241 Washington school teachers fired, 165 for poor evaluations

Washington - The education community in Washington D.C. was in shock today after learning that the Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee was dismissing 241 teachers, of which 165 of those had received poor appraisals under a new evaluation system.

The Washington Postreports that this system, for the first time, holds educators accountable for student improvement on standardized test scores. The other 76 teachers were fired because there were problems with their licenses. Rhee, in her announcement of the firings and the new IMPACT evaluation program, said:

"Every child in a District of Columbia public school has a right to a highly effective teacher -- in every classroom, of every school, of every neighborhood, of every ward, in this City. That is our commitment. Today . . . we take another step toward making that commitment a reality."

This is a rare step being taken by Rhee. Dismissals tied to performance are very rare in any school system nationwide. The Washington Teachers' Union says that it will contest the terminations. Rhee's actions are likely to set off a political firestorm in the district. D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, who is challenging Mayor Adrian M. Fenty in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary, says he isn't committed to keeping Rhee if he's elected. And he has made her tough management style part of his critique of Fenty's education policy. On Friday, Gray said he "

wanted to look further at the basis for the dismissals" before making conclusions. There is still controversy regarding IMPACT"

As for the incumbent Fenty, he had this to say regarding the dismissals

"As Mayor, I will not sit still, and I will not be satisfied until a highly effective teacher is in every classroom. Today's action puts us one step closer to that goal."

Looking at the big picture, the teachers dismissed for poor performance represent only about 4 percent of the entire city's 4,000-members. But more firings could be coming. Rhee announced Friday that 737 other instructors were rated "minimally effective." Under IMPACT, they will be given one year to improve their performance or face dismissal. The dismissals are said to be part of Rhee's efforts to assert more control over how D.C. teachers are managed, compensated and removed from their jobs. They also place the school system at the head of a national movement, encouraged in part by the Obama administration's $4.3 billion "Race to the Top" grant competition, intended to more rigorously assess teachers' effectiveness.