Is Rhee Producing?

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The Washington Teachers' Union, scarred by scandal and with a warring leadership, also has much at stake. If Rhee succeeds in quashing tenure and seniority rights and if she scores with merit pay for teachers, the union loses its reason for being. National union leaders know that, too.

From a media viewpoint, the story of a firebrand educator taking the torch to a hidebound union is good copy.

But the issue is not whether the chancellor is a polarizing figure with her take-no-prisoners approach or is a fearless crusader against defenders of the status quo.

At issue is whether public education in the District is being improved.

What's known thus far is that plenty of principals, teachers and staff members have been fired, nearly two dozen schools have been closed, and dozens more have been overhauled and restaffed. But to what end?

People paying for the city's $1 billion system need to know whether Rhee is making any progress in reversing the record of failures in the schools. They deserve to know how her policies and practices -- not those of her predecessor -- are affecting teacher performance and student achievement. So, of course, do parents of the more than 46,000 students in the system.

Some parents have already rendered their verdict. Thousands of kids have been transferred to charter schools.

Lost in the squabble is the one ingredient that could help residents decide whether months of turbulence have been worthwhile.

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray seems to agree.

He told me that he has decided that the council must do more than just appropriate funds for schools, leaving Rhee free to run the system as she sees fit.

He said he will propose this month that the council select an independent evaluator to examine the impact of changes initiated by Rhee on teacher and student performance, school system operations, and the school governance structure itself.

"I want to get away from the emotionalism surrounding Rhee and take a dispassionate look at school performance," he said.