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Radical: Fighting to Put Students First
One of America's brightest visionaries and the face of education reform presents her extraordinary story-and her inspiring vision-for our nation's troubled education system.
One of America's brightest visionaries and the face of education reform shares her extraordinary story-and her inspiring vision to improve our nation's troubled education system.
For the past eighteen years, Michelle Rhee has dedicated herself to providing children with the skills and knowledge they need to compete in a changing world. As a teacher in inner-city Baltimore, chancellor of the Washington, DC schools, and founder of the advocacy organization StudentsFirst, she has been guided by one principle: to prioritize the interests of children. Through her own failures and successes in the classroom, she gained a tremendous respect for the hard work that teachers do. She also learned the lesson that would drive her: teachers are the most powerful influence on student achievement in our schools. But our educational system is broken. American children are being eclipsed by their peers in other countries like Finland, South Korea, and Singapore, and their rank will continue to plummet unless the problem is addressed immediately.
Part memoir, part manifesto, Radical is this fearless advocate's incisive, intensely personal call-to-arms. Rhee combines the story of her own extraordinary experience with dozens of compelling examples from schools she's worked in and studied-from students from unspeakable home lives who have thrived in the classroom to teachers whose radical methods have produced unprecedented leaps in achievement. Radical chronicles Rhee's awakening to the potential of every child, her rage at the special interests blocking badly-needed change, and her recognition that it will take a grassroots movement to create outstanding public schools. As she outlines concrete steps that will put us on a dramatically different course, she offers inspiration and a sense of possibility for a brighter future for our children.
One of America's brightest visionaries and the face of education reform shares her extraordinary story-and her inspiring vision to improve our nation's troubled education system.
For the past eighteen years, Michelle Rhee has dedicated herself to providing children with the skills and knowledge they need to compete in a changing world. As a teacher in inner-city Baltimore, chancellor of the Washington, DC schools, and founder of the advocacy organization StudentsFirst, she has been guided by one principle: to prioritize the interests of children. Through her own failures and successes in the classroom, she gained a tremendous respect for the hard work that teachers do. She also learned the lesson that would drive her: teachers are the most powerful influence on student achievement in our schools. But our educational system is broken. American children are being eclipsed by their peers in other countries like Finland, South Korea, and Singapore, and their rank will continue to plummet unless the problem is addressed immediately.
Part memoir, part manifesto, Radical is this fearless advocate's incisive, intensely personal call-to-arms. Rhee combines the story of her own extraordinary experience with dozens of compelling examples from schools she's worked in and studied-from students from unspeakable home lives who have thrived in the classroom to teachers whose radical methods have produced unprecedented leaps in achievement. Radical chronicles Rhee's awakening to the potential of every child, her rage at the special interests blocking badly-needed change, and her recognition that it will take a grassroots movement to create outstanding public schools. As she outlines concrete steps that will put us on a dramatically different course, she offers inspiration and a sense of possibility for a brighter future for our children.
286 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
March 5, 2013
Full disclosure: I read this book in order to better understand where the Education Reform movement is coming from, as I currently do not agree with or understand it. Everyone knows we need better education for our children, but I disagree with the Ed Reform movement that teachers are the only way at that. But I put my politics aside to read this book.
This book is not well written. It's Hemingway simplistic, but Hemingway works because his sentences yield some insight. Simple can be beautiful, if it conveys something. It is very clear from this book that Rhee began her teacher career in math, as she's certainly not qualified to teach reading or writing based on her own lack of writing capability.
But her editors should have also been more diligent on the logical arguments put forth, as they have no logic to them. I understand this book is not meant to be an academic analysis, but it's structured as half memoir - half policy recommendations. Therefore, if it choose to go down that road, it needed to stick to it.
Rhee contradicts herself throughout the book. She says that teachers are the most important thing and that they need to be rigorously evaluated and let go if they are not performing, but then she has countless examples of "good teachers" that simply needed more experience, mentoring, and time in the classroom in order to improve. Yet by her own standards, those teachers would have never made it to the next round, including herself. How would she decide?
Her attempts at getting "urban" street cred while a teacher in Baltimore and then in D.C. came up so often that it got somewhat offensive, or at the least, was trying entirely too hard. We get it that you're Korean American and from a middle class background - no one begrudges you that. But constantly name dropping your former NBA star husband, or using borderline "ebonics" in your writing in any instance where you're speaking to students of color, really tokenizes the experience and makes you seem...fake.
Finally, I know her heart is in the right place - but you cannot argue and call yourself a champion for students where your reforms and what you stand further undermine the very students you are trying to help. The school closures and drastic decisions are the Urban Renewal policies of the 50s and 60s - literally wiping out or closing schools without working to fix or improve them.
I actually would ask that others read this, but not because you will learn anything, but to help me better articulate in a more thoughtful and structured review why this memoir/treatise is "no bueno."
This book is not well written. It's Hemingway simplistic, but Hemingway works because his sentences yield some insight. Simple can be beautiful, if it conveys something. It is very clear from this book that Rhee began her teacher career in math, as she's certainly not qualified to teach reading or writing based on her own lack of writing capability.
But her editors should have also been more diligent on the logical arguments put forth, as they have no logic to them. I understand this book is not meant to be an academic analysis, but it's structured as half memoir - half policy recommendations. Therefore, if it choose to go down that road, it needed to stick to it.
Rhee contradicts herself throughout the book. She says that teachers are the most important thing and that they need to be rigorously evaluated and let go if they are not performing, but then she has countless examples of "good teachers" that simply needed more experience, mentoring, and time in the classroom in order to improve. Yet by her own standards, those teachers would have never made it to the next round, including herself. How would she decide?
Her attempts at getting "urban" street cred while a teacher in Baltimore and then in D.C. came up so often that it got somewhat offensive, or at the least, was trying entirely too hard. We get it that you're Korean American and from a middle class background - no one begrudges you that. But constantly name dropping your former NBA star husband, or using borderline "ebonics" in your writing in any instance where you're speaking to students of color, really tokenizes the experience and makes you seem...fake.
Finally, I know her heart is in the right place - but you cannot argue and call yourself a champion for students where your reforms and what you stand further undermine the very students you are trying to help. The school closures and drastic decisions are the Urban Renewal policies of the 50s and 60s - literally wiping out or closing schools without working to fix or improve them.
I actually would ask that others read this, but not because you will learn anything, but to help me better articulate in a more thoughtful and structured review why this memoir/treatise is "no bueno."
September 23, 2013
Michelle Rhee has become a divisive name in contemporary education reform, and for good reason. She understands how to play to an audience like a born storyteller, leveling her finger at teachers unions and politicians and reaching out to embrace frustrated parents, all the while holding the children caught in the middle of the power struggles she often creates, up in front of her, like a battle standard.
Despite her fame seeking and public pandering, it is possible that Rhee has done sincere good work. She knows how to make waves and has a talent for making difficult decisions, not something that all reformers can do. However, what is easy to miss in the midst of her well written and very calculating story is the core of what she swears effective education reform is all about. Her time in TFA and her vision for StudentsFirst seems to be focusing on the fact that for students to win they need good teachers. Yet her tale is one of reorganizing budgets, jet-setting through the country to rub elbows with the rich and powerful, obtaining donations, and establishing herself in the headlines.
What Rhee doesn't actually talk much about it how to make good teachers. Her time at Teach for America clearly didn't give her that ability. She rotated out of the classroom just as quickly as most people who take part in this program do. Other than one lesson using construction paper pizzas to teach fractions, there is no mention of teacher training, professional development, or connecting with educators to make them more effective. Teacher incentives such as higher salary may attract more talent to the field, but talent has to be channeled and trained in the field of education.
In a perfect world, Rhee would head back to the classroom and spend time figuring out what really makes a great educator. She is right on point when she says that great teachers are the key to effective educational institutions for children, but she doesn't have any grasp on what that means. If you want to fight for that, understand how it works. So Rhee, stop penalizing teachers amd schools and student for being part of a broken system, or not having basic tools they need to get it right, and become their ally. Stop blaming unions that try to help teachers and communities that have connections to the schools you want to close and start connecting to the teaching profession that you abandoned as casually as you entered it. Show us what you got and use the amazing leadership and media skills you have to put your money where your mouth is.
Despite her fame seeking and public pandering, it is possible that Rhee has done sincere good work. She knows how to make waves and has a talent for making difficult decisions, not something that all reformers can do. However, what is easy to miss in the midst of her well written and very calculating story is the core of what she swears effective education reform is all about. Her time in TFA and her vision for StudentsFirst seems to be focusing on the fact that for students to win they need good teachers. Yet her tale is one of reorganizing budgets, jet-setting through the country to rub elbows with the rich and powerful, obtaining donations, and establishing herself in the headlines.
What Rhee doesn't actually talk much about it how to make good teachers. Her time at Teach for America clearly didn't give her that ability. She rotated out of the classroom just as quickly as most people who take part in this program do. Other than one lesson using construction paper pizzas to teach fractions, there is no mention of teacher training, professional development, or connecting with educators to make them more effective. Teacher incentives such as higher salary may attract more talent to the field, but talent has to be channeled and trained in the field of education.
In a perfect world, Rhee would head back to the classroom and spend time figuring out what really makes a great educator. She is right on point when she says that great teachers are the key to effective educational institutions for children, but she doesn't have any grasp on what that means. If you want to fight for that, understand how it works. So Rhee, stop penalizing teachers amd schools and student for being part of a broken system, or not having basic tools they need to get it right, and become their ally. Stop blaming unions that try to help teachers and communities that have connections to the schools you want to close and start connecting to the teaching profession that you abandoned as casually as you entered it. Show us what you got and use the amazing leadership and media skills you have to put your money where your mouth is.
April 5, 2013
This is a fantastic read. Teachers matter and can have the greatest impact on student learning and achievement. Technology, curriculum, and everything else doesn't make a bit of difference if you have a lemon at the front of the room. Keep and reward good teachers, work to improve the ones who can be helped, and get rid of the bad. Read this book.
Read
April 11, 2013Before I downloaded this, I looked up some reviews on Amazon. They made me laugh because most were either 1s or 5s. Not a lot of in-betweeners. The book is part memoir in the sense of explaining the influences in her life which have led to her current job as movement leader of "Students First." It is part explanation of all she tried to do as chancellor of DC public schools. She talks openly about her successes and failures. She understands her biggest failure in DC to be pushing reforms from the top down while neglecting to build strong enough grass-roots support for her ideas. Her book is one more tool in the attempt to build a grass-roots movement for education reform. Some of the reviews complained that it was poorly written. There were a few rough spots but I thought she wrote a clear explanation of her beliefs about education. I understand where she is going and where she has been, so to speak. The needs of students come first. Anybody can learn and deserves the chance to learn - whether they are hungry, neglected, homeless whatever. With a good enough teacher, all children can learn. Great teachers deserve great pay and great recognition. Poor teachers need to find other things to do. Those seems to be the basics. I'm glad I read it.
May 7, 2013
This is an interesting book to review. Unlike most people, I neither love nor hate Michelle Rhee and her efforts. I am torn between an understanding that she is a very intelligent woman with a great education and impressive drive; and the fact that I do not really agree with her particular approach. I know that she has her whole focus on student achievement and that her real goals are direct to the cause, not personal interests. However, I think there is a lot of room for discussion after reading this book. Unlike the work of some of her educational leadership adversaries, Rhee has included no real data or research evidence to back up her points and experience in this piece. I could easily write a book with as much information off the top of my head as Rhee has done here based on my own experiences with K-12 education. I know for a fact that much information has been left out, due to reading the research of education analysts like Diane Ravitch and Linda Darling-Hammond.
For example, Rhee is a strong supporter of "successful" charter schools. Who doesn't support supposed successful schools (woah alliteration!)? What she ignores is the fact that because so many political leaders are in favor of charters, almost anyone can open one. A lot of people have a vision. Few schools live up to it. Approximately 1 in 5 charters is out-performing public schools. This is not a record of success. One in five public schools is also doing well. There are the Uncommon Schools, a few of the KIPP schools, a few of the Noble schools. But even within a given network following a very direct model, success is not a guarantee here.
Anyone would agree with the points that Rhee makes throughout this book because the truth is she is not really saying anything radical at all. Students need great teachers. Teachers who have not shown up more than 78 days in one year or who abuse children should be fired. There should be accountability for teachers and teachers should be respected more. This is all very obvious. What she does not offer is a means to actually make sure that excellent teachers are in the classroom.
She is a strong advocate for competition and thus, merit pay. Here is where I disagree with her. The assumption that teachers should get bonuses based on raising test scores assumes that the only reason students are not successful is that their teachers are lazy. However, most teachers in urban school districts are the farthest from lazy people I have ever encountered. And several people who left the profession to become lawyers, engineers, and business people maintain that their years in the urban classroom were by far the most difficult in their lives. There is no secret briefcase with instructions for improving reading and math skills that will be implemented when a teacher finally has enough incentive to open it. What we need in schools is way more collaboration and way less competition. A school that has found a teaching strategy that works should want to share it with the country, not use it to compete for federal dollars (as programs like Race to the Top encourage).
Schools are not businesses. Unlike businesses, we cannot just let the bottom ones close and fail. Therefore, they cannot be run like businesses. Schools cannot lose funding for failure. The only people who fail here then are the children. Rhee refers to some really successful classrooms that she has observed, but does not really get into what makes them successful other than to point out the teacher as good or bad. But how do we make a teacher good or bad? By her own policy, she'd have been fired in her first year as a teacher. Teachers need room to grow. It is a profession with a sharp learning curve. No one walks into the classroom with every understanding of classroom management, engaging lessons, differentiated instruction, etc. It takes time - and a lot of preparation. Which is why I think it interesting that her focus is more on alternative certification programs rather than promoting universities to attract and train teachers to give the most possible experience in the classroom before they step into one unprepared. People should not become teachers without having spent at least a full semester following the example of a strong lead teacher. A year would be a lot better.
I know that Rhee is dedicated to improving our classrooms, particularly teacher effectiveness, but if she has a method that is really successful, I did not see it in this book. The book is more about her own personal experiences that lead her to where she is and her struggles fighting the opposition - but anyone can write that book. Other than her relentless fight against unions' inability to fire bad teachers, I cannot see what she is directly doing that is so radical, or even that is making notable change. Like most people in high positions for our school systems, she relies too much on test scores, which time and again prove to be poor indicators of teacher effectiveness. When Chicago teachers went on strike this past summer, one of their main points of dissatisfaction with the proposed contract was being evaluated based on test scores. 88 education researchers from 16 Chicago universities signed a letter explaining the major failures with implementing such a plan. These researchers had nothing to gain from siding with the teachers' union. Rhee, like Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Barack Obama, chooses to ignore that some of her opponents may occasionally have a point when it comes to the en vogue accountability system.
So bottom line: This book gets three stars. I am not disgusted with her actions. I support her end vision. I think she ignores some very key points about why this is such a polarized issue while trying to make it seem as though she has all of the answers. Because of this, the book reads like one gigantic editorial with minimal research to back it up.
For example, Rhee is a strong supporter of "successful" charter schools. Who doesn't support supposed successful schools (woah alliteration!)? What she ignores is the fact that because so many political leaders are in favor of charters, almost anyone can open one. A lot of people have a vision. Few schools live up to it. Approximately 1 in 5 charters is out-performing public schools. This is not a record of success. One in five public schools is also doing well. There are the Uncommon Schools, a few of the KIPP schools, a few of the Noble schools. But even within a given network following a very direct model, success is not a guarantee here.
Anyone would agree with the points that Rhee makes throughout this book because the truth is she is not really saying anything radical at all. Students need great teachers. Teachers who have not shown up more than 78 days in one year or who abuse children should be fired. There should be accountability for teachers and teachers should be respected more. This is all very obvious. What she does not offer is a means to actually make sure that excellent teachers are in the classroom.
She is a strong advocate for competition and thus, merit pay. Here is where I disagree with her. The assumption that teachers should get bonuses based on raising test scores assumes that the only reason students are not successful is that their teachers are lazy. However, most teachers in urban school districts are the farthest from lazy people I have ever encountered. And several people who left the profession to become lawyers, engineers, and business people maintain that their years in the urban classroom were by far the most difficult in their lives. There is no secret briefcase with instructions for improving reading and math skills that will be implemented when a teacher finally has enough incentive to open it. What we need in schools is way more collaboration and way less competition. A school that has found a teaching strategy that works should want to share it with the country, not use it to compete for federal dollars (as programs like Race to the Top encourage).
Schools are not businesses. Unlike businesses, we cannot just let the bottom ones close and fail. Therefore, they cannot be run like businesses. Schools cannot lose funding for failure. The only people who fail here then are the children. Rhee refers to some really successful classrooms that she has observed, but does not really get into what makes them successful other than to point out the teacher as good or bad. But how do we make a teacher good or bad? By her own policy, she'd have been fired in her first year as a teacher. Teachers need room to grow. It is a profession with a sharp learning curve. No one walks into the classroom with every understanding of classroom management, engaging lessons, differentiated instruction, etc. It takes time - and a lot of preparation. Which is why I think it interesting that her focus is more on alternative certification programs rather than promoting universities to attract and train teachers to give the most possible experience in the classroom before they step into one unprepared. People should not become teachers without having spent at least a full semester following the example of a strong lead teacher. A year would be a lot better.
I know that Rhee is dedicated to improving our classrooms, particularly teacher effectiveness, but if she has a method that is really successful, I did not see it in this book. The book is more about her own personal experiences that lead her to where she is and her struggles fighting the opposition - but anyone can write that book. Other than her relentless fight against unions' inability to fire bad teachers, I cannot see what she is directly doing that is so radical, or even that is making notable change. Like most people in high positions for our school systems, she relies too much on test scores, which time and again prove to be poor indicators of teacher effectiveness. When Chicago teachers went on strike this past summer, one of their main points of dissatisfaction with the proposed contract was being evaluated based on test scores. 88 education researchers from 16 Chicago universities signed a letter explaining the major failures with implementing such a plan. These researchers had nothing to gain from siding with the teachers' union. Rhee, like Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Barack Obama, chooses to ignore that some of her opponents may occasionally have a point when it comes to the en vogue accountability system.
So bottom line: This book gets three stars. I am not disgusted with her actions. I support her end vision. I think she ignores some very key points about why this is such a polarized issue while trying to make it seem as though she has all of the answers. Because of this, the book reads like one gigantic editorial with minimal research to back it up.
Read
July 5, 2022I read this book out of a desire to learn more about what shapes the education landscape in Washington, DC. Between the defensive and at times egotistical tone of Rhee’s book, I did find a lot of interesting history and perspective on education reform. Of course this is her perspective and there are a lot of other perspectives, especially as it relates to DC, that I’d like to hear as well.
October 25, 2019
A great overview of best practices for teaching. Every parent and teacher should read this book and then share it with friends and family!
March 9, 2013
I'm really glad Michelle Rhee came out with her own book, as I found "The Bee Eater" a little lacking. She managed to actually convince me of some things, like vouchers, that I had thought I was dead-set against, so props for her.
This is basically where you should start if you have no idea about how education "works" in our country. By that I mean, she's really good at explaining the systems of red tape and wastes of money that occur, and is excellent at getting into the "why" of our present state of education. I actually don't believe, when you read about those details, that what she's doing is even remotely radical. We're wasting money, and we're wasting time. She reiterates over and over that our system is based around adults, not kids, and frankly, that is the reason our kids can't read, do math, or think analytically. I also really appreciate her obsession with data (I believe I mention that in my Bee Eater review); if we know what works, we need to implement it ASAP, and eliminate any obstacles and barriers that present themselves. In addition, I sort of can't believe the system of being able to review schools online, with reviews of teachers and parents, as well as other vital information, isn't available already. Hopefully that will be one of the first things her organization takes care of.
I was most interested in reading about her view of the conflict between herself and Randi Weingarten, because I'm nosy. I was actually a bit surprised at how tame she was, but Rhee manages to be relatively respectful. As she says, Weingarten does her job well - representing the union and getting them the best deal possible - but the only problem is that education isn't about adults, it's about kids. I also think it was important to include the details of Rhee's support of unions and her strong Democrat roots. She seamlessly relates those beliefs into the basic civil right of receiving an excellent education.
The only thing I wish she had gone more into was the training/support teachers would receive. She states that masters degrees for educators don't make better teachers; this seems completely logical to me, as just because I know more about history, or math, or literature, doesn't mean I know any better *how* to teach the subject in an engaging way. However, and she does state this, teachers now are expected to be social workers and counselors. It isn't just about conveying knowledge any more, or even about conveying knowledge in an engaging way. So, what exactly are the teachers who receive extra support getting? I wanted to know more details about that, because I agree that teachers would eagerly eat up extra training - depending on what that training is based around. If it had more of a social work/behavioral management emphasis, I'd be all for it, but unfortunately she doesn't describe it.
In terms of the writing, I wish it was better, and that'd she'd had a better editor. Near the end, the book becomes a bit muddled; she repeats things over and over, in different contexts, and I'm not sure how details are supposed to come together. It seems a bit stream of consciousness, and some readers may like the conversational tone. I just found myself at the end thinking, "This is all great stuff, but it needs to wrap up coherently now," and it never really did.
This is basically where you should start if you have no idea about how education "works" in our country. By that I mean, she's really good at explaining the systems of red tape and wastes of money that occur, and is excellent at getting into the "why" of our present state of education. I actually don't believe, when you read about those details, that what she's doing is even remotely radical. We're wasting money, and we're wasting time. She reiterates over and over that our system is based around adults, not kids, and frankly, that is the reason our kids can't read, do math, or think analytically. I also really appreciate her obsession with data (I believe I mention that in my Bee Eater review); if we know what works, we need to implement it ASAP, and eliminate any obstacles and barriers that present themselves. In addition, I sort of can't believe the system of being able to review schools online, with reviews of teachers and parents, as well as other vital information, isn't available already. Hopefully that will be one of the first things her organization takes care of.
I was most interested in reading about her view of the conflict between herself and Randi Weingarten, because I'm nosy. I was actually a bit surprised at how tame she was, but Rhee manages to be relatively respectful. As she says, Weingarten does her job well - representing the union and getting them the best deal possible - but the only problem is that education isn't about adults, it's about kids. I also think it was important to include the details of Rhee's support of unions and her strong Democrat roots. She seamlessly relates those beliefs into the basic civil right of receiving an excellent education.
The only thing I wish she had gone more into was the training/support teachers would receive. She states that masters degrees for educators don't make better teachers; this seems completely logical to me, as just because I know more about history, or math, or literature, doesn't mean I know any better *how* to teach the subject in an engaging way. However, and she does state this, teachers now are expected to be social workers and counselors. It isn't just about conveying knowledge any more, or even about conveying knowledge in an engaging way. So, what exactly are the teachers who receive extra support getting? I wanted to know more details about that, because I agree that teachers would eagerly eat up extra training - depending on what that training is based around. If it had more of a social work/behavioral management emphasis, I'd be all for it, but unfortunately she doesn't describe it.
In terms of the writing, I wish it was better, and that'd she'd had a better editor. Near the end, the book becomes a bit muddled; she repeats things over and over, in different contexts, and I'm not sure how details are supposed to come together. It seems a bit stream of consciousness, and some readers may like the conversational tone. I just found myself at the end thinking, "This is all great stuff, but it needs to wrap up coherently now," and it never really did.
September 20, 2013
I hate giving this one star because I feel like that suggests I disagree with her politics, but that's not the problem here. On politics, we probably agree more than we disagree, plus our backgrounds are fairly similar--did TFA, went to grad school, like statistics and research, ended up in ed policy, etc. The problem is that this book is really badly written and portrays her in a very ugly light. In fact, it's so badly written that I couldn't finish it. (Second time this year that I've dropped a book without finishing it. Perhaps I'm getting a little cranky in my late twenties?) I admired Michelle Rhee going into this, but now I can't get over the icky feeling that she's the Napoleon of ed reform. That's low praise for something she wrote about herself.
Rhee tries to portray herself as a humble individual working to remedy social justice issues, but every page drips with ego and underscores a lack of self-awareness and a surprising lack of integrity. The stories from her childhood that she describes as leadership are actually based in manipulation and could possibly be considered bullying. The story about making two buses full of classmates accept punishment for something she did should either end with, "But then I confessed my guilt to the principal and took responsibility for my actions" or "And I regret not having shown the courage and integrity that the situation demanded." Instead it ends with, I kid you not:
She also describes learning the lesson that firing someone without warning can scare the remaining employees into doing better work. Is it any wonder that she was not loved as a "leader" in DC?
For someone who takes offense at the way she was judged and discriminated against for being Korean, she sure is quick to lump people into easy categories and write them off as flat characters. The kid on the bus who won't give up his seat is "King of the Nerds." She calls the head of a major foundation "a jerk" and "a pain in the butt" after identifying him BY FIRST AND LAST NAME. (Seriously?) And I'm sorry, but describing Wendy Kopp's dance moves and how her bra strap kept falling down is neither kind nor remotely professional, not to mention irrelevant. Great leaders approach all people with a baseline of respect. Though Rhee speaks compassionately about disadvantaged students, that tone doesn't often extend to adults. She seems constitutionally incapable recognizing and respecting the inherent dignity of every person, no matter their age.
I'm all about truth bombs, strong women, and telling it like it is, but this autobiography severely damaged my impression of Rhee. The title itself (Radical: Fighting to Put Students First) hints at a belief in her own exceptionalism. The vast majority of people in education try to put students first; that idea is not radical. To me, this book is a testament to the fact that she has no legitimate claim to the moral high ground.
Reading (part of) this book cost me an icon, guys. What a shame.
Rhee tries to portray herself as a humble individual working to remedy social justice issues, but every page drips with ego and underscores a lack of self-awareness and a surprising lack of integrity. The stories from her childhood that she describes as leadership are actually based in manipulation and could possibly be considered bullying. The story about making two buses full of classmates accept punishment for something she did should either end with, "But then I confessed my guilt to the principal and took responsibility for my actions" or "And I regret not having shown the courage and integrity that the situation demanded." Instead it ends with, I kid you not:
"This kind of maneuvering became commonplace for
me. I would use my reputation as the good girl
to my advantage throughout my young adulthood."
(p. 16)
She also describes learning the lesson that firing someone without warning can scare the remaining employees into doing better work. Is it any wonder that she was not loved as a "leader" in DC?
For someone who takes offense at the way she was judged and discriminated against for being Korean, she sure is quick to lump people into easy categories and write them off as flat characters. The kid on the bus who won't give up his seat is "King of the Nerds." She calls the head of a major foundation "a jerk" and "a pain in the butt" after identifying him BY FIRST AND LAST NAME. (Seriously?) And I'm sorry, but describing Wendy Kopp's dance moves and how her bra strap kept falling down is neither kind nor remotely professional, not to mention irrelevant. Great leaders approach all people with a baseline of respect. Though Rhee speaks compassionately about disadvantaged students, that tone doesn't often extend to adults. She seems constitutionally incapable recognizing and respecting the inherent dignity of every person, no matter their age.
I'm all about truth bombs, strong women, and telling it like it is, but this autobiography severely damaged my impression of Rhee. The title itself (Radical: Fighting to Put Students First) hints at a belief in her own exceptionalism. The vast majority of people in education try to put students first; that idea is not radical. To me, this book is a testament to the fact that she has no legitimate claim to the moral high ground.
Reading (part of) this book cost me an icon, guys. What a shame.
April 11, 2013
First off I love Michelle Rhee. In DC, people either loved her or hated her. I love her for her grit and willingness to fight for a cause she was passionate about - improving public school education. I attended private schools in Washington, DC, but I saw how broken the public school system was in DC that I wasn't surprised I was surrounded by DC natives who chose to send their children to private schools. When Michelle Rhee arrived in DC as Chancellor, I remember how aggressively she approached education reform. I rthought "finally! DC will stop complaining because someone is fixing the system", but then so quickly politics and self-interests became roadblocks in Rhee's plans. With the help of then Mayor Adrian Fenty, some of her reforms passed and her aggressive firings of teachers and principals began. I love her because she was not afraid to stand up against DC politics and unions. She believed in her cause and did what she needed to do get rid of mediocre teachers and principals. DC is still not there yet, but she made people more aware of the problems. "Radical" is part autobiography and part manifesto of her mission to put students first. You get to learn about her Asian upbringing and her beginnings as a teacher, and then her current work as CEO of her advocacy group StudentsFirst. Of course, this is all her view and her experiences, but it's an interesting look into her life as an educator and the struggles and successes she has had in fulfilling her goals in education reform.
April 9, 2013
She's self-assured/she's cocky. She wants to reward excellent teachers/she hates teachers. She's a union buster. She a savior of education/she will destroy education. No one who has had the least brush with Michelle Rhee's opinions or actions is neutral about her, and I found myself waffling and wavering in my own opinion of her as I read this memoir by the former Chancellor of Washington, D.C.'s Public Schools and her vision of the American educational system -- both the despair and the hope.
Two points in the book stood out for me: first, her passion for kids, for students and for true education seems genuine, and second, I admire her courage in refusing to play politics -- either side -- and speaking what she sees as truth, whether or not it is politically-astute.
These days we are watching funding cuts in public education, the results of fill-in-the-bubble testing as academic Gospel, good teachers going unrewarded and bad teachers remaining employed, for-profit charters siphoning off public education money. Like the child who points out that the Emperor wears no clothes, Rhee is not afraid to say to us all, Hey! Forget the adults for a minute -- what about the kids???
Two points in the book stood out for me: first, her passion for kids, for students and for true education seems genuine, and second, I admire her courage in refusing to play politics -- either side -- and speaking what she sees as truth, whether or not it is politically-astute.
These days we are watching funding cuts in public education, the results of fill-in-the-bubble testing as academic Gospel, good teachers going unrewarded and bad teachers remaining employed, for-profit charters siphoning off public education money. Like the child who points out that the Emperor wears no clothes, Rhee is not afraid to say to us all, Hey! Forget the adults for a minute -- what about the kids???
September 18, 2013
A memoir by a leader of someone in DC public schools could be a really important book. This one, however, is really just a propaganda piece for Rhee's agenda. She could have really opened a window on her experiences, good and bad. But instead, she's the good guy, and the enemies (union heads) are caricature baddies. I don't mind most of what Rhee did as the chancellor of public schools: the media is none too kind to people trying to bring about change, so if Rhee doesn't show quick results, then she is marked for negative publicity. (Note: there has been a lot of talk and some evidence that cheating on testing has taken place under Rhee's watch. If that actually did happen, then I very much mind what she did.) I also thoroughly believe that her intentions were entirely dedicated to the children she served, even though I doubt that her "data driven" efforts are nearly as effective as she believes they are.
Anyway, a lame and silly book that could have been a masterpiece and been a useful resource for all sorts of people who are interested in education and local/urban politics.
Anyway, a lame and silly book that could have been a masterpiece and been a useful resource for all sorts of people who are interested in education and local/urban politics.
April 22, 2013
I was skeptical that I wouldn't like this book considering the controversial author and her even more controversial policies. While her writing is indicative of her personality and leadership style, she does make some salient, if oversimplified points. She is by no means a smooth politician, but perhaps that's what lends credence to her arguments about education reform. While I think much of her writing is blunt and oversimplified, as a former advocate, I recognize that she is a true believer and passionate about students and education reform for their sakes. Education policy is not my background, but living in DC and as a first generation Asian American, I enjoyed the background story in the book and the insight into the DC school system from her point of view.
March 11, 2016
Half biography and half manifesto, this book assumes that anyone who disagrees with Rhee's ideas does so because they are more motivated by adult interests than the good of the students. It fails to recognize that others may have differing views on what is best for students. It also minimized her failings as head of the DC schools. Still, it is interesting to see how her background including a year in Korea and balancing her rebel and traditional sides influenced her success.
2016 On re-reading this, the 2/3rd through her time in the DC schools was better than the part where she describes setting up StudentsFirst. It would also be a better book if Rhee admitted she could sometimes be wrong and that her opponents weren't acting out of selfish interests/personal enmity.
2016 On re-reading this, the 2/3rd through her time in the DC schools was better than the part where she describes setting up StudentsFirst. It would also be a better book if Rhee admitted she could sometimes be wrong and that her opponents weren't acting out of selfish interests/personal enmity.
March 7, 2013
Simple writing, not a piece of high quality literature. But it does provide a powerful message. I think her passion to put students first is felt through the entire book. She is a strong fighter. Her journey mentioned in the book is definitely inspiring for someone wanting to create change.
I wish she had given more details regarding the teacher evaluations, and the actual steps involved in undertaking education reform. I almost felt like she was trying very hard to get the readers to agree with her point of view and agenda. That makes the tone of narration come off as a bit too preach-y for my liking.
Regardless of your opinion of her, the books makes you think.
I wish she had given more details regarding the teacher evaluations, and the actual steps involved in undertaking education reform. I almost felt like she was trying very hard to get the readers to agree with her point of view and agenda. That makes the tone of narration come off as a bit too preach-y for my liking.
Regardless of your opinion of her, the books makes you think.
April 30, 2013
Good read, but a little heavy on the politics, even though I am also a democrat. She gives a great account of her upbringing, early years teaching, and career in the school system. I have a greater understanding of what she wanted to accomplish and why, though I'm still not sold that all of her decisions were the best ones. Great conversation starter. Enjoyed the personal stories to lighten up the heavy content. Would recommend, but be ready to take in a lot of political policy.
November 11, 2013
I just started working in education in DC, so it was good to hear a little bit about the recent history of the reform effort in the city. There are a lot of good things happening now that can be attributed back to Rhee's term as chancellor. However, the book itself was poorly written, vague, and all over the place. I wish the author went into more details on the issues. With the amount of name-dropping throughout the book you'd think this was an award acceptance speech.
April 15, 2013
First, I can't stand this lady and have long believed her to be a fraud. That being said, this book is flat out bad. What ideas does Ms. Rhee have beyond getting rid of bad teachers? She doesn't have any in this book. What about instruction? There's nothing in this about anything of substance. I'm still not sure how she knows who the bad teachers are after reading this.
February 8, 2013
This book read like a memoir of Ms. Rhee's career. I was hoping for more discourse on the practicalities of how to attain educational reform. I get that she is quite passionate about her subject, but so are many others and no one seems to know how to accomplish this feat.
February 24, 2013
This book got me thinking... we should never stop thinking. Also, I disagree vehemently. A great teacher is not the only nor the most important factor in a child's success in life. A supportive and nurturing home life is probably number 1.
March 14, 2018
When I was in high school, I took an AP Microeconomics class with a teacher who clearly didn't know the first thing about economics. A group of us went to the department chair to complain, and she responded by coming in to observe one of our classes, where she joked around with our teacher, who presented a very basic lesson that mostly involved us doing work on our own. We never got any further with our complaints. During one test I brought a question to the teacher because two different multiple choice answers were correct, and she didn't even understand enough economics to understand my question, so I had to sit there and go over the basic concepts with her, and she still didn't get it so she just told me — and the class — what the right answer was. About half of us had been signed up to take AP Macro with her the next semester and we all dropped the class. For all I know, she's probably still teaching there.
This was not an isolated incident at my school (I could tell you several more stories just from my own experience), and I was in an affluent district at a multimillion-dollar new high school. When I heard about students in Chicago Public Schools who were in crumbling buildings using textbooks that were decades old, I was aghast at just how fundamentally messed up our public education system was.
When I started working in higher education, I didn't understand the fury that was directed at student course evaluations, which became part of my job to coordinate. Department chairs weren't even allowed to consider student feedback as part of the tenure process. I understand not basing employment solely on student feedback, but why would you not want to at least factor in the viewpoints of those who have the most face-time with instructors and who are most impacted by the quality of their work? When I expressed this to a friend of mine who was a first-grade teacher, she explained how at the end of every day she had her students write down something they liked about the day and something they still had questions about. (I may be mis-remembering the exact phrasing.) First-graders! That's the sign of a good teacher, in my book: someone who actively seeks out feedback. And in fact, in my work I ran some numbers and determined that the instructors who had ever logged on to view their student course evaluations had higher overall ratings on average — no surprise to me!
I don't remember when I first heard about Michelle Rhee, but she's been a hero of mine for a long time. I can't wrap my mind around the unions who try to save teacher jobs at any cost, even teachers who are beyond incompetent and into the realm of abusive. I'm sickened by the caricaturization and demonization of Michelle Rhee by people who make broad generalizations about her work — like another book I recently abandoned midway through the prologue because the author lumped together a bunch of different organizations and implied that StudentsFirst is a right-wing think tank with a secret agenda to promote charter schools, which is so far from the truth it's just baffling. Rhee's critics have latched onto the smallest things to try to discredit and dismiss the whole of her work, and she addresses many of those things in this book — from the origin of the TIME cover with her holding a broom, to how she came (reluctantly at first) to support voucher programs, to why she works with politicians from both parties.
This is a fairly quick read, but it's comprehensive and well done. The first 70% is a relatively standard memoir, with each chapter highlighting a different part of Rhee's career, and then the last 30% outlines the different constituencies who are involved with and affected by her work. Anyone who regularly seeks out student and parent feedback, as she did as Chancellor of DC schools, has my respect, though I'm frankly baffled why this isn't more common. I understand that there is some dispute about whether Rhee's reforms actually had a lasting impact on academic achievement in DC, but I don't know how you fault her drive to ensure that supplies actually made it to teachers, school buildings got repaired in a timely manner, and teachers got appropriately compensated for the hard work they put in. At every step, she explains her thinking and clears up misconceptions about what she was doing and why, and what results she saw.
In addition to being a straight-shooting memoir, this book is a battle cry for parents, teachers, students, and politicians to use their voices to fight for every student to have a quality education. Even if you disagree with some of her methods, I can't imagine how you could disagree with her overall vision. This book is inspiring and motivating and a necessary read for anyone who cares about the quality of education in the U.S. (which should be every American).
This was not an isolated incident at my school (I could tell you several more stories just from my own experience), and I was in an affluent district at a multimillion-dollar new high school. When I heard about students in Chicago Public Schools who were in crumbling buildings using textbooks that were decades old, I was aghast at just how fundamentally messed up our public education system was.
When I started working in higher education, I didn't understand the fury that was directed at student course evaluations, which became part of my job to coordinate. Department chairs weren't even allowed to consider student feedback as part of the tenure process. I understand not basing employment solely on student feedback, but why would you not want to at least factor in the viewpoints of those who have the most face-time with instructors and who are most impacted by the quality of their work? When I expressed this to a friend of mine who was a first-grade teacher, she explained how at the end of every day she had her students write down something they liked about the day and something they still had questions about. (I may be mis-remembering the exact phrasing.) First-graders! That's the sign of a good teacher, in my book: someone who actively seeks out feedback. And in fact, in my work I ran some numbers and determined that the instructors who had ever logged on to view their student course evaluations had higher overall ratings on average — no surprise to me!
I don't remember when I first heard about Michelle Rhee, but she's been a hero of mine for a long time. I can't wrap my mind around the unions who try to save teacher jobs at any cost, even teachers who are beyond incompetent and into the realm of abusive. I'm sickened by the caricaturization and demonization of Michelle Rhee by people who make broad generalizations about her work — like another book I recently abandoned midway through the prologue because the author lumped together a bunch of different organizations and implied that StudentsFirst is a right-wing think tank with a secret agenda to promote charter schools, which is so far from the truth it's just baffling. Rhee's critics have latched onto the smallest things to try to discredit and dismiss the whole of her work, and she addresses many of those things in this book — from the origin of the TIME cover with her holding a broom, to how she came (reluctantly at first) to support voucher programs, to why she works with politicians from both parties.
This is a fairly quick read, but it's comprehensive and well done. The first 70% is a relatively standard memoir, with each chapter highlighting a different part of Rhee's career, and then the last 30% outlines the different constituencies who are involved with and affected by her work. Anyone who regularly seeks out student and parent feedback, as she did as Chancellor of DC schools, has my respect, though I'm frankly baffled why this isn't more common. I understand that there is some dispute about whether Rhee's reforms actually had a lasting impact on academic achievement in DC, but I don't know how you fault her drive to ensure that supplies actually made it to teachers, school buildings got repaired in a timely manner, and teachers got appropriately compensated for the hard work they put in. At every step, she explains her thinking and clears up misconceptions about what she was doing and why, and what results she saw.
In addition to being a straight-shooting memoir, this book is a battle cry for parents, teachers, students, and politicians to use their voices to fight for every student to have a quality education. Even if you disagree with some of her methods, I can't imagine how you could disagree with her overall vision. This book is inspiring and motivating and a necessary read for anyone who cares about the quality of education in the U.S. (which should be every American).
July 2, 2025
When Michelle Rhee stepped into the role of DCPS Chancellor, I was a third-grade student on the opposite side of the country. Fast forward seventeen years, and I’m now early in my education reform career, looking to answer the following questions: How did we get here? How do we move forward? Radical answered many of these questions and provides a comprehensive overview of reform and its battles—accountability, teacher evaluation, school closures—that still define the present-day work to improve public education. Some places have implemented major reforms; others have repealed such reforms or given up entirely. Still, the work of Michelle Rhee remains relevant and applicable. If anything, the outcomes of public education in America have worsened and if we want change, we must be radical.
“Why am I a radical? Because in order to live up to our promise as a nation, we cannot rest until we provide a quality education for all of our children. If America is truly going to be the land of equal opportunity, we have to provide that opportunity to every single child, regardless of where they live, what color they are, and what their parents do.”
“Why am I a radical? Because in order to live up to our promise as a nation, we cannot rest until we provide a quality education for all of our children. If America is truly going to be the land of equal opportunity, we have to provide that opportunity to every single child, regardless of where they live, what color they are, and what their parents do.”
June 6, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book. As someone who is passionate about public education and also a future teacher, I really enjoyed the topic. The beginning of the book was the best part. For the first 80 pages or so, I couldn’t put it down. However, as the book continued, I felt that she was speeding through some pretty big parts of her life, not giving enough detail, or naming a bunch of people that did not really have any significance to the plot or book. There was a lot of points I felt her words lacked depth. Towards the end, I was beginning to get bored, as it seemed to get pretty repetitive. I felt she would constantly repeat the same thing about what needs to be done in reform, or justify why she did something controversial. Despite this, I really think Rhee is a powerful woman and force in education. I just wish her book reflected that.
September 22, 2021
I started this book before I went to get my teaching degree and finished it as I am student teaching. First, this book is mainly just a retelling of all the “awesome” accomplishment she made in her career and the famous people she met. Second, some of her arguments are good like every student deserves a quality educator. However I disagree with many of her solutions like vouchers for private schools because we all know how white flight effects schools and vouchers just makes that worse. Lastly, she argues that budgets could be cut in most schools especially when it comes to paying for higher degrees. You wanna know why teachers bother to go get higher degrees? Cause it’s the only way to get a decent raise or income in almost every state. She does argue teachers should be rewarded for their successes but her idea of success is solely on test results which plays into systemic racism.
June 25, 2021
I highly recommend this book. As a public school teacher, it resonated with what I see happening in our schools. It was also very inspiring to hear that one great teacher can change the trajectory of students. Lately, I have felt discouraged over the lack of parent involvement or the traumatic home life of students. Knowing that I can make a difference has inspired me to bring my best to school every day. Thanks for being so radical, Michelle.
July 17, 2017
Michelle has a very straightforward point of view on education in America, that all our decisions should be based on what is best for the student. By doing that she has made a mark in the lives of thousands of students. I like her aggressive, no-nonsense style of both writing and advocating. If you care about education in America, you should read this book.
May 1, 2018
Very well done book on the first chancellor of the Washington D.C school system. The story flows nicely, heavy with details so specific you wonder if she kept information to plan a book. Educators will find the premise of how important it is to a students’ success to have qualified teachers at the helm.
December 6, 2018
In her tenure as chancellor of the DC schools, Rhee was often in the news - then things got somewhat quiet for her. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and expect to hear more of her. Would it only come to pass that Fairfax County, Virginia, could avail itself of such a reformer for its out-0f-control school system.
May 17, 2021
I really loved Michelle Rhee in the documentary “Waiting for Superman”, so I was super excited to read her book. Her approach to education reform was somewhat controversial, but I really appreciate her perspective and would be interested to see the long-term effects that her policy has had on DC public schools.
March 26, 2019
Educational and enjoyable read
She kept my attention by telling her story and interweaving her philosophies. She makes compelling arguments. She left a few arguments unaddressed but overall a good read.
She kept my attention by telling her story and interweaving her philosophies. She makes compelling arguments. She left a few arguments unaddressed but overall a good read.
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