Daniel Katz sets Governor Cuomo’s pursuit of “reinventing schools” in perspective. He invited Bill Gates to reimagine schools in post-pandemic New York because he shares Gates’ oft-expressed view that schools are obsolete (a view shared by Betsy DeVos).

Forget the fact that most parents and students are dismayed, bored and frustrated by distance learning. When you call in a tech guy to hsndle your problems, you can expect a tech solution, not a plan that is based on the views of parents, educators, and students.

Cuomo tipped his hand when he said,

“The old model of everybody goes and sits in a classroom and the teacher is in front of that classroom and teaches that class and you do that all across the city, all across the state, all these buildings, all these physical classrooms…Why? With all the technology you have?”

Katz writes:

“The implication is obvious: just as the governor has previously derided public education a “monopoly,” he is now suggesting that schooling as a social institution – one that draws students and teachers together to specific times and places – is “old” and in need of a shake up.

“Reinventing” education is a common theme for education reformers and with it comes the common critique that schools today are indistinguishable from schools of previous decades and centuries and, therefore, ripe for creative disruption and competition.”

Just because major institutions are closed does not mean they need to be “reinvented” or “reimagined.” Major museums are closed. We can see some of their collections online. Does that mean that actual museums are no longer necessary?

Broadway and all live performances have been closed? Does the shutdown prove that we no longer need live performances of anything?

Make no mistakes. The vultures are circling the schools, but they will leave empty-handed. Parents will stop them, as they have repeatedly stopped Bill Gates and his wacky ideas based on hunches that turned into fiascos.