Chancellor Michelle Rhee officially announced her resignation Wednesday morning.
“We have agreed together that the best way to keep the reform going is for this reformer to step down,” said Rhee, calling the departure a “mutual decision” between presumptive Mayor-elect Vince Gray and her.
But she won’t stop reforming: “My goal is to continue to serve the children of this nation,” said Rhee, who first will take some time off and visit her fiance in Sacramento after she steps down at the end of October.
However, Rhee added that “the thought of not being in this role is heartbreaking,” noting the “blood, sweat, and tears” she has put into the D.C. school system.
Gray took credit for the appointment of Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson as interim chancellor, saying, “I asked [Mayor] Adrian Fenty to appoint Kaya” and calling her “an outstanding public servant.”
When asked if Henderson would continue the controversial school reforms set forth by Rhee — most notably, the evaluations used to identify and fire underperforming teachers — Rhee answered, “All of the reforms can continue as planned.”
Because she had a contract, Rhee is expected to receive a severance package, but no one would comment on how large a sum she would receive.
Henderson declined to comment on whether she would like to stay on as a long-term chancellor.
