Seattle Schools Community Forum

Short film competition at MOHAI - open to all ages - History is  ________ .    Submissions through March 31.   There are several youth awards for students 17 and younger. Shout out to MAP boycott leader (and Garfield teacher) Jesse Hagopian for his appearance in Seattle Met's "Perfect Party" group.  (See page 28 of the March issue.)  I appeared on one of these lists but I was grouped with Eddie Vedder so I was very happy. Remember I was questioning why the Chief Communications Officer at Starbucks, Blair Taylor, was the moderator for the Michelle Rhee talk at Townhall?  As I previously mentioned, she handpicked him to do it.  (And as someone who has done a few of these things, I have rarely seen a guest be allowed to pick their interviewer.) Starbucks media did get back to me and said that Mr. Taylor did this on his own.  I pointed out that the press release only mentioned his affiliation with Starbucks and NOT that he sits...

Many seem to think that the criticism of Michelle Rhee has to do with her personal style of presentation of her ideas.  She herself has said she had a "PR" problem in D.C.   I would agree that she can be off-putting.  (I even find a little of myself in her as she and I have a tendency to get to the point in a blunt manner that can be hard on others who prefer a gentler nuanced delivery.)  In the Frontline special on her, she says even her mother thought her too cold as a child and said that maybe her new job was just right for her because she needed that coldness.  (I sense in Rhee and her background that blunt talk was the order of the day.) Here's my thread on that show. But, in the end, it is not Rhee, it's her ideas.   And she certainly is the poster child for ed reform and there was no surprise that Time Magazine put her on the cover for that reason. But let's break this down.  First, what has she truly accomplished that gives her the ...