Fear by Teachers, Loathing of Rhee

The day after the covergirl for the Broad Foundation announced DC's new pay-per-score teacher evaluation plan, Ms. Rhee followed up by canning over 260 teachers chosen predominantly from the most experienced. As if to coincide with the new reality, Rhee's security guard company went bust, with guards being replaced by DC police, who began their first day on the school beat by beating up students who were protesting the firing of their teachers. From WaPo:

In one of the most turbulent days in its recent history, the D.C. public schools system laid off more than 200 teachers Friday and coped with the abrupt loss of its 300 security guards, whose company went out of business overnight Thursday.

The combination of events, which included a skirmish between students and police at McKinley Technology High School that resulted in two arrests, highlighted the challenges faced by Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) as they struggle to reform the troubled system in lean economic times. The layoffs were the deepest cuts for the school system since 2003.

In all, 388 school employees received separation notices, the latest jolt to a system that has seen broad and sometimes wrenching change under Rhee. The schools chief has rolled out a tough evaluation regimen that links some instructors' job security to standardized test scores and raised the bar for other educators with an elaborate set of classroom requirements and guidelines.. . .