August 29, 2011 | Posted At: 03:40 PM | Author: Alexander Russo | Category:
Campaign 2012 ,
Foundation / Advocacy Follies ,
Teachers, Teaching, Unions
Confronted with news planted published in Politico that RheeFirst was an anonymous attack vehicle secretly created inside the AFT, the teachers union has now responded that there's nothing secret or untoward about the site: "RheeFirst.com has acted as a truth squad, and that's what it will continue to do so." See statement below. The site's "about page" lists no connection with the union and has a gmail.com contact listed. The AFT statement also includes a call for StudentsFirst to release its anonymous donor list. Yet another reason to bring back the old AFT blog and let the AFTies duke it out openly day in and day out.
Statement from the American Federation of Teachers
WASHINGTON—Neither StudentsFirst nor anyone connected with Michelle Rhee's activities ever actually contacted us aboutRheeFirst.com. Had they, we would have responded. What's the big deal? RheeFirst.com has been up since March, tracking what Michelle Rhee has said, what she has done and how the media have covered her. All the studies and articles on RheeFirst.com are well sourced and documented.
It's revealing that StudentsFirst's spokesperson calls RheeFirst.com an attack site—yet doesn't challenge any of the facts on the site. That's because RheeFirst.com aggregates articles raising fair and legitimate questions about Michelle Rhee's agenda. Much of this information can't be found on Michelle Rhee's official website, such as her work with Republican governors to promote vouchers and to dismantle public education, her failure to acknowledge the seriousness of the cheating that occurred on her watch in Washington, D.C., or countless other examples you can find on RheeFirst.com.
RheeFirst.com has acted as a truth squad, and that's what it will continue to do. We hope StudentsFirst's feigned outrage will lead members of the media and the public to visit RheeFirst.com and get a better understanding of Michelle Rhee's true agenda. We also hope, in the spirit of transparency, that StudentsFirst will now reveal its donors.
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The AFT represents 1.5 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.
Download News Letter_ W of August 29 2011_FINAL_ATTACHEMENTSpdf
I wonder what attack the site published?
Like the 1996 UMBC report on EAI in Baltimore that shows Rhee's claims about her "Baltimore Miracle" are baseless?
Posted by: PhillipMarlowe | August 29, 2011 at 19:42 PM