Hear Michelle Rhee Speak at AU on Wednesday, March 2

Michelle Rhee will speak at American University on Wednesday, March 2 at 6:30 pm. Watch the documentary Waiting for Superman followed by a discussion with former chancellor of DC public schools Michelle Rhee, founder and CEO of StudentsFirst. The event is sponsored by the AU campus chapter of the Roosevelt Institute. The event is free and open to the public in the Ward Building (just off Ward Circle), Room 1. Free parking is available at the Katzen Arts Center and in the Nebraska/New Mexico Avenue parking lot.

Poll: Is Firing Teachers Necessary to Reform DC Public Schools?

The new education documentary Waiting for Superman makes the case that one of the crucial tools for effective education reform is the ability to fire weak teachers. Michelle Rhee is celebrated in the movie for doing exactly that. What's your take on this issue? Leaving aside the matter of whether Mayor-to-be Vincent Gray should retain or replace Chancellor Rhee, should he support the continuation of the policy that Michelle Rhee introduced?  Vote in our poll. You can vote whether or not you have seen Waiting for Superman, but we would like to encourage everyone to see the movie and discuss it here.

You are welcome to add your comments below.

Washington Tweets

by Bill Adler

Washington tweets. A lot. The Washington Tweets column is a collection of the most interesting, recent Washington-area tweets. These tweets reveal a candid and fascinating portrait of what is on our collective minds: Twitter gives a snapshot of what we're doing, thinking and hoping for as a group. Washington Tweets is Washington in the raw and appears on www.cleveland-park.com and www.alllifeislocal.com. Bill Adler tweets at @billadler.

Dear Mother Nature, please return this weather to Seattle. Sincerely, Washington, D.C.

Kudos to the organizers of Cleveland Park Day #DC, was a great community event. Yes I'll most definitely help organize next year's festival!

I hate that Michelle Rhee gets such a bad rep, I think the leader of the teachers union is full of crap.

Should Michelle Rhee Stay or Go?

Should Michelle Rhee stay or go? Although Michelle Rhee by her recent statements seems very likely to leave her post as chancellor of the DC public school system the minute Adrian Fenty is no longer at the helm, is that a good thing or a bad thing for the future of the schools? Vote in the poll on All Life Is Local to voice your opinion. If you wish there were a way to induce Michelle Rhee to stay on and continue her program of school reform, vote yes. If you’re glad to see the end of her reign, vote no.