Earlier this month, discredited advocate of corporate education reform, Michele Rhee, was invited to speak at Kent State University. Her contract for participating in this event has now been leaked, and its quite the eye opener. It seems, rather than putting "StudentsFirst", Ms Rhee likes to put herself first.

On top of the $35,000 speaking fee, she also requested up to another $5,000 for a first class plane ticket, VIP hotel suite, coverage for all “incidentals” and a “town car” driven by a “professional”.

As one education blog notes, that's more money that a lot of teachers get for a whole years worth of work. But the story doesn't really end there

I’m not an attorney, just a simple education professor. But I will say that the proceeds, excessive as they are, are apparently going to something called Rhee Enterprises, LLC and care of a creative artists agency. So, like a talent agent? I mean, I get it: you make huge bank on the road as some hard-ass former education czar whose ideas have been debunked on numerous occasions. I guess you’re going to need someone to manage your “talent.” But, this whole LLC thing: it’s operated by her brother. So then Rhee Enterprises, which is really funny by the way, needs to pay her brother for managing the whole show. What’s his cut? Hey, wait, what are the students getting out of this? I thought they were first? I don’t know, reeks of nepotism to me, but I don’t know the family situation there.

Rhee would have everyone believe that merit pay is the way forward, and such systems would never lead to any kind of favoritism, nepotism or corrupt bargaining, yet as can been seen quite plainly, that's not how she operates her very own business, a business she claims puts "StudentsFrist".

Here's the Kent State Contract

Rhee Contract