D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s resigning and Vincent Gray’s replacing her with a school reform-minded, experienced and black interim chancellor could not have played better politically for the soon-to-be mayor.
With Rhee gone, D.C. Council Chairman Gray can breathe a bit easier; the constant questioning of her role in his likely future administration is over, and so is Rhee’s ability to undercut him by saying things like Gray’s victory in the Democratic mayoral primary was “devastating” to the District’s children.
And it gets better for the chairman. By replacing Rhee with her second-in-command, Gray has sent a message to the affluent, white Rhee-backing voters who opposed him that he’s serious about continuing with the reforms Rhee set in motion while also placating the mostly black voters who wanted Rhee’s head and heavily supported Gray in the primary against Mayor Adrian Fenty.
“Many people in the city wanted Rhee to leave; they got what they wanted,” said community and Democratic activist Peter Rosenstein. “Many other people wanted aggressive education reform to continue, and they got what they wanted.”
Henderson comes with little baggage. She has played a key role in handling the teachers union contracts, while also remaining out of the limelight.
She also comes with an added bonus as a black woman playing a prominent role in the transition to a Gray administration and possibly beyond.
“Fenty was sometimes criticized for not having enough African-Americans in high-profile positions,” said political consultant Chuck Thies, noting that Gray likely didn’t pick Kaya Henderson because she was black, but rather because she’s qualified and fits the reform characteristics the chairman says he supports.
Henderson’s promotion, he said, “elevates an African-American and for people for whom that’s important, that’s a good thing.”
