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Bill Gates Tries A(nother) Billion-Dollar Plan To Reform Education (washingtonpost.com)
theodp shared this article from the Washington Post:
Bill Gates has a(nother) plan for K-12 public education. The others didn't go so well, but the man, if anything, is persistent. Gates announced Thursday that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would spend more than $1.7 billion over the next five years to pay for new initiatives in public education, with all but 15 percent of it going to traditional public school districts and the rest to charter schools... He said most of the new money -- about 60 percent -- will be used to develop new curriculums and "networks of schools" that work together to identify local problems and solutions, using data to drive "continuous improvement." He said that over the next several years, about 30 such networks would be supported, though he didn't describe exactly what they are...
Though there wasn't a lot of detail on exactly how the money would be spent, Gates, a believer in using big data to solve problems, repeatedly said foundation grants given to schools as part of this new effort would be driven by data. "Each [school] network will be backed by a team of education experts skilled in continuous improvement, coaching and data collection and analysis," he said, an emphasis that is bound to worry critics already concerned about the amount of student data already collected and the way it is used for high-stakes decisions. In 2014, a $100 million student data collection project funded by the Gates foundation collapsed amid criticism that it couldn't adequately protect information collected on children.
"In his speech, Gates said that education philanthropy was difficult, in part because it is easy to 'fool yourself' about what works and whether it can be easily scaled," according to the article. It also argues that big spending on education by Gates and others "has raised questions about whether American democracy is well-served by wealthy people pouring so much money into pet education projects -- regardless of whether they are grounded in research -- that public policy and funding follow."
By 2011 the Gates' foundation had already spent $5 billion on education projects -- and admitted that "it hasn't led to significant improvements."
Though there wasn't a lot of detail on exactly how the money would be spent, Gates, a believer in using big data to solve problems, repeatedly said foundation grants given to schools as part of this new effort would be driven by data. "Each [school] network will be backed by a team of education experts skilled in continuous improvement, coaching and data collection and analysis," he said, an emphasis that is bound to worry critics already concerned about the amount of student data already collected and the way it is used for high-stakes decisions. In 2014, a $100 million student data collection project funded by the Gates foundation collapsed amid criticism that it couldn't adequately protect information collected on children.
"In his speech, Gates said that education philanthropy was difficult, in part because it is easy to 'fool yourself' about what works and whether it can be easily scaled," according to the article. It also argues that big spending on education by Gates and others "has raised questions about whether American democracy is well-served by wealthy people pouring so much money into pet education projects -- regardless of whether they are grounded in research -- that public policy and funding follow."
By 2011 the Gates' foundation had already spent $5 billion on education projects -- and admitted that "it hasn't led to significant improvements."
Most of the money the foundation donates is spent purchasing products from companies that are owned by him or a friend of his. It is a big tax avoidance scheme. Donate money with one hand to get a tax deduction that offsets the income of the same money returning to the other hand.
So how much of this money will be to keep MS the dominant OS provider to schools and therefore keep filling the Gates pockets?
Money was wasted because it wasnâ(TM)t focusing on the actual problem: parents. Seems to me that it is really parents that need educating to create a change. Education starts at home and by the time kids get to school you can already tell the dummies from the smart kids; thatâ(TM)s because of parents (and parenting).
It's parents and culture. Nothing will overcome this.
"Those who can do, those who can't teach."
Fuck You. Public education is failing because of assholes like you. I don't know a single teacher that recommends entering the profession because of this type of bullshit.
Blame teachers for all social problems, and go out of your way to pass laws to restrict their right to unionize. Make sure that teachers have no due process, and no professional respect. Be sure to siphon off money to for-profit charter schools who often do not teach high school students because extra curriculars are more expensive. Don't hold charter schools accountable when they mishandle public funds, fail to report progress numbers to the State, or refuse to provide services to special education students. Couple that with abysmal pay and benefits in most districts, and the reality is that there is a massive shortage of teachers across the U.S.
Try teaching kids who are hungry, exhausted, and homeless. Students who have no support at home, and nobody to advocate for them fall easily through the cracks. Everything revolves first and foremost around the parents, but many have abdicated their responsibility long before a student meets a teacher.
Take some time out of your important life to volunteer in a school and you will see the reality of the situation. If public education is failing it is precisely because you are not there to make a difference.
The problem with education is the following statement:
"Those who can do, those who can't teach."
My best teachers were always those who had a non-teaching career first before going into education. One particular AP History teacher I had worked extensively at the state department for many years and moved back home to his podunk country town to raise a family.
Find a way to get those who do or have done something notable into the classroom either as a teacher or a visitor on a regular basis and you'll see a turn around in education.
Or I don't know. I suppose you can pay them like a real professional and not an upper hand blue collar worker. Finland pays them over 100K a year and it is very hard to get into teaching school as it is such a high sought out job. You need a masters degree too and tons of constant workshops.
There are good teachers. The problem is those who are driven to succeed can take the same drive in another field and earn double the income. What kept them in teaching was a desire to help kids out as well as the generous government penchants.
Thanks to conservatives cutting the penchants promised as well as the great recession forcing states to cut funding that is now gone too! Imagine if your 401K could be taken away just like that due to a politician trying to score points or the CEO needs a bonus?
Education is not valued in America. Money talks shit walks on any who say otherwise.
Many teachers today are expected to get masters degrees and tons and tons of debt and do constant training workshops and work well after 4pm when the students leave but only make 40K a year who may have penchant if they do this for 30 years. Screw that man.
Now you end up with the losers who have a degree but can't find work and just get another 2 year degree to be certified to teach. Beats McDonalds right? Those are the ones teaching your kids.
http://saveie6.com/
Right, ignore the failures of the parents of the students in failing schools....its all the teachers....
Being smart and / or successful in school is looked down upon by the majority of their peers. You're labeled a geek or a nerd and ostracized for it.
Those who attempt to learn are merely targeted and ridiculed by the rest who seem to exist only to make everyone's life as miserable as possible. Some kids endure it and move on. Some give up and join the crowd. Others snap and go on a killing spree.
Some of the brightest people in this GD country are financially dwarfed by half-wits who can throw a ball, cry on cue or had the luck of being born with the right genetics and / or wealthy parents. High schools pour hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars into athletic programs, but seem to have little interest in funding anything academic outside of the bare minimums.
America has little interest in intelligent people, they want stupid ones who will serve as entertainment for the rest. The powers that be all but beg kids to get interested in STEM programs while, at the same time, they're outsourcing all the jobs associated with those programs overseas. :|
Kids see this and they ask themselves " Which one would I rather be ? "
You want to fix education ?
Start by figuring out how to make advanced learning something kids will strive for vs something they shun to avoid the persecution and misery that usually comes with it.
Teachers are paid ok. Let them teach is the problem. Friend teaches. The kids run the class. He would be non-renewed if he sent too many disruptive kids to the vice principle. They have 3 security guards full time roaming waiting for fights to break out. I saw a story about a sub who duct taped a few kids mouth shut. I am positive they deserved it. But of course the sub got canned that day. And parents are just as bad. I recall when I was in school my parents backed the teacher. I did not dare get in trouble. Now the ax murderer student's parents justify the kid killing the teacher.
What you describe is a completely rotten administration.
What he said is 100% true. No Child Left Behind deals with metrics. One of them is discipline and classroom management. A principal who has a high number of students sent home is less effective than one who doesn't.
What? You think just because it is the government and not the private sector that bullshit metrics are not used?
http://saveie6.com/