I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. - Chris Christie, "An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ" October, 2009

Friday, July 29, 2011

What Planet Does Bill Gates Live On?

Jeeze Louise:
BOSTON -- Microsoft founder Bill Gates says success should not depend on the race or income of parents.
Gates told the National Urban League on Thursday in Boston that education reformers must "end the myth" that poverty needs to be eradicated before reforming education.
Gates says access to quality education would help in the battle against poverty.
It sure would: so would universal health care, living wages, a stable job market, progressive taxation, less inequality, an operating system that didn't always crash...

Of course, we could reform education without fully ending poverty, and we should. But we sure shouldn't do it the way Gates wants - he's only going to make matters worse.

And we should delude ourselves into thinking we're ever going to solve poverty by firing a few teachers.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's what rings hollow for me about Bill Gates' approach: his foundation's focus is exclusively on redundant efforts rather than expansive ones. He wants to take control of school systems rather than expanding educational opportunities for poor (i.e., "underperforming") students.

If Bill Gates had spent half as much of his foundation's educational dollars on free enrichment programs for poor students rather than on trying to seize control of school systems he tosses aside as soon as he gets bored, he could have been a national hero. Instead he is seen as a craven and manipulative oligarch.

It's a pity.

Mrs. Droz said...

Perhaps if poverty is not the answer, Mr. Gates could give up his millions and see how far he gets. What, Mr. Gates? No? Didn't think so.