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Are America's Schools Making the Grade?

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    Students First founder Michelle Rhee on reforming public education system

  • Duration 4:34
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There is a battle going on right now for your child's education.

Traditionalists.

Including the teachers' unions don't want things to change they want more resources for the public schools but here are some of the result.

That's just yeah -- we've doubled what we spent only child and double the money is worth it for producing better results.

Fortunately we're not the move since 1971 reading scores of -- -- do the math is no better.

It's not pretty and -- -- education reforms making any headway.

Into improving the education of our children former DC schools chancellor Michelle -- is the founder and CEO of students first time -- Hi how are you I'm well I want to get your comment on Stephen drills new book called class warfare He sets up.

This battle Royale very well between the education reformers of which you are one who would like to see more.

Charter schools more choice for parents and the traditionalists.

Who want to see just more resources put into the existing public schools which side is winning today.

-- -- -- Clamping anybody as -- pink today and in particular what I'm concerned about is that children.

And if you look at the data it is very clear that we continue to have significant problems with our public education system.

In America.

We are 25 out of thirty for a developing nations it across the globe in mathematics.

We have a situation where there is an achievement gap between our way children are children of color.

That is very substantial and very persistent in fact we haven't made much progress in closing that gap -- all.

In the last twenty years and -- like you said we are where we're spending doubled the amount of money now.

That we were -- two decades ago and the results really aren't that not that much -- so.

-- children in the Muslim American Public Education system things really haven't gotten -- very much better for that -- your finger on why we are spending doubled the money but we're not getting double the results what's the problem.

I think that that problem comes down to accountability we are spending lots of money.

On things that actually aren't aren't producing results for kids.

And there's no accountability around that we actually have to look at every single.

Bucket that we're spending money on and we have to make sure that that that we're seeing results accordingly so for example when I was in Washington DC.

When I inherited the district in 2007.

We had a central office of about a thousand.

People.

We're spending a tremendous amount of money on that central office.

We cut the central office and about half so -- -- and I left the road less than 500 people working at central office.

I think anybody would say that it was operating much much smoother than it ever had been before we spend billions of dollars a year in this country on paying for.

Master's degrees for teachers.

And then research is very clear that having a master's degree doesn't actually mean that you have better outcomes for your kids so why wouldn't we put.

That kind of money into performance -- writers why wouldn't week.

Recognize and reward the teachers who are seeing.

Two or three years of academic growth for kids in one year of those -- about those.

The types of expenditures that we need to see instead of pouring.

Money into the same broken system.

And very quickly I just wanna get you to address you know the the people who opposed to charter schools stated they would just bleed money from public schools and we should just focus on making public schools better in your address that quickly.

Absolutely -- just that by saying that charter schools are public schools this is something that.

It people have an absolute misperception around.

Charter schools -- public schools that that except kids.

And who who live in the state any child.

And we have to remember that they are also accountable for seeing results.

-- and I think the notion that somehow by introducing competition whether through charter schools are for vouchers.

The low income kids that somehow.

That is going to be a detriment to the system I actually think that the exact opposite.

It's true in Washington DC we had a very robust charter sector we also have the opportunity scholarships program -- voucher program for low income kids.

And I actually think that that helped the school district to get better -- choice -- in competition.

Absolutely helps Michelle -- thanks so much for coming in -- your expertise is always good to talk to you.

Thank you are.

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