Susan Rice's National Cathedral School 9th Grade Teacher, John Wood, Defends Her Against Attack

WASHINGTON -- Would your ninth grade teachers rush to your defense?

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank argued in a recent column that the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, who traveled to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to shore up support for her bid to become the next Secretary of State, "is ill-equipped to be the nation’s top diplomat for reasons that have little to do with Libya."

The main reason Milbank cites is Rice's purported propensity for making enemies, among them current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and the country of Russia.

John Wood, Rice's former teacher at D.C.'s National Cathedral School, wrote a letter to the editor responding to Milbank's piece. Wood, who taught Rice in ninth and 11th grades, according to the letter, said Rice was not only "already a writer of superb essays" in her younger years, but also "had the ability to get along well with everyone -- students and faculty alike":

In a very demanding school, she was laid-back and funny but also focused and hard-working. She was confident but not cocky, and she never took herself too seriously.

The entire upper-school student body and faculty chose her to be head of school government -- a great honor and a demanding post. She exhibited superior leadership skills in the role and left behind a remarkable legacy. The school still uses the revised honor code system she devised.

Want to know more about Rice's tenure at the National Cathedral School, where she was valedictorian, a three-sport athlete (nicknamed "Spo") and student council president? Buzzfeed dug up photos of Rice playing basketball and gathering with other student government-types .