“Tenure is the holy grail of teacher unions, but has no educational value for kids; it only benefits adults.”
— Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the Washington D.C. Public school district, in today’s New York Times. Rhee has drawn rancor from many union members for her critiques of teacher tenure. Now she’s pushing for huge raises–as much as $40,000, with support from private foundations–to reward teachers who are game to give up tenure. Rhee, a 38-year-old Teach for America alum, has lots of high-powered fans, including Barack Obama, who cited her in a Presidential debate. Also, Melinda Gates noted Rhee’s courageous proposals last month at Coins2Day‘s Most Powerful Women Summit.–Jessica Shambora