The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation's Worst School District

Hailed by Oprah as a "warrior woman for our times," reviled by teachers unions as the enemy, Michelle Rhee, outgoing chancellor of Washington DC public schools, has become the controversial face of school reform. She has appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, and is currently featured as a hero in the documentary "Waiting for Superman." This is the story of her journey from good-girl daughter of Korean immigrants to tough-minded political game-changer. When Rhee first arrived in Washington, she found a school district that had been so broken for so long, that everyone had long since given up. The book provides an inside view of the union battles, the school closings, and contentious community politics that have been the subject of intense public interest and debate ? along with a rare look at Rhee's upbringing and life before DC.

• Rhee has been featured in the documentary "Waiting for Superman"
• Rhee's story points to a fresh way of addressing school improvement
• Addresses fundamental problems inour current education system, and the politics of leadership

The book includes an insert with photos from Rhee's personal and professional life, and an "exit" interview that sheds light on what she's learned and where the future might take her.

Keywords: Michelle Rhee and the DC schools, school improvement and Michelle Rhee, school reform, teacher quality, teachers unions, charter schools, radical change and schools, how to improve schools, teacher unions, American Federation of Teachers, AFT, teacher firings, teacher tenure, dropout factories, Randi Weingarten, “Waiting for Superman, ” National Education Association, NEA, education reformer, Adrian Fenty, Vincent Gray, Kaya Henderson, schoor restructuring, school closings., Education & Public Policy, Education & Public Policy