Will Small-Part Fixes Save Public Schools?
What's missing from Bill Gates thinking on education reform?
I've observed Bill Gates' philanthropic work for many years. I admire his passion, stewardship, and laser-sharp focus in a variety of efforts to improve human lives. But something is missing from his approach to American education reform that causes me concern. Lost in the milieu of politics, power, and the lure of straightforward answers to complex questions are the research, principles, and practices of how children and adolescents learn and develop.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested $5 billion in school reform in the last decade. In 2004, they initiated a project to open 20 small high schools, testing a theory that smaller schools would result in greater college attendance. When the project failed to produce those cause and effect outcomes, the benefits of smaller learning communities were lessened in the eyes of school