Michelle Rhee and Students First
In the past week I've received two unsolicited email messages "signed" by Michelle Rhee on behalf of some group called "Students First". You know Michelle Rhee of "Waiting for superman...", former chancellor of the DC schools. Queen of soundbites.I'll leave the blow-by-blow rebuttal of her craptastic plans for "improving" education (just send me $10 - are you kidding me?) for another post. Just suffice it to say I disagree vehemently with her hypothesis that everything wrong with public education today stems from professional educators, and more specifically professional educators who have been teaching for quite a while.The first mail message was sent to my school/work address and thanked me for participation in the 6-word essay contest. Sorry, not me. So the question is, since I have absolutely no interest in "joining with" Michelle Rhee to save our best teachers from those old experienced ones - like me? - how in the heck did she get my address. Please tell me that the Commonwealth did not sell teacher email addresses to this organization.The second email with the subject heading "Working For Reform In Westford" was a real jolt. Now if I haven't opted in to this organization's email messages, I surely have not given out my HOME town. And frankly, working for reform in Westford -- my hometown is an affluent suburb and routinely performs well on the state testing criteria - is a kind of puzzlement. Ms. Rhee, what exactly are you planning to "reform", or should I say more accurately what consulting services do you hope to sell?What bothered me about this? Well, it is pretty creepy to get targeted email that you did not solicit. This is not exactly in the same league as browsing on a website for fashion and getting a bunch of pop ups on the side of a search page. How absolutely bush league this effort is - not exactly the accepted practice of most service marketing!Michelle Rhee is a opportunist and she is selling something. She is not the answer to education's ills. I'll be keeping my ten dollars. Right in my wallet.