Books: First Peek At "Radical" Rhee Book

Here's the cover for Michelle Rhee's new book, coming out in January.

It's called "RADICAL:  Fighting to Put Students First."  (A previous version was called "DARE TO DREAM: My Fight for Better Schools and a Brighter Future" -- I think they made a good choice.)

Yes, that's two books about Michelle Rhee in the space of two years or so -- this and The Bee Eater. Three if you count the Brill book.   Yes, HarperCollins is a division of NewsCorp -- shame on you for having bought or read any of their books.  

Library Journal says it's a 100,000-copy first run.  No word yet on how much Rhee received for writing the 352-page manuscript -- I'm sure Rhee opponents will make a big deal of it because, you know, being paid for doing things is bad, and Brill made a big deal of Ravitch's speaking fees.  

StudentsFirst tells me that Rhee wrote it herself -- no ghostwriters-- but  won't say if it includes newsy tidbits or revelations (yelling matches with Kaya Henderson, for example).  Did she write it in blood between the hours of three and five AM, or while binging on Adderall, or on the plane back and forth from DC to Sacto?  They won't say.

I will refrain from making any comments about the cover photo. 

Comments

[PeterVenkmen]

Lesson for Alexander: Empty sarcasm is not the same thing as actual wit.

[ct teacher]

Definitely need a fact checker for this book...she is very good at inflating her successes and lying about her failures. I wonder if she mentions:

The widespread cheating in DC schools during Michelle Rhee’s reign as chancellor is the subject of a federal investigation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/education/duncan-and-rhee-on-panel-amid-dc-schools-inquiry.html?pagewanted=all

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County is calling for an investigation of the use of public resources by non-profits connected to Kevin Johnson.

Michelle Rhee is currently being sued by a former DC teacher, who alleges that she fired him after he blew the whistle on test cheating at his school.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/07/06/48154.htm

Kevin Johnson was ordered to repay $73,836.50 in AmeriCorps funds after an investigation found that AmeriCorps members under Johnson’s direction were “driving him to personal appointments, washing his car, and running personal errands.”

[Phillip]

Does it come with a roll of tape?
Or maybe the missing Harlem Park test scores?
Video tape of the Good Morning American show from OCt 1994 recognizing her teaching?