The Education of Michelle Rhee(2013)

The Education of Michelle Rhee is a documentary that follows FRONTLINE correspondent John Merrow as he gains rare access to Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington, DC's public schools. The film captures Rhee's ambitious effort to overhaul a struggling education system marked by low test scores and institutional dysfunction. Merrow documents her controversial reforms, including teacher evaluations and school closures, as Rhee pushes for rapid change in one of America's most troubled districts. The documentary presents both her determination to improve student outcomes and the resistance she faces from teachers, parents, and administrators. Through intimate access, the film explores the complexities of education reform and the human cost of systemic change in urban schools.