D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee said Monday she would not shy away from the tough decisions necessary to transform the city’s shattered education system but warned that meaningful change might take longer than the coming school year. In an interview with The Examiner, Rhee described a system that can’t track data on its students and that has administrators who have a hard time defining their jobs.

“We’re going to change the way that we operate on a day-to-day basis,” Rhee said on the eve of her first public update with Mayor Adrian Fenty since being hired in June. “It is not acceptable to have the level of non-responsiveness that we have right now. ... People have lost confidence in this district, and rightfully so.”

The 37-year-old former teacher said those expecting immediate transformation of the troubled D.C. schools were unrealistic. The nationwide search to hire the best permanent principals will not be fully completed before the 2008 school year, she said. And textbooks have to be ordered in January, making it difficult simply to get students the right books for this year.

Rhee, who is slated to appear with Fenty today to discuss progress in the schools, said she was prepared to make tough choices about closing and consolidating schools and about dealing with incompetent educators.

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“The bottom line is that I’m not going to have tolerance for ineffective teachers,” Rhee said. “The data is very clear that if you have three ineffective teachers in a row, it actually changes a child’s chances at life outcomes. This is not a situation that can wait.”

But when asked whether she was prepared to fire the city’s worst teachers, Rhee dodged the question. She said that before reaching that point, she would make every effort to “maximize” the talent that exists in the teaching pool.

The city’s schools — attended by 80,000 students about a decade ago — now enroll only about 55,000 children. Rhee’s appointment by Fenty last month instantly met with criticism that she lacked managerial experience.

But Rhee said Monday she had no doubt in her ability to improve the schools over time and to bring a level of accountability to the system that has been lacking.

One of her critics, Iris Toyer, chair of Parents United for D.C. Public Schools, said she is still waiting to find out how Rhee and Fenty will define “accountability.”

“People just toss that word ‘accountability’ around, and I’m often puzzled by what they mean,” Toyer said.

School registration

» Parents and guardians may register children to attend the District of Columbia Public Schools daily between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Children should be registered at the school they will attend.

» Registration will be extended to 6 p.m. at all schools Thursday and Aug. 2, unless otherwise noted by the school.

» All students must have up-to-date immunization records to register and should show proof of a physical examination as well as a tuberculosis assessment.

» Other registration requirements include: proof of the child’s birth date, proof of income information to apply for Free/Reduced Priced Meals and proof of D.C. residency.

» The first day of school for D.C. Public Schools is Aug. 27.

» For more info, visit the “Parents” section of www.k12.dc.us.

cmabeus@dcexaminer.com