Rhee Heads South

The former DC Schools Chancellor will help the gubernatorial transition in Florida By Alyssa Rosenberg

Comments () | Published December 2, 2010

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Rick Scott, the incoming Republican governor of Florida, has hired Michelle Rhee to work on his education transition team as he prepares to take office in January.

It's a move that makes sense for Rhee-but only if it's short-term. The job lets her burnish her educational credentials with Republicans after major GOP gains in the midterm elections. And it allows her to position herself as someone who can give advice not just to mayors but at a higher executive level. Perhaps most important, working with Scott lets her do both of those things without the burden to prove she's actually made a difference.

Florida has made some educational improvements in recent years, upping its graduation rate to 79 percent and lowering dropout rates to 2 percent. But a state-level education job probably wouldn't let Rhee make the kind of quick, sharp changes she aimed for in DC. Florida's a great place for a vacation, but if she's looking toward career investment, Rhee probably shouldn't settle there permanently.

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