It's no secret that our public schools need some attention.  Newspapers and tv reports across the country are detailing the failures in our public schools.  Of course, there are many explanations and theories as to why the schools are in such shambles.  And as to be expected, there are many theories and approaches on how to fix the problems.  Some suggest letting the federal government take over while others maintain that revamping the testing system will suffice.  Some folks think that the problem is completely within the classroom so the teachers must be to blame while others claim that the society as a whole is contributing to the crisis. 

While I'm not sure that an accurate source of difficulty can be traced to one root, I am sure that the problems can be fixed.  D.C. schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee, has caught a lot of flack for her attempts to fix the problem but at least she is attempting something.  Read a blog form the Washington Post about this very issue.  Rhee is known to respond to situations with lightning fast reactions.  Her measures are judged extreme by some and necessary by others.  But one thing is certain, she feels that the school crisis is urgent and needs addressing immediately.

Rhee has proven over and over that she is not afraid of change or of being wrong but she is afraid of being too passive or patient.  Unfortunately, what this means is that education takes on more of a cut-throat business feel than an it's-all-about-people feel that education typically conveys.  Under her watch people lose their jobs for low performance and school dynamics can change overnight.   

The situation is urgent and does call for some drastic measures but only time will tell if the extreme reactions were necessary or not.