Video: Oprah Does Education

Thanks to Whitney Tilson's TIVO -- for as long as it lats on YouTube: 

Link is here.

Gotta say I still sort of love how brutally honest Rhee is, and still sort of think that Guggenheim's use of his own personal story about "driving by three public schools" every day raises more questions than he intends. 

Comments

[Sam]

So glad yet another "education" advocate loves Rhee. Too bad you guys do not make up the electorate who give her power in the first place, because those people said NO THANK YOU. Perhaps you should reflect on what that means.

Also, think on why did Oprah introduce Rhee as someone who fired 1000 teachers and principals, a number that is simply false, and yet is applauded. Tells you a lot...not the effects of those firing, not the meaning of those firings, just simply the firings themselves earn applause. Thanks for supporting public education Alex!

[Sam]

So glad yet another "education" advocate loves Rhee. Too bad you guys do not make up the electorate who give her power in the first place, because those people said NO THANK YOU. Perhaps you should reflect on what that means.

Also, think on why did Oprah introduce Rhee as someone who fired 1000 teachers and principals, a number that is simply false, and yet is applauded. Tells you a lot...not the effects of those firing, not the meaning of those firings, just simply the firings themselves earn applause. Thanks for supporting public education Alex!

[alexander]

love your passion sam but i think you misread me -- posting is not endorsing, loving the tough talk isn't admiring the substance. i'm not entirely with you but i'm not entirely against you either. ps michelle rhee is the least of your opponents / problems.

[Cathy]

Hi,
I hardly get what you have interpreted , by seeing comments above I couldn't get where you are standing. Anyways the video is great, thanks for bringing in a thought provoking issue.
Thesis Papers

[Ann]

My son was a teaching fellow in the Louisiana Teaching Fellowship program during the 2009-2010 school year. He has both undergraduate and masters degrees. He attended school at night and taught 7th grade during the day in a high-needs charter school to earn a teaching certificate. The students he taught are in the Linwood School, a Shreveport charter that has a record of police intervention for violence. During his one-year tenure, he was punched, choked and had his clothes torn. Some of his 7th grade students were 17 years old, and some were special education students dropped into the charter. He was teaching a 5th grade English and social studies curriculum to 7th grade students who, for the most part, were on a first grade reading level. The company operating the charter is Sabis, a Lebanese company headquartered in Minnesota. The only thing the company wants is a head count to secure per-pupil funds from the State; therefore, students who "acted out" and abused the teachers were not removed from school or disciplined. Of the 30 LTF teaching fellows, only five are remaining. Others were fired or quit because they refused to accept the abuse. If this is what some charter schools are like, it's time to remove these for-profit companies from "managing" failing schools. The administration at the charter is made up of local "educators" who protect those students who need to be removed from the school and institutionalized or perhaps put in juvenile facilities. The few who want to learn might be able to help the charter succeed, but that will never happen. My son spent one year of torture, paid more than $4,000 in education tuition, and eventually quit his job. He is an excellent teacher and needs to find a school that appreciates quality teaching, empathy and kindness.

[Al]

I think that Scholastic, who has many teachers and their students as clients, needs to pay attention to the message it's sending out. By putting Oprah's show on education on its website, it appears to support the show's message. If you are going to post these "experts'" opinions via Oprah's show, please take the time to ask teachers what we think and to find out what is happening in our classrooms. Ann's son's experience is not unique: many new teachers will be leaving the profession because of the low pay, the lack of appreciation, and the burnout.