A reader with an engineering degree read my blog about Bill Gates’ ideas for reforming American higher education, and he offered his advice to Gates:
|
I’m sure that everyone who has felt the sting of the Gates approach to k12 education will really love his cavalier, innovate, make mistakes and learn approach. How nice for him to treat not just one school or state but the whole nation as his guinea pigs. |
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Indeed!
LikeLike
indeed
LikeLike
Oh YES! Get this man a spot on radio or television! Bravo!
LikeLike
This was my reaction to engineering ‘education’ when I was in engine school. We had two electives in 5 years. We had English for Engineers and History for Engineers too. You can imagine.
So I got out. And I am really an engineer at heart in the way I do things.
This is why I object to ‘math for teachers’ as separate courses.
I would apply this comment to some law schools too.
And it sums up my feelings about Gates. The terrier image is correct.
–a retired math professor
LikeLike
I personally thing that the Gates should have to work in their factory in China for the rest of their lives.
LikeLike
Forgive me for going here, I recently read an article connecting Gates with a mild form of Asperger’s syndrome…any thoughts?
LikeLike
I won’t go there either.
LikeLike
Isn’t that the inside joke for engineers and/or professors at engineering school? Try to find the one who doesn’t have Asperger’s.
Knd of like a Where’s Waldo for the one with social skills.
LikeLike
Here’s my advice for Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation in regards to education: BUTT OUT
LikeLike
Or go back to work and get a day job like the rest of us. Having an endless supply of money doesn’t make you an authority on everything, but evidently it does make you arrogant. If you are so concerned about education, get certified or whatever the requirments have been reduced to and become a teacher. Do the job everyday for a few years, then let’s talk.
LikeLike
Bill is trying to buy charter schools into Washington State. The initiative (1240) hasn’t even made the ballot and he – personally, not the Gates Foundation – has put in $1M. The other donors? Paul Allen, Bezos family (Amazon) and at least 4 Microsoft millionaires.
Who says public education isn’t for sale?
LikeLike
Bill Sr was also trying to “buy” passage of an income tax on high wage earners in Washington State. The money earned from this tax would have been largely used for public education. See here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/21/bill-gates-sr-leads-charg_n_546774.html
Note in the link, “conservative activist Tim Eyman…said [the ballot initiative] would almost certainly make the ballot because of its wealthy supporters.”
Those darn supporters of public education buying their way onto the ballot and trying to buy passage of this law !!! (I am a supporter of public education so I say this tongue-in-cheek).
That ballot measure in Washington lost despite the backing of wealthy people with good intentions of creating a stable funding mechanism for public education.
There will always be people with money supporting and opposing public education issues care about but we have the advantage of having millions of like-minded teachers and opponents of public education don’t.
But we are losing the battle for support from the general public ! See my reply on “The Reformers ‘Fight Club'” for why.
LikeLike
The response to Bill Gates’ relentless assault to create schools in his own image was very thoughtful. Interestingly, when the writer mentioned that he had had difficulty with including a literature class in his engineering program, he hit upon a profoundly important issue.
I was a dual major. That is, I liked both areas of study: Developmental Biology and British and American Lit. That’s code for: I didn’t have a clue where I’d end up when I graduated. And the additional classes upped my school costs. More than once I was called into the department heads’ offices and was requested to chose how I would focus on one major or the other. I was allowed to complete both degrees. It took additional time. But attending university lo those many years ago did not cost anything like it does today. And today, having taught within the same system where I was once a student, I find my alma maters pushing students through cafe style so that room can be made for the next round of tuition.
While Gates’ continues on his privatization of education quest, we should be considering a teacher preparation program that includes studies in the pedagogy of teaching, learning processes, as well as a good preparation in the Liberal Arts. This would extend the time it takes to become credentialed, but it would increase teacher preparedness.
Now, let’s see how serious our government leaders are in their touting of support for teachers by demanding that the extra preparation time be fully subsidized.
LikeLike
I would just like to see an OSHA inspector drop in, or maybe the Fire Marshall or how about a no notice visit from the Public Health Department. Most schools think of safety, fire codes and hand washing and infection control very casually. Teachers are not legally privy to a students health history, we hang decorations from the ceiling and light fixtures, run electrical cords all over and have to work in conditions that often lead to health issues, but if we complain many times we suffer even more.Someone on one of the other topics brought up the safety of these voucher schools. We need to be able to verify 24/7 that our schools are also safe, and , most importantly, not worry about getting in trouble if we report something and EXPECT it to be fixed.
Would a surgeon do surgery if she knew the power outlets had a short and if she wants the overhead lights to work she has to jiggle the switch and usually it comes on? Would police drive patrol cars with bad brakes? Do commercial pilots just whop the cockpit panel a good one and hope the altimeter is going to work today? Can you imagine Congress if the Men’s Room toilets all backed up and they had to walk to another building? Or if the Senate Hearing Committees were short three chairs and someone could only find 2 stools and one of the Senators had to sit on the floor? Can you see if during the State of the Union Address the teleprompter died and the President just had to wing it? Imagine what would happen if at the state level all the court houses and government buildings budget’s didn’t have money for more guards and police so the judges, attorneys, clerks of court and court stenographers had to take turns on duty at the entry points? “Your Honor, you have lunch duty on Wednesday….”
Why do we put up with it? Because we have always been told that is just the way it is and because most all teachers are used to making it work. We want to teach no matter what happens. We don’t want to get in trouble for asking for something to be fixed and we try to empathize with administration since we know that there is no money to fix it anyway. So it they want to privatize; let’s make a list of all the issues we tolerate, work around, rig up solutions to, fix with duck tape, do without, bend the rules for and just plain can’t do and suggest they include these in their plans. Bet their profit margins will plummet since they can only get what the state gives us.
LikeLike
Okay, well, it’s “duct” tape (old English teacher) and teachers do get info on students’ medical information when it is required for health and safety reasons. But what you say makes a hell of a lot of sense. I’m with ya.
LikeLike
Actually both “duct” and “duck” tape are correct. The original tape is made of duck cloth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
And of course, ordinary duct tape is good for nearly everything except one particular task: it should not be used for sealing ducts. 🙂
LikeLike
wow. learn something new everyday. Thanks for the correction. True about “duct” tape and it’s efficacy w/ ducts. It has been known to be used on kids’ mouths in the classroom with great influence. That is, if what Michelle Rhee is quoted as saying is true.
LikeLike
As I read it, there isn’t a duck cloth but a cloth (canvas) w/ adhesive on one side with water repellant qualities much like duck feathers. Also, William Safire’s stab at it suggests the same. I will agree that calling it duck cloth or tape is correct, but it is not made of duck cloth (i.e., made from a duck). Of course, I’ve never seen duck cloth. Only its modern day equivalent, the plastic variety. Duck skin? Now, that would probably work better than duck tape on the ducts. Ok. I would never harm a duck.
LikeLike