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A Gates Foundation Education Initiative Fizzles
theodp writes "Three years ago, Sarah-Palin-bogeyman William Ayers published a paper questioning the direction the small school movement was taking (PDF) with the involvement of would-be education reformers like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. And now, after $2 billion in grants, Bill Gates concedes that in most cases his foundation's efforts in that area fell short. 'Many of the small schools that we invested in did not improve students' achievement in any significant way,' said Gates. Bill does cite High Tech High as one of the few success stories, but even there has to limit his atta-boys to the San Diego branch — the Gates-backed Silicon Valley High Tech High closed its doors abruptly due to financial woes (concerns about the sustainability of Gates-initiated small schools were voiced in 2005). Not surprisingly, some parents are upset about the capital that school districts wasted following Bill's lead."
...and say that nothing that Microsoft contributes to schools facilitates education, but that would be unfair. Gates is not the first, and will not be the last, businessman to try to give money to schools to encourage them down a path that he supports. I am sure they all mean well - but education is too big and complicated, and depends too much on local factors, to benefit from this kind of investment. It's been said that the only thing that businessmen should do is to take a leaf out of Carnegie's book and donate libraries. Not a bad place to start, especially if you are big enough to realise that you will profoundly disagree with some of those books, and that is actually a good thing.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
...to ask a drop out for advice to government on how to spend education dollars?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
No, we don't like Ayers because he tried to BOMB GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. Also, he's a communist.
Skimming through the articles, I saw LITTLE mention of just about the only thing that really works in education - parental involvement. We Americans are FAR too convinced that throwing money at education is bound to fix the problem, when we spend more than any other country per student and don't get half as good results.
It's not about wealth, equality, social justice, or any of that. It's about parents who care enough to push their kids to do well in school.
You don't have to like the guy; but you could at least read TFA. Ayers wrote in considerably greater detail than "OMG Gates will fail". He laid out his issues with the approach, and his concerns about it. Also, he has been involved, for a fair few years now, with educational improvement programs.
You don't have to approve; but knowing what you are talking about can't hurt.
It's guys like Ayers that use terms like "social justice" to mean "everyone should get the same stuff in life, regardless of what they produce."
For someone who is complaining about indoctrination you sure are demonstrating how well you memorized the main propaganda talking points the US government inflicted upon it's population in the 60s and 70s.
I live in a socialist state where the current governing party is none other than the socialist party. Yet, capitalism is alive and well, people still get different pay checks and still see some people advance in life while others fail to do so well. So where exactly does that "everyone should get the same stuff in life" pops up?
Well, nowhere. The thing is, when socialists talk about the concept of "social justice" they are talking about benefiting from the same starting point without being hindered by some poverty-induced limitations. To put it in other words, "social justice" means that no matter how poor you are, you still get the same chance of advancing as some millionaire offspring.
For example, the access to my country's equivalent to the ivy league schools doesn't depend on your family's wealth, which means that if you are dumb as a door knob and you happen to be the son of a billionaire then you still have to work your ass off in order to be admitted to one of those schools. It also means that if you are terribly smart and talented then you may enrol in those schools, no matter how poor you are. It's raw talent that matters, now raw cash.
That's what social justice means and frankly the US sees too many raw talent going to waste just because the right people happen to be born into a poor family.
And he has spent years overtly advocating for the use of schools as idealogical indoctrination centers aimed specifically at cranking out kids who see the world as one big entitlement engine.
Are you so naive to really believe that the US, including the school system, doesn't try to indoctrinate their population? Oh really? So how come so many people foam from the mouth when faced with anything related to "communism"? Well, pretty much like you have reacted to the word "socialism", although you clearly demonstrated you failed to understand the concept.
Slashdot, fix your code or at least hire someone who is competent at it to do it for you.
Parent is not a troll. He did bomb gov't buildings, his organization did kill an innocent cop, he was planning to bomb a dance at a military base, he did dedicate a book to RFK's killer Sirhan Sirhan.
Not sure if he's a communist but he did some reprehensible things that cannot be forgiven nor should they be forgotten.
This guy is way out there
He's noteworthy because he was the member of a group that firebombed a judge's house, not because Sarah Palin allegedly thinks he's the "bogeyman".
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.