Tournament scrapbook - World Schools Debating Championships

WSDC 2008
12/3/08 9:52 AM
Convener Phyllis Hirth
Some of what happened at the opening banquet at WSDC 2008
was to be expected. The fellowship was hearty and genuine and
the food was excellent. We were warmly welcomed by convener
Phyllis Hirth and executive Chris Erskine. But there were surprises
in store for all.
Michelle Rhee was one of those surprises. She
is the chancellor of the DC Public Schools
system. She gave a remarkable speech in that
she acknowledged that she led one of the worst
school systems in the nation and faces huge
challenges, but she noted that her first priority
was improving teacher quality in the system.
She talked about the bad conditions in DC
schools and acknowledged that ceilings were
literally falling in. She acknowledged that she was in the presence
of many future world leaders and asked them to remember that a
quality education with quality teachers has to be the foundation of
national and community development. Her remarks were
unscripted but excellent, and she showed outstanding public
speaking ability. An incredibly busy person, she had delayed
picking up her two young children so that she could be the
keynote speaker at WSDC 2008.
Here is her bio:
Chancellor Michelle Rhee was appointed by Mayor Adrian Fenty June
12, 2007. She leads D.C. Public Schools, a district numbering 50,000
students and 144 schools. In the Mayor’s search for a change agent
for schools in the District, experts in education recommended Ms.
Rhee, who had already transformed many urban public school
systems through her work with The New Teacher Project (TNTP).
Chancellor Joel Klein, whose work in New York City’s public schools is
a model for effective change, said of her appointment that it was “the
choice D.C. needs, given that, year in and year out, they have not
gotten results.” Results drive the Chancellor every day. Whether she
is developing effective measurements to track student achievement
and teacher quality; talking with principals and teachers in one-onone
meetings; developing new measures to hold herself and staff
accountable for their roles in student achievement; traveling
throughout the community to engage parents and other stakeholders
in our schools; establishing partnerships with neighborhood
organizations; meeting with business leaders as she transforms a
broken organizational structure into one that works for students and
families; or ensuring that needed repairs are completed to create
physical learning environments serve students, Chancellor Rhee’s
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