Challenging Tenure in D.C. Rhee Tackles the Holy Grail of Teachers' Contracts

Beginning of article

Byline: Marcus Winters, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Surprisingly, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama pointed to controversial D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee as a model education reformer. This is the latest illustration of the importance of Mrs. Rhee's reforms not only for the District but for school systems across the nation. In her boldest move yet, Mrs. Rhee has taken on the Holy Grail of the teacher-union contract - tenure. It's worth taking a moment to understand just what this fight is about and why it's worth winning.

Mrs. Rhee proposed a new contract whereby individual teachers could give up their tenure protection in exchange for the opportunity to earn salaries as high as $130,000 per year. Teachers could instead …