Teachbad Watches Rhee Frontline Documentary
Which sounds better?
1) I’m going to dig up your grandfather and rape him; or
2) I’m going to dig up your grandfather and rape him for the kids.
While they both give me pause, I think #2 sounds way better. Let’s see if we can figure out why.
What the two propositions have in common is the stated intent to perform a controversial act of necrophilia. (“Controversial” is perhaps redundant here.) The key difference between them is the addition of the propositional phrase for the kids at the end of #2.
Let’s put the kids first. What do they need? This isn’t about your grandfather and what he and I might want or consent to even if we were both alive. None of that. This is about the kids. Maybe we should open up our minds for once; stop being so selfish and afraid. Stand up and fight. As Cameron bravely declared in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, “I gotta take a stand”. Not everybody is going to think digging up grandpa and raping him is a good idea. But if it would help the kids, maybe we should take a second look. I’d be inclined to support it.
This was the first thing I noticed about the Frontline documentary about Michelle Rhee. As long as she says it’s for the kids, and she says it constantly, it must be ok. It’s amazing how easily that phrase diminishes the opposition because they immediately find themselves on the defensive, having to explain either why they are against kids or would want to stop someone who is trying to help them.
This rhetorical device has been used in nearly every argument ever made. It’s especially useful in political arguments when you need lots of people to think what you want is a good idea and you know they’ll never take the time to understand it themselves.
Every time Republicans want to reduce taxes on billionaires, it’s because it will create middle-class jobs. Good jobs, here in America. So that hard-working moms and dads in the heartland and in our great cities can have their shot at the American dream and pass that dream on to their kids and grand kids. Every time Democrats want to increase Pell grants it’s to help a single mom with four kids and three jobs who stays up late helping her kids with their homework and hopes someday to be a nurse so that she can give back. (She had a devoted husband who was the father of all four of her kids and he wasn’t killed in a drug deal gone bad but from smoke inhalation rescuing orphans in a fire.)
We make the argument that is most broadly sympathetic and is at least plausible. In the list of best mass-sympathetic causes, helping kids to learn (or achieve or succeed) is a pretty good one. It’s right in between helping our seniors live with dignity so that old people can afford their pills and don’t have eat cat food and saving the family farm so that small-town values aren’t destroyed and we don’t have to import all our food from North Korea.
It’s powerful and Rhee uses it effectively. What’s the name of her new organization again? Oh, yeah…Students First. Okay…we get it. You are inoculated from any bad idea, however poorly executed, because you are doing it for kids.
The second thing I was reminded of watching the documentary was her unique combination of talent and circumstances in this weird city. She had it all.
1) The mayor gave her a tremendous amount of power and political cover that astounded and outraged the city council who just gave her more. In a stroke of political genius, she is Asian. She cut right through the perpetual black-white pissing match that has come to define most of politics in this city. She steam-rolled all of the old-school, second- and third-generation Civil Rights hangers-on and wannabes on the city council and in the teachers’ union. She blind-sided the white people on the city council by not being a second- or third-generation Civil Rights hanger-on or wannabe;
2) She has confidence, smarts, ambition and nerves of steel. Never underestimate how far that can go. Study these things in others and cultivate them in yourself.
In a generic sort of raw talent observational way, I truly do admire and respect her. I only wish she was also honest and used her power for good rather than evil.
On a final note, shortly before the documentary came out, I wrote and performed a song about Michelle Rhee. Now, after watching the documentary, I’d say I nailed it.
Great observation. Country, religion and family are used similarly in our society. Question everything.
Maybe I should watch this documentary too but I’m afraid of puking all over myself. NO ONE dares confront her with the reality of what she’s saying. You totally nailed it. You can’t argue with someone who continually says it’s “for the kids” without sounding like an A*hole.
Really sucks.
Great Post, Peter.
Thanks for the laughs and your clever insight into Michelle,the only person in the universe who really cares about “the Kids” and not the millions that she has accrued by doing so. You Rock!!
Reminds me of a stand-up performance by George Carlin. The show was titled “You Are All Diseased”. He stated that we have a “child fetish” in this country and you know what…he’s right.
It’s out of control. Guess who’s been pushed to the side? Yup. Grandmothers, grandfathers….the elderly. Anyway, here are 2 different acts, same subject…CHILDREN!!!!
Both videos should support both audio AND video learners! ;O)
Seriously, both are absolutely priceless and 100% on the mark.
Makes me so damn happy I spent my childhood during a non-pampering time. Thank God.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNcgTMpcgn0
Wouldn’t you love to put George and Michelle in the same room for a week? Imagine the collegial dialogue that would take place there. Now that’s a screen play I would green light.
Mr. Conductor at his best!
She may have ambition and confidence, not so sure about the smart part. Every time I hear an interview with that woman she sounds like an idiot. Possibly the most over-rated self-proclaimed education expert out there (other than Arne Duncan).
WORTH A LOOK.. MAYBE THIS EXPLAINS THE SITUATION… DR. KEN ROBINSON…
Whenever we’re explaining to someone without kids in our (urban, Broad/Gatesified) district some horror that has been visited upon us by the likes of her, they always come up with some reasonable question about why anyone would do these crazy things.
My husband fixes them with a stare and asks, “Why do you hate the children?”
It’s basically what concerned parents and teachers are told every time they dare to question the insanity. And it’s so useful, because very few people with any interest in education have a good answer to that question. It confuses them, knocks them back a bit, to be accused of hating all children just because you think, say, that group work before anything has been taught might be premature. Or that closing a successful school to open a bad, segregated one is a grand idea.
Why do you hate the kids?
I am a teacher who lives and teaches near but not in the district who arrived in town about the same time as Rhee. At the time the media’s coverage of her “reform efforts” seemed to focus mostly on firing “bad” teachers and encouraging others to give up tenure. The rest was pretty vague but the general tone seemed to be “well, she’s controversial, but at least she is doing something.”
So here is my question: What are some specific decisions/actions/policies that Rhee implemented that you think were terrible and is there something to be said for the fact that her tenure in DC at least put the school system in the spotlight and forced people to pay attention to a bad situation.
(To be clear, I am not arguing in any way that she was a good person, or good at her job, or anything, I am just genuinely curious about why people who actually worked under her hate her so universally. Also, yes, I should be more informed about these things and I could take the time to do some research, but, frankly, I don’t want to hear what the washington post says I want to know what YOU, the teachers in the Rhee trenches, have to say.)
Thank you
DC is to Dallas as Michelle is to Mike Miles. Love the “Why do you hate children?” Mind if we steal it?
Even Reverend Lovejoy’s wife on the Simpsons is known for using the “what about the children,” plea. The IRONY is that the adults have handed over the keys to the kids as if they know better than adults. Rather than passing on the cultures values to their children, they have let Madison avenue and Hollywood do it instead. The squeeky wheels of some of the most dysfunctional families get to influence school activity because they put so much stock in anything their “snowflake” says.
Amen, sister. Amen
Or, brother. Either way, amen.
answers: “I hate kids, therefore I teach” or “I teach, therefore I hate kids” cause-effect is in there somewhere, I’m sure of it.
Oh heavens, yes. Whenever my students ask why they have to do something distasteful, like actual math, I respond, “Because we hate you.” No comeback from that. It’s February, so I don’t even have to say it. I can get a chorus to answer.
I’m sorry, but I cannot endorse this article. You didn’t mention a thing about the troops. They are thousands of miles away from home and they are fighting for your freedom. If you’re not for the troops, you must be against the troops AND that means you hate freedom as well!
MTB : Would you kindly direct me to Rhee’s effective teacher data that she is using to support the argument that the teacher is the one factor that matters?
She was on Ron Stewart tonight hawking her new book. He went after her in a jovial way, and her blame the teacher philosophy.
I really listened and she sounds rational. She is a truth twisting fraud and you need to write a book and go on TV too.
Hi Teach Bad,
Great post. I have a question to ask.I recently started a DC education blog with a friend. It voices the perspective of a DCPS teacher and a DCPS parent. Do you have advice or can you help us get the word out about our blog?
There is a recent post about Rhee on the Daily Sow. Please check it out. We welcome the advice.
http://www.truthfromthetrenches.posterous.com