Poll: Polarizing D.C. schools chief Rhee helps, hurts Fenty among Democrats
Posted by | Posted on 31-08-2010
Since Mayor Adrian M. Fenty brought her to town in 2007, she has closed schools by the dozens, fired teachers by the hundreds, and revamped the way educators are evaluated and paid. In doing so, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has polarized not just the local and national education communities, but also the city’s Democratic primary electorate.
A Washington Post poll in August found that Rhee, the public face and voice for Fenty’s cornerstone issue, is such a divisive figure that politically she is a virtual wash. Forty-one percent of registered Democrats regard her record as a reason to vote for Fenty over D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray in the Sept. 14 contest.