Michelle Rhee steps down from her "students first" org to focus on her family [View all]

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.studentsfirst.org/blog/entry/our-next-chapter



I have always been drawn to opportunities that challenge the status quo and give a voice to causes that didn't have one before. My passion has always been education reform – to ensure every child has a great teacher and great school – and my commitment to the cause is as strong today as it ever has been.

That’s what I worked tirelessly for during my time running DC’s public school system. That experience and the political resistance to doing what’s best for kids is what drove me to start StudentsFirst four years ago.

While I remain 100 percent committed to the success of StudentsFirst, it’s time for a shift in the day-to-day management of the team and our advocacy work. We’ll be sharing more of the nuts-and-bolts details about that in the coming weeks.

It’s also time for my next step in life, which will be focused on my family and supporting my husband in the tremendous work he is doing as his he continues to move forward with his career. His focus and passion for underserved communities and ensuring access to equal opportunity will be central to whatever comes next for us.

StudentsFirst emerged because kids deserve an organization that will champion their causes – and that’s exactly what we’ve been building. In just four years, we’ve recruited over 2 million members, raised millions of dollars and helped pass over 130 policies across the country on behalf of kids. 

Not only that, but we’ve helped elevate and shift a bipartisan national conversation around education. In states across the country, people are debating education policies including teacher tenure, standards, and accountability through a student-focused lens like never before.

My goal was always to build an organization that would advocate on behalf of kids regardless of who was at its helm, and we’ve done that successfully at the national level.

I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished at StudentsFirst and look forward to being actively involved as we become an even more effective advocate for kids. We've been successful in challenging the status quo, and that’s something I will never stop doing.