Rick Scott's Education Adviser Caught Up in Cheating Scandal

By Michael Cohen Fri., Apr. 8 2011 at 4:12 PM

Despite the rising contempt for Gov. Rick Scott, this one kind of flew under the radar. With the exception of the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, our local media outlets seem determined not to notice that the credibility of Gov. Scott's education adviser has been grossly undermined by a cheating scandal.

Michelle Rhee, the nationally adored star of the documentary Waiting for Superman and staunch proponent of corporatized education reform, built her reputation by lifting test scores at low-performing D.C. schools while she served as chancellor. Now, the scores that built Rhee's credibility appear to be part of widespread test fraud that occurred during her tenure, according to USA Today.

Rhee's theory, which essentially moves schools toward privatization, became immensely popular among politicians and bodes well with Scott's privatizing zealotry.

As D.C. chancellor, Rhee doled out about $1.5 million in bonuses to principals and teachers of schools that showed significant improvements in student test scores. But the USA Today piece revealed that scores from these schools had tremendously high levels of "erasures," basically meaning that the wrong answer was frequently erased and changed to the correct answer.

Amid the revelations, education expert Diane Ravitch blasted Rhee in a column on the Daily Beast.

Her theory seemed to be that if she pushed incentives and sanctions hard enough, the scores would rise. Her theory was right, the scores did rise, but they didn't represent genuine learning. She incentivized desperate behavior in principals and teachers trying to save their jobs and meet their targets and comply with their boss' demands.

And it was only a few weeks ago that Scott signed SB 736, which ties teachers' pay to students' performance on standardized tests.

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Tags:

Michelle Rhee, privatization, Rick Scott, school

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Angela Foster

Yes. Time to remove Governor Voldemort for a multitude of reasons. And this is a great one since he screwed the teachers.

Mirriah56

I for one am a Republican but I do NOT vote along party lines. I did NOT vote for Scott. His background and Medicaid fraud schemes sent a red alert, then came his promise to lower property taxes- huh Governor Scott how in heck do you plan on paying for my son's education? Property taxes is the biggest way we pay not only for education but funding emergency services. Are you that blind or just plain stupid? As for what happened with our teachers. I understand that you want to get rid of those who cannot teach and I applaud you and the legislation for that idea. However, you idiot you and your legislative cohorts went about it the WRONG way. What you have done is to cause good teachers to retire early and those of us who on becoming teachers are looking elsewhere in the USA for jobs. I know, I'm in the middle- as a parent I demand the best for my son's education, as a substitute teacher and a student teacher I am getting my MA degree because the high school students which I've been in contact with as a teacher have begged me to get my certification and come back to them. By God man, do you think that it is easy for us to teach? You're on teaching councilor couldn't even make it in an elementary school. She lacks the training, the brains to do the job and you've put her in charge over us that can? Come step into our shoes for 1 month- find out what it's like! Sit there in the classroom and try to reach EVERY student that you have. Many won't even try because as they say "I'm bored, why do I need an education? Why should I go onto college or a tech school?" or as you encourage them to work they socialize more than work because their girl crazy or boy crazy! How do you redirect them is the age old question. Privatization is not the answer and that's what you want. Our country sits 25th out of 50 countries when it comes to science and math - our state sits at # 50. Why? Because we've not encouraged the students, we've gotten away from some of the basic rules of teaching- read, write and math. Answer my questions and please don't give me rhetorical answers. After 30 years of working for the government from city to federal level I've heard them all. You've basically single handly destroyed our state- and you've only been in office 4 months! What will you do to us in the next 3 years?

Vike1

Ric Scott pled the fifth admendmant 70 plus times in a hearing and he is our governor? Supreme Court, Obama, George W! Someone stop the madness! As a super Republican voter I am now Independent! All the Republican gains made in the last election are gone because the Republican party went chasing rainbows aka Tea Party. I find myself for the first time in my life leaning democratic! Sorry dad and grand pa but the Republicans sold out. Everyone seeing this MUST analyze their representatives and act accordingly.

Vike1

This is like Alice in Wonderland how did this jackass come to position? I ask everyone to pay attention to this guy and burn down anyone who alliances with him> We have to rebuild our whole government after this enema governor.

jc13

Yes...Scott def. supports all the cheaters as he is one himself..takes one to know one!!!!

Skinner_paulette

The problem Scott will face is he will not have the money to the bonuses. Best to believe, there is big incentive to cheat. Cheat or lose your job. On well, that's how the Florida is being run.

KennyPowersSays

The uncaptioned photo, accompanying this article, is way creepy. Skeletor seems to be lusting over his little Asian doll. Is she singing or preaching in that photo?

BTW, erasures for bonus , is no way to run an education system.

R. D. M.

they need to go back and check the scores of her classes when she taught

Michael Galvin

Another reason to not encourage for profit administration of critical public functions.

Expert.... NOT

Michelle Rhee claims to be the voice that America's children deserve a better education. Fact is, when she was in the classroom, her behavior was borderline child abuse, and certainly would have resulted in the firing of any Florida educator. And how does a failed 3 years in the classroom make her an education "expert"? She is anti-union, anti-teacher, and anti-public education, that is what makes her Scott's little darling.

Florida Fraud

"Despite the rising contempt for Gov. Rick Scott, this one kind of flew under the radar." Anyone that has done research on Michelle Rhee's background and credentials knows she is a fraud, so is Rick Scott, they make a perfect combination.