By Dorothy Rowley
AFRO Staff Writer
Chancellor Michelle Rhee has come under heavy fire for her firing of over 300 teachers in the DC school system. (Courtesy Photo)
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(November 4, 2009) - In a tension filled City Council chamber, District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee sought repeatedly on Oct. 29 to explain her decision to sacrifice the jobs of more than 300 teachers rather than make cuts to her 2010 summer school program.
At one point, the chancellor – who maintained her composure throughout an hours-long beat down – even conceded that she had let go good teachers. Her defense was that she had done what was in the best interest of DCPS’s 4,500 students.
But the Council didn’t buy it.
Mayor Adrian Fenty did not attend the hearing, but most of the other Council members made it clear that Rhee had violated the law and practically usurped the Council’s authority when she failed to advise them that she had plans of her own, to the tune of $9.1 million – money that would have ensured the ousted teachers’ jobs.
In exerting her will, Rhee who has been in a contentious relationship with the Council since taking over the helm in 2007, allegedly ignored its directive to bring her budget in alignment with the $20.7 million the Council cut from its fiscal year 2010 operating expenses. A portion of the Council’s cuts included the $9 million Rhee decided to set aside for summer school programs.
“I’m talking about the law,” said a visibly agitated Chairman Vincent Gray. He accused Rhee of teaming with her chief financial officer, Noah Wepman, to wield their own power. “Why bother to have a legislative body if the people in the executive branch do whatever they choose because they don’t like the [Council’s decision]?”
Rhee also insisted that she had the unwritten legal advice of City Attorney Peter Nickles as she proceeded with the reductions in faculty. At the same time, she was bringing in a new crop of instructors. The Council said that move didn’t make any sense.
“[We have] a system that’s hurting, yet you fire good teachers,” At-large Councilman Kwame Brown exclaimed. He implored the chancellor to stop using her constant references to “the good of DCPS’s students” as an excuse to tout her agenda.
According to Gray, who said Rhee had exhibited some questionable practices, she’d exerted a cavalier attitude in moving forward with the firings.
Gray said that now a way needs to be found to bring back the fired teachers. He said that otherwise, he didn’t know how the city would operate with trust and in a forthright manner.
“What was done to these people was at the doorstep of the Council,” Gray said, noting that Rhee had made the Council look like it was at fault over the firings.
Rhee went on to give a timeline of events from April to October that led to the hearing. She emphatically stated that early on, she had notified the Council of the negative impact of the budget reductions.
“We specifically said that DCPS would be forced to reduce its teaching staff by 338 teachers,” Rhee told Gray. “On May 29 you and I met with a number of people including members of the auditing firm [and others] to discuss the negative impact of the proposed reduction and to work out a solution.”
At-large Councilman Michael Brown said that with all the discord that has come out of the firings, it is apparent that Rhee’s tight-fisted effort at reformation of the long-troubled school system isn’t working. He said that at this point, there should be discussions to “reform the reform plan.”
Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry added that in the 44 years he’s been in the District he’s never seen things so bad.
“I’ve never seen the level of disrespect” exhibited by Rhee and Fenty, he said, nor “as much fear” among the DCPS workforce.
Barry said that the whole reformation process has been nothing but “chaos” and that Fenty and Rhee have set the school system back at least 10 years.