Former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee will join Florida Republican Governor-elect Rick Scott’s education transition team, ending months of speculation as to where the former D.C. schools chancellor will bring her bold reforms and take-no-prisoners attitude.
It was not clear Thursday night what role Rhee would serve under Scott, but her name topped his 18-person education team list.
Rhee negotiated a groundbreaking contract with the Washington Teachers’ Union that increased salaries, effectively ended tenure, and allowed her to fire 165 teachers rated highly ineffective during classroom observations. She resigned the top D.C. schools post after her boss, Mayor Adrian Fenty, lost the Democratic mayoral primary to union-endorsed Vincent Gray, a vocal critic of Rhee’s autocratic leadership style.
As late as Wednesday night, Rhee maintained that she had not made up her mind as to her next career move. Scott’s office could not be reached for comment.
