An Open Letter to Michelle Rhee

This letter was written by Denise Ashworth, an NBEA member, in response to a letter from Michelle Rhee, asking Denise to financially support “Students First”.

Dear Ms. Rhee--

Thank you for contacting me.

I put students first every day, in my inner city classroom. Quite honestly, I'm not a fan of your movement to privatize public schools and bring charter schools that don't serve special education or non-English speaking students to our communities. Here's what I think would prove that you and others like you put students first; I know teachers in my district would applaud you for taking these steps, and I hope you'll give them serious consideration.

1) Reduce class sizes. This flies in the face of what *actually* happens when charter schools move in to public school spaces and force public students into overcrowded classrooms, but I hope you will take a moment to think about how the quality of instruction skyrockets when the ratio of teacher to students is closer to 15:1 than 30:1. It's probably the simplest real-life math problem ever.

2) Instead of creating specialized schools that cherry-pick the students they will choose to serve, shift your focus to providing a high-quality education for every single child in America. Even kids with special needs. Even kids whose primary language is not English. Every child, Ms. Rhee--those are the kids that walk through my doorway every single school day, and they deserve nothing but the best our education system can give. I bring the full force of my teaching talents to bear every moment of the school year; can you and your movement do less, when you have so many more resources than I have alone? Choosing to educate only some children, and turning away others who are "less than", is not the American way.

3) Instead of disparaging them, believe parents, students and teachers who are telling "the powers that be" that our system, as it stands now, is so focused on testing that our students are doing less real learning. Educating a child is not the same as giving him or her a grocery list of strategies to turn to when answering an open-response question on a high-stakes test. That's programming, Ms. Rhee, that's not learning. Students are not data points on a line graph. They are not automatons who need to sit still and be quiet--as though their mouths are taped shut--while teachers pour information into their craniums. They need freedom to question and think deeply about the things that matter in this world, so that they can work to improve and change it. The focus of American schools should be cultivating active, productive citizens who are able to reason and approach their lives with curiosity, question the status quo, and refuse to simply believe what they're told. High-stakes testing produces passive learners who want to give the right answer, fill in the bubble and move on. American children deserve better than that, don't you agree, Ms. Rhee?

4) Give parents and teachers real power to effect valid change. The mindset behind "Waiting for Superman" purports that teachers are part of the problem, and need to be removed from the power base so that a corporate model can be installed. Charter schools hog-tie educators and parents, who have no recourse--it's a "my way or the highway" approach that alienates two of the most important stakeholders in a child's education: his or her family and teachers. American schools were once a crossroads where parents and teachers met in support of each other to help children reach every iota of their potential. Now, they have shifted to contain far too much disengagement and powerlessness. Get billionaires and corporate sponsors out of the way, Ms. Rhee. Let educators do the jobs they passionately believe in; let parents join in to provide unity and support for our children. We know what needs doing--don't shackle us.

5) Ensure that all schools have access to equal funding in the public sector. Stop fomenting a culture of "haves" and "have nots". That sort of elitism didn't work very well for Marie Antoinette's regime, and I believe it's safe to say that America's 99% aren't going to want to hear "let them eat cake" when it comes to the education of the children they love. Every school in this country, given smaller classrooms and fair funding, could produce learners that outperform the students of any other country on this planet. I believe that with every fiber of my being. But don't strip away the money needed to buy books, computers, laboratory supplies, art materials and field trips, and then ask teachers and parents why their kids don't know much about Chaucer, PowerPoint, chemical reactions or Impressionist art.

These five points--if addressed with the full focus and monetary power of our nation's educational leadership--these five points alone would trigger a supernova of positive change in American schools. What's more, the change would begin immediately; not one more generation of children would have to reach adulthood feeling cheated, unprepared, or less able to enjoy their lives, exercise their liberties, and pursue happiness to the fullest possible extent. Isn't that your ultimate goal, Ms. Rhee? I know it's mine. I'd like to think that I and teachers like me have your support in reaching that goal, but until the "blame game" comes to an end, until teacher's unions are recognized for the work they do to advocate for students instead of reviled as The Enemy, until a single corporate mogul enters a classroom and takes the reins to see what it means to lead children in learning and exploring, until you and your backers understand that Superman is already in our schools, and his mild-mannered alter ego is every teacher and parent in America, then I fear we as a nation will not reach the greatness that should be our birthright.


Thank you again for your time in contacting me, but I will be using my ten dollars to purchase school supplies for my 6th grade students. Perhaps you'd care to donate to MY cause?

Sincerely,

Denise Ashworth
Middle School Educator and Superhero
New Bedford, MA