Top Billionaires in Education Reform:
Who's Making the Grade - Who's Not?
Education reform has been a hot topic for years, and with the Culture Wars it seems like everyone has an opinion on how to fix our failing schools. But when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, there are a select few who have really stepped in it. We're talking about the billionaires who have used their wealth to influence education policy and push for profit. So who are these education reform a-holes? Let's take a look at the top 20 billionaires who have most influenced Public Education destruction since 2000, according to Forbes' list of the World's Billionaires.
1. Bill Gates: The king of education reform, Gates has poured billions into his pet project of Common Core standards and charter schools. But critics argue that his approach is too standardized and ignores the individual needs of students.
2. Mark Zuckerberg: The Facebook founder has made headlines for his $100 million donation to Newark public schools, but the results have been mixed at best. Some argue that Zuckerberg's approach is too top-down and doesn't involve enough input from teachers and parents.
3. Laurene Powell Jobs: The widow of Steve Jobs has focused her education efforts on promoting technology in the classroom, but critics say that her approach is too focused on gadgets and not enough on actual teaching.
4. Michael Bloomberg: The former mayor of New York City has been a vocal proponent of charter schools, but his policies have been criticized for exacerbating inequality in the city's education system.
5. Sergey Brin: The Google co-founder has invested in a number of education startups, but some argue that his approach is too focused on technology and doesn't take into account the social and emotional needs of students.
6. Larry Page: Like his Google co-founder Brin, Page has invested in a number of education startups, but critics argue that his approach is too focused on data and doesn't take into account the human element of teaching.
7. Pierre Omidyar: The eBay founder has invested in a number of education initiatives around the world, but some argue that his approach is too focused on privatization and doesn't address the root causes of educational inequality.
8. James Simons: The hedge fund billionaire has invested in a number of education reform efforts, but critics argue that his approach is too focused on standardized testing and doesn't take into account the diversity of students' needs.
9. George Soros: The philanthropist has invested in a number of education initiatives around the world, but some argue that his approach is too focused on top-down solutions and doesn't involve enough input from teachers and parents.
10. Eli Broad: The real estate mogul has invested heavily in charter schools, but his approach has been criticized for exacerbating inequality in the education system.
11. John Arnold: The former hedge fund manager has invested in a number of education reform efforts, but critics argue that his approach is too focused on privatization and doesn't address the root causes of educational inequality.
12. Steve Ballmer: The former Microsoft CEO has invested in a number of education initiatives, but some argue that his approach is too focused on technology and doesn't take into account the social and emotional needs of students.
13. David Einhorn: The hedge fund manager has invested in a number of education reform efforts, but critics argue that his approach is too focused on standardized testing and doesn't address the diversity of students' needs.
14. Ray Dalio: The hedge fund billionaire has invested heavily in education reform, but some argue that his approach is too focused on data and doesn't take into account the human element of teaching.
15. Reed Hastings: The Netflix CEO has invested in a number of education startups, but critics argue that his approach is too focused on technology and doesn't take into account the social and emotional needs of students.
16. Steven Cohen: The hedge fund billionaire has invested in a number of education initiatives, but some argue that his approach is too focused on privatization and doesn't involve enough input from teachers and parents.
17. Rupert Murdoch: The media mogul has invested in a number of education startups, but critics argue that his approach is too focused on profit and doesn't take into account the diversity of students' needs.
18. John Doerr: The venture capitalist has invested in a number of education reform efforts, but some argue that his approach is too focused on technology and doesn't address the root causes of educational inequality.
19. Jim Walton: The Walmart heir has invested heavily in charter schools, but his approach has been criticized for exacerbating inequality in the education system.
20. Alice Walton: Like her brother Jim, Alice Walton has invested heavily in charter schools, but her approach has been criticized for exacerbating inequality in the education system.
So there you have it, folks – the top 20 billionaires who have most influenced education reform since 2000. But as with any list, there are bound to be criticisms and disagreements. Some argue that these billionaires' approaches are too focused on privatization and profit, while others argue that they ignore the root causes of educational inequality. Whatever your opinion may be, one thing is clear – these billionaires are making waves in the world of education, for better or for worse.
It's difficult to rank billionaires based on their influence on education reform, as there are many factors to consider, and their impact may be difficult to quantify. However, here is a list of some of the billionaires who have been involved in education reform in various ways since 2000:
Bill Gates - co-founder of Microsoft and founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested heavily in education reform initiatives.
Mark Zuckerberg - co-founder of Facebook and founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which focuses on personalized learning, education research, and other education-related initiatives.
Michael Bloomberg - founder of Bloomberg LP and former mayor of New York City, who has supported various education reform initiatives, including charter schools and teacher evaluation systems.
Laurene Powell Jobs - widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and founder of the Emerson Collective, which invests in education reform and other social justice initiatives.
Eli Broad - founder of the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which has supported charter schools and other education reform initiatives.
Reed Hastings - co-founder and CEO of Netflix, who has been a vocal advocate for charter schools and education reform.
Pierre Omidyar - founder of eBay and founder of the Omidyar Network, which has invested in education reform and other social impact initiatives.
Charles Koch - co-owner and CEO of Koch Industries, who has supported various education reform initiatives, including school choice and reducing government involvement in education.
John Arnold - former energy trader and founder of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, which has supported education reform initiatives such as charter schools and teacher evaluations.
Jim Walton - heir to the Walmart fortune and a supporter of education reform initiatives in Arkansas.
Alice Walton - heir to the Walmart fortune and a supporter of education reform initiatives in Arkansas.
Steve Jobs (posthumously) - former CEO of Apple, who was known for his interest in education and support of initiatives such as the Khan Academy.
John Paulson - founder of Paulson & Co. hedge fund, who has supported education reform initiatives in New York City.
Julian Robertson - founder of Tiger Management hedge fund, who has supported education reform initiatives in New York City.
Ken Griffin - founder of Citadel LLC hedge fund, who has supported education reform initiatives in Chicago.
David Rubenstein - co-founder of the Carlyle Group, who has supported various education reform initiatives, including charter schools and teacher evaluations.
Eric Schmidt - former CEO of Google, who has supported education reform initiatives such as the Khan Academy and the College Board.
Oprah Winfrey - media mogul and philanthropist, who has supported education reform initiatives such as charter schools and literacy programs.
Sean Parker - co-founder of Napster and founder of the Parker Foundation, which has supported education reform initiatives such as personalized learning.
George Soros - investor and philanthropist, who has supported various education reform initiatives, including increasing access to higher education and supporting open society foundations that advocate for education reform.