'Public school mom' and education reformer Michelle Rhee accused of sending eldest daughter to $22,000 elite private school

Education campaigner Michelle Rhee has refused to comment directly on rumors that she sends her eldest daughter to an exclusive private school

The former Washington D.C. schools chancellor, who now lobbies for education reform, has referred to herself repeatedly as a 'public school mom' when explaining her zealous approach to improving schools across America

But some claim that rather than having two daughters in public schools, the campaigner and her ex-husband, Kevin Huffman, who is Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, have put one of their daughters in the elite Harpeth Hall private girls school in Nashville

A well-known education campaigner, who has made much of her own profile as a 'public school mom', has been accused of quietly sending one of her own daughters to an exclusive private school.



Former Baltimore teacher Michelle Rhee, 43, known for her aggressive work to reform public school education in America, has been accused of sending her eldest daughter to $22,000-a-year Harpeth Hall, an elite private girl school in Nashville.



Rhee and her spokeswoman have repeatedly refused to address the allegation adding more fuel to the fire.

Public school mom? Michelle Rhee has refused to address rumors that she sends one of her daughters to an elite private school despite being a public education campaigner

Divisive: Michelle Rhee is a aggressive advocate of education reform. She served as Washington D.C. Schools Chancellor and now runs a lobby group

Rhee has two daughters, Starr, 13, and Olivia, 10, who live in Nashville with her ex-husband Kevin Huffman, who is also the state commissioner of education.

She splits her time between Tennessee and her home with second husband Sacramento Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson.

It has recently been rumored that Starr is currently enrolled in the exclusive school previously attended by Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, musician Amy Grant and numerous corporate directors as well as two Olympic medalists.



In a reported exchange with the LA Times , when they questioned the girls schooling, Rhee's representative initially said she is a 'public school parent' - a line she often uses and has mentioned herself to explain her understanding of America's educational needs.



When pushed on whether both daughters attend public schools the spokeswoman added that they don't reveal the school details for privacy reasons but added that the statement had been 'misleading'.



'It was not our intention to be misleading. It is our policy not to discuss where Michelle's children attend school out of respect for their privacy,' the statement said.



Double standards? Some claim Rhee's eldest daughter attends Harpeth Hall, pictured, an exclusive private school in Nashville despite the fact Rhee campaigns herself as a 'public school mom'

Alumni: Reese Witherspoon attended the prestigious Tennessee school as did musician Amy Grant. Fees are around $22,000 a year

'While it is true Michelle is a public school parent, we understand how that statement was misleading, and we apologize to the Los Angeles Times.'



Pressed again on the issue and asked if one of the girls actually attends private school, she finally refused to comment according to the newspaper.



Rumors around the schooling of the two teenagers came from the American Federation of Teachers, according to the LA Times.



They were backed by education activist and blogger Diane Ravitch , who first commented on the rumors in January.



Today she wrote: 'For some reason, she prefers not to admit that one of her daughters attends an elite private school in Nashville that has small classes, lovely facilities, a rich curriculum, and experienced teachers; better yet, the students do not take standardized tests. (Rhee herself graduated from an elite private school in Toledo, Ohio, with similar policies and practices.)



'Why should she hide that fact? Is it because she advocates that Other People’s children should have large classes, inexperienced teachers, merit pay, evaluations based on test scores, and nonstop testing?'

Famous: Michelle Rhee, pictured, with John Legend, Lesley Chilcott and Davis Guggenheim has become a well--known education reformer

Parents: Michelle Rhee had two daughters with ex-husband and Commissioner of the state's department of education, Kevin Huffman, left. She is now married to former NBA player Kevin Johnson, right

Rhee herself has evaded the issue in the past.



When quizzed by the Nashville City Paper this year, she said: ' What I will say is that I am a public school parent, and, you know, because of that I think that all of these things, again, have a different impact.'

'When pressed, she added: 'I would rather … I keep my comments to I’m a public school parent.'



Rhee, who after teaching founded the successful teachers training program The New Teacher Project and undertook a masters degree at Harvard in Public Policy, previously enrolled both of her daughters in public school.



The girls used to attend Oyster-Adams public elementary school when the family lived in Washington D.C.



Rhee was appointed Washington D.C. Schools Chancellor and rose to prominence in the role between 2007 and 2010



She raised eyebrows and worked up the unions when she sacked her children's headteacher along with 35 more.



She also closed 23 schools in her fearless approach to raising standards.



It was a period indicative of the combative style of the Cornell University graduate, who now runs StudentsFirst a political advocacy organization for education reform

She calls for more choice for parents over schooling, emphasizes the use of standardized test scores in measuring school achievement and is focused on teacher improvement.



She has repeatedly cited her daughters education when making her case for education reform.

Under fire: Rumors have led some to criticize Michelle Rhee, pictured. She refused to directly answer questions about her eldest daughter's education, according to the LA Times

'If I let a person stay in the classroom, then I have to be OK knowing one of my own two daughters could get that teacher,' she told Smart Planet .



'If we as policy makers and politicians were to make more decisions based on what we’d do for our own kids, we would end up with a wildly different set of rules and laws than we do now.'



At a Southern Legislators Conference attended by the two girls, Rhee used their example again to point out how schools are soft and often encourage children in the wrong direction.



'I have two girls, 8 and 12, and they play soccer. And I can tell you that they suck at soccer! They take after their mother in athletic ability. But if you were to see their rooms, they’re adorned with ribbons, medals and trophies. You’d think I was raising the next Mia Hamm.



'I routinely try to tell my kids that their soccer skills are lacking and that if they want to be better, they have to practice hard. I also communicate to them that all the practice in the world won’t guarantee that they’ll ever be great at soccer.'



It’s tough to square this, though, with the trophies. And that’s part of the issue. We’ve managed to build a sense of complacency with our children.'

Harpeth Hall is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and says it offers 'education for the whole child'.



Its mission statement reads: 'Our Core Purpose is to nurture a sense of wonder, to cultivate a will and facility for learning, and to promote cultural understanding, environmental stewardship, and service to others.



'The pursuit of these goals will inspire students and faculty to combine knowledge with goodness and reflection with action.'

The fees are $21,910 for the Middle School and $22,770 for the Upper School, according to the school's website.



