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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: The Bill and Melinda Gates Free Private School District?

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: The Bill and Melinda Gates Free Private School District?

The Bill and Melinda Gates Free Private School District?

Dick Lilly lays out a pretty hilarious idea in Crosscut about the Gates taking over some empty SPS buildings and creating their vision of a good school. I thought he was kidding at first but no, he's serious. I don't have time to fully flesh this out but here's what I wrote at the Comments section.

No and hell no.

There is so much wrong with this idea I almost don't know where to start.

First and foremost, our schools are not for sale or lease. Want charters? Pass the legislation.

Second, The Bill and Melinda Gates Free Private School District? Okay, I'll bite. What have they done educationally to deserve this kind of latitude? Breaking up high schools into smaller schools (their first big effort)? It fell flat on it's face and that was after schools and districts had put in tremendous amounts of time "transforming."

Third, the in-fighting for what the Gates's schools would have over the regular schools would be HUGE. Mr. Lilly