. >>> a former dc teacher wants a court date to tell dc's school chancellor michelle rhee you are wrong. he is suing her for intentional infliction of emotional distress because after what she said after firing teachers and staff. >> reporter: 22 years in the air force, 13 in the classroom, ronnie jones is looking for work. >> i worry a lot about how i will be able to support my family. >> reporter: he finds some solis in his band vintage. you can see it on the web. >> reporter: what he can't forget is the explanation that michelle rhee gave fast company magazine last month for the firing of 260 teacher and staff. i got rid of children who had hit children, had sex with children and missed 78 days of school. >> it hurts deeply because i have never ever hit a child in school. i have never done anything inappropriate with a child. >> reporter: jones says rhee's remarks smirks the reputation of all of those she fired. >> we brought suit based on intentional infliction of emotional distress. >> he says he can see the reaction of the statements on his grand daughter. >> friends she had now w

what are you, michelle rhee, going to do?nd michelle rhee answered in her testimony, "i cannot look at those parents in the eye right now at this point and offer every single one of them a spot in a school that i think is a high-performing school." and here's a gutsy comment from this chancellor, and really devoted to the improvement of the public schools." chancellor rhee says and until we are able to do that, and i think it's on that five-year horizon, then i believe we do need to have choice for our families, and i think they do have to have the ability to participate, either to move into a charter school or to use the opportunity scholarships," end of quote from the chancellor of the d.c. public school system. i have the greatest respect for her. it took a lot of guts for her to say that. she says five-year horizon. that's what this re-authorization does, give these kids, these parents who know their children are not getting a good education in the public school or haven't been able to go to one of the out of boundary, ou

tracked how this has played out in several cities, including washington, d.c., where chancellor michelle rhee has closed schools, replaced principals and targeted teachers. >> i think it's important for us to identify teachers who are struggling. and if they aren't able to become successful through professional development, that we move them out of the system so that they are no longer negatively impacting students. >> reporter: back in rhode island, tempers subsided this week. the teachers' union there has now agreed to some of the state reforms. and the superintendent said she's willing to reconsider the firings. all this takes place while the obama administration today announces finalists in the competition among states for federal money in return for school reforms. >> woodruff: and for more, we turn to randi weingarten, president of the american federation of teachers. and, former colorado governor roy romer. he served as superintendent of the los angeles unified school district and now consults on education reform. thank you both for being here. randi weingarten, we've just heard your v

for this reason, chancellor rhee, michelle rhee, the head of the public schools in the district has said the o.s.p. program should continue. i ask my colleagues why wouldn't we want to use every means at our disposal to provide the best education possible to all children here in washington, d.c.? chancellor rhee has been very explicit about this. she said that it may take five years to turn around many of the schools that are failing, officially failing to give a decent education to the students in the district of columbia. she said in a very personal and moving way, until she could say to parents who are in schools now designated as failing that they were no longer failing and the parents could be confident that their children will receive a good education in those schools, she would support the opportunity scholarship program, five years. based on that assessment, our amendment re-authorizes the o.s.p. program for five years. our amendment also continues to ask for a rigorous evaluation of the merits of the program. at the end of the five years, we will have better information on both

this measure is supported by mayor fenty, chancellor michelle rhee, a majority of the members of the d.c. public schools and it's been judged by an independent evaluator to be the most effective program of its kind in america. i urge my colleagues to support the amendment. the presiding officer: who yields time in opposition? the senate will be in order. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. harkin: mr. president, first of all, this program has never been authorized. it was put into an appropriations bill in 2003. it was extended once. we had the department of education, not this one, previous one, and this one do studies of whether or not this was really successful. after three years, no statistically significant achievement impacts were observed for students who came from the lowest performing schools, which was the target of the program or for students who entered the program academically behind. no achievement impacts were found for male students and there was no statistically impact on math scores. already d.c. parents have a choice. we have over 60 charter schools h

challenge the rate hike if its passed saying it would equate to a 6% increase on all bills into michelle rheele school meeting with the restructuring team about making hardy an application school. she will likely get an earful from parents because she is moving principal pope out of that school. >>> and turning to tucker. more on the big inch of snow coming. >> wintry weather on the way. but this might be it. >> what are you saying? >> you might be able to get out the barry manillow, looks like we made it. but it's looking more promising. once we get rid of this event we'll start to warm up and the possibility of warmer weather. >> that's the word i've been waiting for. >> next couple of days. we have to get through today and tonight and then we'll talk tomorrow. the current temperatures in the 30s. not a terrible start to the day. 39 at reagan national. 36 in gaithersburg. 40 in fredericksberg. 37 out in cambridge. so our high temperatures won't be quite as nice as yesterday. today we were 50 and today middle 40s. let's show you the satellite radar. and a lot of cloud cover in the forecast.

it is supported by the chancellor of the school system here, michelle rhee, by mayor fenty. it is warmly endorsed by the families of the students who have benefited from this program, as it literally changed their lives. and yet, it has run into opposition here in congress, i fear, from people who are committed to defending a status quo that's not working. michelle reye is working so hard to reform our nation's capital school system, public school system, so why would she be supporting this opportunity scholarship program that will allow some children, low-income children in the district of columbia, to get this scholarship and go to a private or faith-based school. she said it in terms that are very compelling as she testified before committees of congress, which is this, that if a parent of a student in a school that literally had determined to be failing turned to her and said, can my child get a good education in the school -- the system -- the public school that the system sends her to, she can't now say yes to students -- parents of students who are in these designated

school chancellor michelle rhee on the hot seat facing tough questions about the school budget and her decision to hire an image consultant. reaction from the mayor. >>> and plus the outspoking reaction about the d.c. united soccer stadium situation. >>> and a live look outside over our gorgeous area. we'll get the latest weather and traffic updates just ahead. time now is 7:10 on a thursday morning, 48 degrees. here's to the believers. the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the line to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small businesses that can create the jobs americneeds. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to markets across the country, and around the world. we invest now, because we know it will pay off... with new jobs, new growth, from a new generation, putting their belief in th