This is an oldie but goody.

 

In 2014, Bill Gates spoke to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and called on teachers to defend the Common Core standards. The article notes that Gates had given the organization at least $5 million since 2010.

 

My favorite part of the speech is when he compared standardization in education to the value of standardized electrical outlets.

 

Lyndsey Layton reported for the Washington Post on the speech:

 

Standardization is especially important to allow for innovation in the classroom, said Gates, who used an analogy of electrical outlets.

 

“If you have 50 different plug types, appliances wouldn’t be available and would be very expensive,” he said. But once an electric outlet becomes standardized, many companies can design appliances and competition ensues, creating variety and better prices for consumers, he said.

 

If states use common academic standards, the quality of classroom materials and professional development will improve, Gates said. Much of that material will be digital tools that are personalized to the student, he said. “To get this innovation out, common standards will be helpful,” he said.

 

Now if children were toasters or microwave ovens, Gates would be right. Every toaster needs standard electrical current and outlets.

 

But if every child is different, then standardization makes no sense.

 

I don’t want to hurt Bill Gates’ feelings by saying this, but I think he is making a very bad analogy.