Let the Chancellor Lead
D.C. Council members should judge Michelle Rhee by results in the classroom.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

HERE'S WHAT business as usual has meant for children in D.C. schools: 86 percent of fourth-graders are not proficient in reading; 92 percent of eighth-graders can't do math. Are you pleased with that status quo? Then you should applaud those, including those on the D.C. Council, who want to hector and hinder the efforts of Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. For those who believe that children in the nation's capital are entitled to more than the illusion of an education, the best hope lies in her success.

In seeking out Ms. Rhee to lead his school reform, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) wanted a true change agent, someone who wouldn't tinker with the system but would transform it. Five months into her tenure, the chancellor is living up to her billing. She's laid out an ambitious agenda to reshape the central administration, close underenrolled schools and introduce new programs. These are not new ideas, but Ms. Rhee is trying to do what others just talked about, and she's moving with a sense of urgency sadly lacking in previous administrations. Clearly, her aggressive moves -- and her promise of even more to come -- have unsettled those with vested or political interests in the current system.

Nor does Ms. Rhee drape her intentions in diplomatic niceties. So, no, she doesn't really worry about what becomes of incompetent school employees after they leave the school system -- only that they not be allowed to hurt any more students. And, no, she didn't ask council members which schools in their wards they were willing to close. Instead, she based her recommendations on enrollment declines, demographics and school performance. You'd hope that such an approach would be applauded, rather than derided as it was last week by council members petulant about their perceived prerogatives.

How effective Ms. Rhee will be is, in some measure, up to these council members and whether they were serious when they voted to give the mayor control of the schools. In making that historic and brave decision, the council acknowledged the failure of past micromanagement by the D.C. Board of Education. It saw the efficacy of having one person in charge -- someone who could make things happen and then be held to account. It's distressing, then, that some council members appear to want to reconstitute themselves as a new school board, second-guessing every move of the mayor and the chancellor. The council should lay out its expectations, ask tough questions and hold Mr. Fenty and Ms. Rhee accountable for outcomes in student achievement, test scores, dropout rates and a balanced budget. Ms. Rhee does not need 13 people telling her which schools to close or whom to hire and fire; rather she needs partners who have a stake in her success and will give her the necessary tools and support.

A test of the council's willingness to let Mr. Fenty and Ms. Rhee bring about change lies in the upcoming decision on loosening personnel rules for the central administration. It's a first step in changing the culture of the system. District residents should pay attention to which council members are for change -- and who like the status quo.