Washington, D.C. school chancellor Michelle Rhee fired 241 public school teachers Friday following poor appraisals, the Washington Post reported.
Rhee said the firings are part of an overhaul that is assessing teacher performance aimed at keeping only the best educators.
“Every child in a District of Columbia public school has a right to a highly effective teacher — in every classroom, of every school, of every neighborhood, of every ward, in this City,” Rhee said in a statement. “That is our commitment. Today, with the release of the first year of results from IMPACT, the educator assessment system, we take another step toward making that commitment a reality.”
Another 737 teachers were rated “minimally effective,” and have only one year to improve their performance or face dismissal.
Rhee declined to speculate on how many of the 737 might face dismissal after next year. But she said that over the next two years “a not insignificant number of folks will be moved out of the system for poor performance.”
The Washington Teachers’ Union plans to fight the firings.
Rhee has been attempting to assert more control over hiring, firing and compensation of teachers in the district in the past year.
As part of that, she has put into place plans to rigorously assess teacher effectiveness. She has also instituted a system of bonuses for the very best teachers, who can earn an additional $20,000 to $30,000 if their students meet certain benchmarks.