The new Michelle Rhee? Kaya Henderson becomes new DC School Chancellor

Kay Henderson was announced yesterday as the new Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools. 

Michelle Rhee speaks about life post- DC public schools

Newsweek

Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of the Washington, DC public school system, recently talked to the Associated Press about her time reforming DC's trouble schools and her plans for her new organization, "StudentsFirst."

"I definitely think we did not do as good a job communicating as we could have," Rhee acknowledges.

Rhee wants her organization to support states and school districts adopting policies that enhance the teaching profession. Rhee argues that 50 percent of a teacher's evaluation should be based on measurable student achievement growth. She said a teacher's contribution to the community should also be taken into account.

Rhee says that Students First, in the long term, could bring resources to districts willing to adopt the organization's agenda. It will also work on informing people on education policy topics that effect many families.

"These policies are a major disruption to the status quo," Rhee says. "But at the same time, we believe it's really hard to argue against the things that we are pushing."

Read the rest of the eye opening article at the Washington Post.

Elle Magazine's DC Power List

Elle / Daniel King

Elle/Daniel King

   

Elle Magazine created its inaugural list of the most powerful women in Washington, DC. I loved this piece because it highlighted so many women that we love and highlight here at The Political Girl. Here they are listed below.  Check out Elle.com to see the interviews and amazing photos they captured of the ladies. I really hope this is not a one time list but a new staple for DC politicos. Pictured are Jaci Reed and Dana Perino, but the rest of the list is below.

11 Women to Watch in 2011

At the beginning of the 2010 election cycle, many commentators and pundits believed that this was the year to run as a woman. We saw a record number of women run and a lot of excitement around their candidacy. Yet after the midterm elections were over and done, we saw the numbers for women in Congress not increase since 1987! Despite those odds, we are keeping our eyes on a couple of women who could do amazing things in 2011. Here are our 11 Women to Watch in 2011.

Terri Sewell - freshman Congresswoman out of Alabama, is the first African American woman to be elected from the state. With the same pedigree as the First Lady Michelle Obama, undergraduate degree from Princeton and law degree from Harvard University, she is definitely one to watch.

Kirsten Gillibrand - after lobbying successfully for the passage of the 9/11 Act and repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", this freshman senator solidified herself as a force to be reckoned with. And after winning her election by a landslide this past November, she proved that she deserved to walk in Hillary Clinton's footsteps.

Elizabeth Warren - recently featured on the Political Girl for her photo opt in Vogue, she was recently appointed by President Obama to as Assistant to the President and Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection, she is charged with protecting the American people for another failure of the Wall Street banks.

Kamala Harris - the newly elected District Attorney of California is already making the media rounds with a profile in Politico and an upcoming spread in Harper's Bazaar, however she has made it clear that her first priority is keeping the residents of California safe.

Michelle Rhee - When she stormed into Washington, DC 3 years ago she had the city buzzing by firing hundreds of students and closing over 20 schools. With the defeat of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty in September, she decided to leave the post and recently announced on Oprah that she was starting Students First, an organization to support student reform around the country.

 


Find out who else made the list by clicking below!