Rhetoric: Welfare Queens, Turncoats, & Birthers (Yes!)

Teachers are welfare queens.  Reformers are turncoats.  Rhee critics are birthers.  Yes, it's true.  Over the weekend the NYT's Matt Bai described how Republican governors like Chris Christie (pictured) have turned public employee unions into a convenient scapegoat: "Ronald Reagan had his 'welfare queens,'  Rudy Giuliana had his criminals and 'squeegee men,' and now Chris Christie has his sprawling and powerful public-sector unions."  Rick Kahlenberg has taken to the pages of the Washington Post to decry the union-blaming that's going on in Wisconsin and elsewhere and to lay blame squarely at the feet of so-called school reformers like Michelle Rhee: "In a profound sense, Democrats like Michelle Rhee have paved the way for Scott Walker.” At roughly the same time, Rhee biographer Richard Whitmire appears on EdWeek's commentary page to denounce Rhee critics as lefty birthers who are threatened by Rhee's message at a level that is visceral and somewhat deraged: "The birther-like rhetoric is... not likely to abate unless Rhee and her organization make no headway and therefore present no threat."  What to make of all of this?  Whitmire needs to get some smidgen of distance between himself and the Rhee PR machine.  Kahlenberg might have overstated the case just a little bit though there is a clear line between most reformers and anti-unionism. Debate-wise, we're getting closer and closer to Godwin's Law -- I'm not sure I can stand the anticipation of waiting to see whether Ravitch or Rhee allies there first.   Meanwhile, union leaders obviously to get out of their bunkers and make some contributions to the debate (even if they run the risk of getting unseated in the next election).  Reformers need to figure out how to keep up the pressure without becoming co-opted by political interests who probably don't share their passion for educating poor kids. (Their current obsession with last in first out makes no sense to me, politically or substantively.) 

Comments

[Marc]

Sure, the critique of Rhee is virulent at times, but Rhee needs to look in the mirror. She's the one who posed with a broom in her hand for Time, was consistently antagonistic toward the community members she was supposed to serve and had so little regard for the teachers she fired, that she flippantly and inaccurately labeled them as child molesters.

Anyone who followed Rhee's tenure in DC knows she brought this upon herself.

This is not to say she didn't have some good ideas, but she also displayed a nonchalant regard for the truth and showed little interest in working with stakeholders, which whether ed reformers like it or not, is an important part of being a superintendent.

[CarolineSF]

I've never seen Ravitch lose it or namecall even the tiniest bit, have you, Alex? While Whitmire has been out in the real world promoting the book for, what, two weeks, and is already nearing total meltdown and hurling wild-eyed epithets.

I can't imagine how you could draw that implied parallel, but have you seen a side of Ravitch that I haven't?

[Montana]

Chris Christie is an annoying, mean-spirited, overweight, windbag, slithering like snake lawyer.

[Montana]

Chris Christie is an annoying, mean-spirited, overweight, windbag, slithering like snake lawyer.

[Tim Ban]

Last in first out is a shot aimed directly at unions. Rhee's timing of this campaign matches Walker in Wisconsin perfectly.

[Montana]

To all the “Chicken Littles” that keep saying that the sky is falling, and the Unites States will fail, never count against the United States of America, we are coming back and you and your phonies are wrong!

The Birthers just HATE and can’t debate, where is there proof you might asked? Up where the sun don’t shine, HA, HA, show some proof birthers or people will continue to see you as dumb, stupid or racist, maybe all three. Can you blame them?