7 Hawaii C- 1.88
40 Idaho D- 0.71
29 Illinois D 1.13
3 Indiana C+ 2.46
45 Iowa F 0.58
36 Kansas D- 0.83
35 Kentucky D- 0.88
1 Louisiana B- 2.88
21 Maine D 1.23
17 Maryland D+ 1.38
14 Massachusetts D+ 1.54
6 Michigan C- 1.94
26 Minnesota D 1.15
32 Mississippi D 1.00
34 Missouri D- 0.94
48 Montana F 0.44
48 Nebraska F 0.44
21 Nevada D 1.23
41 New Hampshire F 0.69
21 New Jersey D 1.23
26 New Mexico D 1.15
21 New York D 1.23
32 North Carolina D 1.00
51 North Dakota F 0.40
10 Ohio C- 1.77
13 Oklahoma D+ 1.58
37 Oregon D- 0.81
19 Pennsylvania D+ 1.33
5 Rhode Island C+ 2.33
30 South Carolina D 1.02
44 South Dakota F 0.60
11 Tennessee C- 1.75
30 Texas D 1.02
25 Utah D 1.21
46 Vermont F 0.48
38 Virginia D- 0.77
16 Washington D+ 1.40
48 West Virginia F 0.44
20 Wisconsin D+ 1.31
46 Wyoming F 0.48

There is also a map.

Report Card Students First

The Baltimore Sun has an article about this. I think they should have been stronger in their opposition to such a biased group grading all the states.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/blog/bal-michelle-rhees-organization-gives-maryland-reform-a-d-20130107,0,6349395.story?track=rss

Michelle Rhee's education group gives Maryland a D.

A controversial set of national report cards issued this week by StudentsFirst--the advocacy and lobbying organization started by former Washington, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee-- gave Maryland's educational policies and reforms a grade of D+ in a state-by-state analysis.

The report cards were issued in an interactive map on the StudentsFirst website. The organization analyzed three key areas, and several sub-groups, assessing states' ability to 1.) empower parents, 2.) elevate teachers, and 3.) spend wisely and govern well.

Maryland received an overall grade of D or D+ in those three umbrella categories. You can see the state's full report card by clicking here.

The categories reflect and encompass several policy approaches championed by Rhee and that align with the StudentsFirst organization's platform. The organization issued Rhee's old stomping ground, Washington D.C., a grade of C+. The highest grades of B- were issued to Louisiana to Florida.

To paraphrase:

By "empowering" parents they put the blame only on teachers. Parents and students off scott free. By "elevating" teachers they mean tying their pay and job security on how the students score on a multiple choice test. By "spending wisely and governing well" they mean merit pay and getting rid of continuing contracts given after 3 to 5 years to good teacher. In other words making sure that other states like Florida no longer offer tenure to teachers.

These are the policies of our national Department of Education.

People like Michelle Rhee get away with it because it IS policy. And because no one wants anyone else to be critical of that policy.

And that's a shame.

[Atman]

1. That bullshit on Morning Joe made me sick.

Basically, unless you sign on to her for-profit charter school agenda, you got a C or lower.

"EMPOWERING" is the right-wing term for "for-profit charter schools." Gosh, imagine that...Jeb Bush and Bobby Jindal got the highest grades? What a towering pile of steaming crap.

[madfloridian]

6. Missed that. Was Rhee on the show? I never watch Morning Joe.

She's taking control over public education, and no one is even trying to stop her.

I have been criticized for posting too much about the education reform here. So unless people stand up to things like this....she and others like her will retain that control.

[Dawson Leery]

2. Parents are very much to blame for the troubles in education.

Americans at large support the current system, and too many do not wish to be involved in the lives of their children.
Teachers are NOT the parent. It is NOT the job of teachers to be parents.

[liberal_at_heart]

35. I am frustrated at the apathy but I'm not sure it's on purpose

I think poverty has a big role to play in the apathy of parents. We need parenting and maybe even some continuing education classes taught at the community level so parents can learn how to help their children. And we need changes to the current system. We need lots more funding. We need continuing education for our teachers. We need smaller class sizes and more tutoring for struggling students. We need to teach our students critical thinking, and we need to concentrate on the whole child not on test scores. We need big changes alright, just not the ones Michelle Rhee and others like her are advocating.

[madfloridian]

36. Help for parents, someplace to go for advice....

That was one of the biggest problems we had at my last school before retirement. Our guidance counselor was hung up on James Dobson tactics, not so good for troubled children. One teacher made up a paper with ideas on where parents could get help....such a simple idea. We shared her ideas, and it did help.

In neighborhoods like the one our school was in, it was so hard to keep the kids out of trouble.

You are right, parents need resources....parents in poverty often don't get them.

[Mass]

3. Ridiculous. Apparently, results do not matter,.

http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/state-detail?state=Massachusetts

MA is the top state in NAEP Scale Score and gets a D+
FL gets a B- for being 30 + in most scores (13 in 4th grade reading)

LA gets also a B- for being 47th.

So, teacher merit pay and teacher bashing is more important than results (which does not mean that MA results could not be improved).

[madfloridian]

5. Yes, that is right.

Unfortunately.

[immoderate]

4. Scam!

Words fail me.

--imm

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. And there's no correlation between these scores and student achievement!!

[madfloridian]

8. Did you catch the D to New York? They follow her policies carefully.

And they got a D?

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. It's because they haven't completely destroyed tenure yet.

Did you see where the state supt of schools in CA called the F his state received "a badge of honor"?

I got a good chuckle out of that one.

[madfloridian]

12. Good for him. Looks like CA lost RTTT money for not obeying Arne.

That's a shame.

[Starry Messenger]

46. Torlakson rocks.

One of those votes I'm always thrilled to enter. Edit: Oops, I see it was Zeiger who said it. Well, I'll leave it because they both rock.

[KoKo]

9. What a POS she is. Anne Coulter tied to Arne Duncan's Arm!

Michelle Rhee..."Destroying Education Across America" and supported by Sycophants and Uninformed Parents all Across America!

[madfloridian]

13. Exactly.

KoKo

[jody]

11. The "State Policy Report Card, 2013" is highly subjective and clearly non-metric. To use methods

appropriate only for metric data is most disingenuous.

No different from going in to a pasture full of bulls, finding an Angus patty and labeling it "1", a Brahman patty "2", a Charolais patty "3", a Devon patty "4", and an Estonian Red patty "5" and declaring the average patty is a "3".

No, its really bullshit!

[Squinch]

14. Haven't Michelle Rhee's results in DC been found to be the result of cheating on the part of her

administrators?

Well, yes, I believe there is a Frontline coming tomorrow on that.

[lunasun]

28. yes on Tuesday and rerun through the week

The Education of Michelle Rhee New Tue, Jan 8 10:00 PM
PBS
Examining Michelle Rhee's stormy 2007-10 tenure as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public-school system, including her battles with the teachers' union and her handling of a cheating scandal.

[madfloridian]

15. Texas got a D? I thought the education powers that be were very reform-minded

I am beginning to be very embarrassed that Florida got a B!!

[NewJeffCT]

16. I like how Mass, Conn, and NJ were middle of the pack

despite probably having 3 of the better overall public school systems in the country.

[cali]

59. Vermont's at the very bottom of the fact despite

the fact that it has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the country.

[madrchsod]

17. zero creditability

duncan and obama have zero creditably when it comes to public education.

oh yes, so does rhee.

[LeftInTX]

18. Louisiana #1 - yeah right

[Downwinder]

19. Is there a comparison of her list and privatization?

[RomneyLies]

20. Their top rated state is Louisiana

Louisiana is 47th out of 51 in eight grade math scores:

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/statecomparisons/withinyear.aspx?usrSelections=1%2cMAT%2c0%2c0%2cwithin%2c0%2c0

In fact, by rankings of states, they are precisely the opposite in educational outcomes state by state.

Their grades PROVE BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, if a state implements "StudentsFirst" agenda, the effect will be the opposite of what is actually desired from education.

[lunasun]

27. opposite of what is actually desired from education.....

maybe not for them....they want to take it as low as it can go it seems........

[madfloridian]

30. Excellent point! Thanks.

[HiPointDem]

40. +1. but try getting a platform to say that anywhere near what Rhee gets to spout nonsense.

[DonRedwood]

21. I'll never have any idea how that dishonest woman could have gotten so much clout

Horrible cheater and a liar holding us to the standards she achieved by cheating. We don't want to meet your standard, Rhee, because we'd have to lie, cheat, erase and fill-in as much as you did to achieve them.

[madfloridian]

31. Someone gave her this power. Allowed this to happen.

It's unbelievable.

[progressoid]

22. +1

[karynnj]

23. I have major problems with any grades that are assigned based on "policies"

that seem NEGATIVELY correlated to actual achievement!

Looking at NJ (D), MA (D-) and Vermont(F) I am rather amused. They usually are in the top five in any achievement based scale. Yet Florida and Louisiana get the highest scores of B- and have never been seen as peers to say Massachusetts!

No good analytical person would trust a metric that places the states in a way that is so counte to all the more objective metrics. Clearly what these scores show is that the preferred policies do not lead to good results on things like SAT scores or basic Iowa scores - more disturbingly, they are negatively correlated.

What these results do best is to prove that a metric that measures how well a state conforms to her arbitrary preferences does not rank the states in the same order as most metrics that measure performance. It shows they are not working.

[hay rick]

24. The video is just embarrassing.

If you can't advance your cause with the power of your ideas, the power of money is a good substitute. Excellent article on how online learning companies are gaining (buying) influence here: http://www.thenation.com/article/164651/how-online-learning-companies-bought-americas-schools?page=0,0

Excerpt from the article:

Lobbyists for virtual school companies have also embedded themselves in the conservative infrastructure. The International Association for Online Learning (iNACOL), the trade association for EdisonLearning, Connections Academy, K12 Inc., American Virtual Academy, Apex Learning and other leading virtual education companies, is a case in point. A former Bush appointee at the Education Department, iNACOL president Susan Patrick traverses right-leaning think tanks spreading the gospel of virtual schools. In the past year, she has addressed the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a group dedicated to setting up laissez-faire nonprofits all over the world, as well as the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

Two pivotal conservative organizations have helped Patrick in her campaigns for virtual schools: the American Legislative Exchange Council and the State Policy Network. SPN nurtures and establishes state-based policy and communication nonprofits with a right-wing bent. ALEC, the thirty-eight-year-old conservative nonprofit, similarly coordinates a fifty-state strategy for right-wing policy. Special task forces composed of corporate lobbyists and state lawmakers write “template” legislation [see John Nichols, “ALEC Exposed,” August 1/8]. Since 2005, ALEC has offered a template law called “The Virtual Public Schools Act” to introduce online education. Mickey Revenaugh, an executive at virtual-school powerhouse Connections Learning, co-chairs the education policy–writing department of ALEC.

At SPN’s annual conference in Cleveland last year, held two months before the midterm elections, the think tank network adopted a new push for education reform, specifically embracing online technology and expanding vouchers. Patrick opened the event and led a session about virtual schools with Anthony Kim, president of the virtual-school business Education Elements.

SPN has faced accusations before that it is little more than a coin-operated front for corporations. For instance, SPN and its affiliates receive money from polluters, including infamous petrochemical giant Koch Industries, allegedly in exchange for aggressive promotion of climate denial theories. But SPN’s conference had less to do with policy than with tactics. Kyle Olson, a Republican operative infamous in Michigan and other states for his confrontational attacks on unionized teachers, gave a presentation on labor reform in K-12 education. Stanford Swim, heir to a Utah-based investment fortune and head of a traditional-values foundation, ran a workshop at the conference on creating viral videos to advance the cause. He said policy papers wouldn’t work. Tell your scholars, “Sorry, this isn’t a white paper,” Swim advised. “You gotta go there,” he continued, “and it’s because that’s where the audience is.” “If it’s vulgar, so what?” he added.

[Blue_In_AK]

25. K&R

[LWolf]

26. This makes me sick.

[madfloridian]

29. NYC parents group grades Michelle Rhee. Good for them.

http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2013/01/our-parent-report-card-for-michelle.html?m=1

"Michelle Rhee, former DC Chancellor and founder of the organization StudentsFirst, has come out with a new state by state report card, grading states on how well they adhere to the corporate reform agenda of privatization and “choice” (i.e. expanding charters and vouchers) , merit pay, and rigid evaluation systems based on test scores.

Her grading scheme actually punishes states that have policies to reduce class size above grade three, or offer incentives to keep classes small – even though class size reduction is one of the top priorities of parents, and one of the few education reforms that have proven to work. At the same time she gives points to states that either have mayoral control, support the “Parent trigger” or provide other ways to supersede the authority of democratically-elected school boards.
Even as Rhee often claims that student outcomes and achievement are what matters most, the two states with the highest student achievement in the nation, Massachusetts and New Jersey, received a “D-” and a “D.” California got an "F" for refusing to sign onto the provisions of "Race to the Top", including test-based evaluations of teachers; Richard Zeiger, the state's deputy superintendent, called the state's failing grade a “badge of honor.”
I thought it was a good time to reprint the Parents Across America report card for Rhee, where she received failing grades in categories important to parents. See below."

More at the link.

[historylovr]

32. K & R

[ancianita]

33. Okay, so everyone's getting what an attention whore hack she is. Now can we move on and

get rid of national blowhards like her? Do we have to keep giving corporate hacks such national prominence in what are state-by-state budgeting priorities?

[madfloridian]

34. They are "taking" the power. We are allowing it to happen.

If a political party was on our side we maybe could slow it down.

[ancianita]

42. For every failed school or district, we have to point out successes in the same state.

We have to point out the private school systems' curricula, non-test structures and professional personnel. We have to school the public with VISIONS about what good schools look like without all the hack middlemen that now bullshit the public about how 'necessary' they are.

We have to flatten the high verticality of failing districts, like Chicago's, that always have money for new six figure 'administrative' hacks like her and never have enough money to lower class size.

This is something we can do. We really have to show the stats to the public about how replicable success rates consistently correlate with lower class size. More direct services personnel -- teachers, counselors, WHOLE FOOD services, enrichment activities.

We can do this.

[madfloridian]

52. I HAVE been doing this since 2009.

I am retired from teaching, the "reformers" can't hurt me now. But it is very hard to get people to notice as the propaganda about the bad schools and teachers started back with Reagan's flawed "Nation at Risk" report.

I have paid a price for writing so much about it, and I have been called many things for criticizing Obama's policies.

And it IS his policy. He is allowing it all to happen under his watch.

Yes, we can do this. But first there must not be a stigma attached to criticism of the president.

[HiPointDem]

39. The administration supports hacks like her, & so does the GOP. How do we get rid of hacks like

her when the entire political & economic establishment is fully behind this & spouts propaganda 24/7?

[ancianita]

43. I hate to say this, but at some point we have to sound like single issue voters.

Because well-structured public schools are really that important to any civilized society's survival. It won't do for us to stay a nation of struggling 'independent contractors.'

[HiPointDem]

45. that point is long past, i think. yet here we are, & half of du is just bloody alright with charter

schools. they eat that stuff up with big spoons.

if that's the case at du, imagine the general population.

[ancianita]

47. I can't accept that for the nation's children. I believe that the public has misplaced its trust

because it has bought into the bankrupt ideology of the "Hierarchy of Expertise." Particularly the rich know this to be false, yet they promote it through the droppings of Rhee and Duncan. The 1% really don't want anyone to think that their level of education doesn't come cheaply and that we get what we demand, not just what we pay for.

If what you say is true about DU:

How can we call ourselves adults here if we acquiesce to substandard conditions for our children to live in. The science about charter schools is IN. We can't call ourselves anything but dupes of a paid class of oppressors if we don't stop these people. Sounds melodramatic, but I can't think of any other image.

[duffyduff]

55. It's truly bedrock. You oppose public education, you oppose democracy.

That is the bottom line.

[madfloridian]

53. The political establishment AND the media adore her.

That's why she has gotten such power.

[madfloridian]

37. The WP covers her rise to power. Pretty weird how she does it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/07/michelle-rhees-new-state-reform-report-card/

"StudentsFirst had a big presence in the 2012 elections, creating a long list of recommended candidates in numerous states and pouring money into getting them elected so they could push Rhee-style school reform. In Missouri alone, StudentsFirst spent more than $100,000 on 21 chosen candidates. The organization says that it won 86 out of 105 races — for a success rate of 89.9 percent — and helped flip 33 seats held by non-reform candidates to those who Rhee supported.

Before the primary and November elections, Rhee was involved in reform efforts in a number of states, helping Indiana’s Republican governor at the time, Mitch Daniels, push through reform legislation, including a statewide voucher program. In nearly every state where there was charter legislation, she was active.

Every time a state schools chief job has been open in a state interested in reform, her name has come up, but she was never interested. Why would she be? She has the ability to attract big private money to run an organization that allows her to do what she wants nationally. For her, it may even be better than being U.S. secretary of education.

How powerful is she? Very. If you like her style of reform, then you will think that’s a good thing. If you don’t, be very worried."

[HiPointDem]

38. Florida is a top scorer. (B-). That tells you everything you need to know about these assholes.

[davidpdx]

41. Well look at the grade the District of Columbia got and

then tell me with a straight face that there is no bias.

[ancianita]

44. I hope with more exposure this whole bullshit fraud foments a groundswell of public pissed-offedness

Arne Duncan is enabling her to get a national audience. He's the promoter of this policy. We need to scream and shout for his ouster, too.

We have to deconstruct the language of 'students first' the way we deconstructed the 'clean coal,' 'department of defense,' etc.

Reformation is deformation in these stages:

Defund.
"Reform."
Stigmatize.
Privatize.

The generational change shows itself in the nationwide abandonment of good quality teacher training at universities who've shut down schools of education, the dropout-to-prison pipeline, the narrowing of high school programs and the inflated costs of college that make any post high school systems knowledge inaccessible.

[Starry Messenger]

48. I dream of the day when she gets embroiled in a scandal they can't ignore.

How did she wiggle out of erasuregate?

[madfloridian]

63. Me, too.

It's like she thumbs her nose at the world, and the media covers her. Disappointed in the Frontline special tonight.

[LeftInTX]

49. Just looked up her Wiki: She's a democrat

What a hack!!!
According to the WPo article, her ratings are based on "her opinion".

She needs to quit education and get a job at Bain Capital.

[jsr]

64. Michelle Rhee is known by the company she keeps

Her organization helps elect right-wing Republicans:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022160218

[Jennicut]

50. I cannot stand her. Don't get me started.

She's a hack, she demonizes teachers, she offers no good solutions to education issues in this country. And my state of Connecticut is NOT a D+ in education. It's one of the best states in the country in terms of education. The reading and writing scores in CT are among the best. What an idiot.

[jsr]

51. Michelle Rhee is here, there and everywhere.

The Kim Kardashian of education.

[madfloridian]

56. That's funny. Like that comparison.

[duffyduff]

54. The crook Rhee belongs in prison

not be considered as some kind of "expert" on education.

[hay rick]

57. What "elevate teachers" really means.

They want to put teachers on an elevator that almost always goes down...and takes their pay, benefits, security, and dignity with it.

[Odin2005]

58. Bastards. Minnesota's educational system is the best in the country.

IIRC we have the highest graduation rate.

[We People]

60. Is there EVEN ONE legislator in Washington, DC who is appalled at Rhee and her Ed "Reform"?

Seems that she's got most of those in power enthralled.

She, NCLB and RTTT are all nothing but fraudulent.

"Follow the Money"

[madfloridian]

61. Arne was appearing with Rhee during the investigation of her. From the WP in Feb.

I am not aware of any Democrats who have spoken against Rhee. In fact on several occasions Arne Duncan has expressed his support of her. He spoke out strongly that she should be allowed to stay in DC.

This is from the WP in Feb.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/education/duncan-and-rhee-on-panel-amid-dc-schools-inquiry.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all&

Does it really matter that Secretary Duncan has appeared onstage with Ms. Rhee?

" New York Times columnist to presume guilt before we have all the facts,” Mr. Hamilton wrote in an e-mail. “Our inspector general is investigating the cheating issue in D.C. public schools, and we should all let the findings speak for themselves.”

The Office of the Inspector General is an independent oversight agency, although the secretary can refer cases for investigation.

Richard L. Hyde is one who believes that Mr. Duncan should keep his distance. Last year, Mr. Hyde directed 60 state agents in a nine-month investigation of cheating in the Atlanta public schools. They identified 178 teachers and principals in nearly half of the city’s schools who cheated — 82 of whom confessed. The case they built is so strong that criminal indictments are expected.

Mr. Hyde said that to get witnesses to cooperate in such investigations, they must believe that the political leadership is committed. “I’m shocked that the secretary of education would be fraternizing with someone who could potentially be the target of the investigation,” he said. “The appearance of a conflict of interest is troubling because it can cause the public to lose faith in the investigation.”

[We People]

62. Thanks again, Madfloridian. I had missed that article before.

I rarely have the time to read all the comments for such articles (nor did I this time), but the ones I read were very thoughtful and highly critical of present so-called Education Reform. It's too bad they can't be developed into their own articles, ashey bring up excellent points - including questioning the qualifications of both Rhee and Duncan for their own positions.