#StackRanking and Other Immoral Horrors: The Invisible Hands and Invisible Morals of Bill and Melinda Gates
Dear Bill and Melinda,
I would like to explore the cause and effect of your Microsoft system of stack ranking on the lives of children and teachers. What happens when your actual policies don’t match your “advertised” ideology? What brings you both to speak so moralistically and yet act so immorally? Do your “invisible hands” lead to your invisible morals? How has public education evolved to become so impersonal while you label your reforms as “personalized learning”? Intent is very hard to prove, but what can explain this paradox?
Why do you force an impersonal, punitive system of stack ranking and what you call “personalized learning” onto “other people’s children“ and teachers in America’s public schools, but not onto your own children? (Note: As Pasi Sahlberg explains in Global Education Reform Movement, I realize it is important not to nationalize corporate education reform, but for the purposes of this letter, I will focus on US public schools and society).
There is a very wide achievement gap between your personal moralistic mottoes – your moral WORDS - and your impersonal immoral ACTIONS. Your actions don’t match your words, Mr. and Mrs. Gates. Through your words you pretend to give us all “what we want”, what SELLS; the touchy-feely script that leads readers to think you are grounded in morality. While those of us who are professional educators can agree – you are no expert on education; you are an expert at propaganda. Through your actions you behave immorally and impersonally as pure capitalists.
“Personalized Learning”
Here’s one example of this mismatch of words and actions. How about these “cubicles for kids“ for impersonal? And yet you call this type of education “personalized learning“? Is
