These days, education reform has been a hot button issue. Los Angeles, where I teach, may be the epicenter of reform, but New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. have also had their share of attention for reforms. The media is fixated on the topic, and an interesting player seems to often find his way into the discussion: Bill Gates.
It’s highly unlikely you–and your kids–haven’t heard of the billionaire founder of Microsoft. His Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation charity has given millions to education, usually in the form of competitive grants. Giving to education has become “en vogue” in a way (and it’s about time). Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, recently gave $100 million to the Newark, New Jersey school system.
Back to Mr. Gates. Nobody can question his business know-how. His intelligence isn’t an issue (he went to Harvard University–but ironically dropped out). He has money to spend, and he is free
to do with it as he pleases. He and his foundation set criteria for their education grants, as is to be expected.
What’s caught my attention, and
that of many of my colleagues, is what he’s saying about (more…)
