WASHINGTON - Michelle Rhee has made many friends and enemies since taking over D.C. Public schools in 2007, and now she is getting national attention, appearing on the cover of Time Magazine.

Rhee has been featured on TV network news, mentioned during the debates by President-elect Barack Obama (web|news|bio) and during the week of Dec. 8th she is being featured on the cover of Time Magazine as a polarizing, but  potential savior of inner city schools.

Some parents liked the cover, but some others found the posed cover not so welcoming as Rhee is pictured in a classroom with a broom. She wears all black with a stern look on her face.

Meanwhile, Rhee laughed about the debated cover on NewsChannel 8's NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt.

"Given that I wear black about 75 percent of the time, I'm not concerned about that... and I think the idea was that there are going to be sweeping changes in this District and we do have to clean up a lot of the dysfunction that has occurred," Rhee told DePuyt.

The teacher's union president, in dispute with Rhee over tenure and other issues, had a different take on the cover.

"She'd rather sweep teachers away than help them to succeed," said George Parker with the Washington Teachers Union.

Rhee, who's closed dozens of D.C. schools and fired hundreds of teachers and principals is much more popular nationally than in many parts of the city in which she works.

There is one student at Anacostia High School with whom the chancellor's is extremely popular with. Senior Allante Rhodes wrote her an email last year about conditions at his school and they've been communicating ever since. He is even featured in the article with her.

But even Rhodes, who says he wants to follow in Rhee's footsteps, says she could be friendlier with people.

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is being featured on the cover of Time magazine for her approach to reforming urban school systems.

Inside the magazine, Rhee reveals she's a Democrat but came close to voting for Republican John McCain (web|news|bio) for president. She says a close friend begged her to give Democrat Barack Obama a chance.

Rhee says she is "somewhat terrified of what the Democrats are going to do on education."

Teachers' unions spent millions of dollars supporting Obama's campaign, and Rhee is battling the Washington Teachers' Union for more power to fire teachers she deems ineffective.

Rhee says it would send a message if Obama takes a side on union negotiations for D.C. schools.