Dive Summary:
- Michelle Rhee, the former head of public schools in Washington, D.C., spoke at a screening of the film “Won’t Back Down” at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., saying education reform is “going to require teachers steeling themselves up and getting ready for a fight.”
- The event was sponsored by Rhee's StudentsFirst organization and the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which was founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
- "We Won't Back Down" stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as the mother of a dyslexic daughter who has problems with a teacher at school.
From the article:
Former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee called for classroom teachers unhappy with the system to brace themselves for battle. She spoke during a panel following the showing of “Won’t Back Down,” a film to be released this fall about a parent and teacher fighting to take over a failing school.
“There is a difference in my mind between teacher union leadership and rank-and-file teachers,” she said, adding that most teachers got into the profession wanting to have a positive impact. Fixing problems, she said, is “going to require teachers steeling themselves up and getting ready for a fight.” ...