In the documentary “The Education of Michelle Rhee“, FRONTLINE examines the legacy of one of America’s most admired & reviled school reformers. FRONTLINE was granted unprecedented access to Michelle Rhee (former chancellor of the Washington, DC public schools) during her tumultuous three-year tenure as she attempted to fix a broken school system. As Rhee returns to the national stage, FRONTLINE examines her legacy in Washington, DC, including her battles with the teachers’ union and her handling of a cheating scandal in the District. The debate over how to improve K-12 public education in America has long been highly charged and contentious, but in recent years, it’s taken on a polarizing either or mentality. While Rhee made national headlines from the start of her appointment, most notably as a young Korean American without prior experience running a school, she received even more attention over her policies on teacher evaluations and accountability. Under a new evaluation system that tied teacher performance to student test scores, Rhee fired 241 teachers in July of 2010, a move that teacher unions called too harsh while supporters agreed it was the right course. The conflict worsened when enormous gains in student achievement raised questions about cheating.

The Education of Michelle Rhee on PBS