This morning, hundreds of students were demonstrating against Michelle A. Rhee at the headquarters of the District of Columbia Public Schools after the chancellor laid off more than 200 teachers last Friday. A DD source who saw the protesters down on North Capitol Avenue tells us that the students were chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Rhee and Fenty have got to go,” referring to the chancellor and Mayor Adrian Fenty, as police stood by.
The layoffs, which Rhee had recently announced were necessary because of a budget shortfall, weren’t unexpected, but they have caused tremendous turmoil, including a dust-up at one of the city’s high schools where students were apparently angry at the sight of laid-off teachers being escorted out of the building by police officers.
There is speculation that more layoffs are coming today. Rhee and the district could be in for a bumpy ride for the next several days.
