90 of the 105 candidates backed by Michelle Rhee in November were RW Republicans

[jsr]

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/17/michele_rhees_right_turn/

Saturday, Nov 17, 2012 12:00 PM CST
Michelle Rhee’s right turn
The school-reform advocate touts her "bipartisan" bona fides, but more and more of her allies are conservatives
By Daniel Denvir

Nov. 6 was a good day for Michelle Rhee. The former Washington, D.C., schools chancellor, through her organization StudentsFirst, poured money into state-level campaigns nationwide, winning 86 of 105 races and flipping a net 33 seats to advocates of so-called school reform, a movement that advocates expanding privately run public charter schools, weakening teachers’ unions, increasing the weight of high-stakes standardized tests and, in some cases, using taxpayer dollars to fund private tuition through vouchers as the keys to improving public education.

Rhee makes a point of applauding “leaders in both parties and across the ideological spectrum” because her own political success — and the success of school reform — depends upon the bipartisan reputation she has fashioned. But 90 of the 105 candidates backed by StudentsFirst were Republicans, including Tea Party enthusiasts and staunch abortion opponents. And Rhee’s above-the-fray bona fides have come under heavy fire as progressives and teachers unions increasingly cast the school reform movement, which has become virtually synonymous with Rhee’s name, as politically conservative and corporate-funded...

Rhee’s popularity among political political elites and media outlets is formidable: She is a frequent guest on national television and at events around the country where she charges up to $50,000 per appearance.“The interesting thing is there’s a lot of groups that are trying to play that role, and Michelle’s celebrity gives StudentsFirst certain assets in that conversation,” says Rick Hess, an education scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute...

Rhee’s agenda is supported by the notorious American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization composed of conservative state legislators and businessmen that formulates and circulates model laws in statehouses nationwide...

[obamanut2012]

1. Her StudentsFirst lobby group is a RW group

Which advances a RW policy, union busts, is funded by RWers, and supports and gives money to RWers.

All the states schools she gives high "grades" to are run by RWers. All the ones that have strong teacher unions and are blue, she grades down. For example: she LOVES Louisana, FL, and OH governors and schools.

[sadbear]

2. Just follow the $$$$

People who turn their back on their principles for money piss me off to no end.

[hlthe2b]

3. I don't think she ever had principles.

I sincerely hope she is fully exposed for the lying, cheating, disgusting opportunist that she is.

[sadbear]

4. Well, she did start her career as a classroom teacher...

so I have to assume some kind of principles led her to that.

[hlthe2b]

5. may have been nothing more than a "means to an end"....

I think most teachers do have principles, but I don't assume this to be the case with Rhee. Similarly not all physicians go to medical school because of a desire to help their fellow man (rather than monetary and prestige gains).

[duffyduff]

6. A TFA is hardly a real teacher. She was a temp.

And a lousy one at that. She should have had her license yanked for taping her students' mouths.

[obamanut2012]

8. Where she literally abused the kids

She duct-taped shut the mouths of eight-year-old minority kids. She sucked as a teacher and quit after not even three years. She never even served in any administrative role.

She then lied, including on her cv, about her test scores.

Principled people do none of this.

[obamanut2012]

7. She never had any principles

She was a failed teacher who used DC kids and teacher as her fiefdom and guinea pigs. Even her own mother has stated she has no empathy.

She is also a union buster, a racist (oh yes, she is), and a cheat.

[Odin2005]

9. She's jumped the shark.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. "StudentsFirst"?! She's got some brass ones. nt

[Jim Lane]

11. Thanks! I've added this information to her Wikipedia bio.

I also added it to the Wikipedia article about StudentsFirst.

I added only the partisan tilt of the endorsements, but there's more stuff in the Salon article that would be worth including, if anyone has the time and energy.

Links:
Michelle Rhee
StudentsFirst