The Gates Effect
Fast Company is running an article about how the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and others, want to change American Schools. This is something that I can honestly say I commend Bill Gates on. I don't however think that they can change everything or make a significant impact by just throwing money at it, as the author of this article implies.
"A couple of years ago, high schools were not on anybody's [to-do] list," says Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Now, suddenly, they are: With a boost from Gates's money, 472 new small high schools have opened in New York, Chicago, and elsewhere. Almost 400 more will open by 2009. The foundation has also backed the restructuring of almost 700 existing high schools, often by breaking them up into smaller "learning communities" focused around such themes as science, art, or technology.
Why? "America's high schools are obsolete," Bill Gates declared in a speech earlier this year. "Our high schools--even when they're working exactly as designed--cannot teach our kids what they need to know today." Fewer than 60% of Hispanic and African-American students entering ninth grade ever graduate. And many of those who do earn diplomas emerge ill-equipped for college or work. Gates's ambitious goal: 80% of all students graduating college-ready in 20 years, versus a third today.
As someone who has worked in the K-12 education system, trying to implement technology solutions in to the curriculum and seen first hand the problems they face every day, there is a lot more that needs to be done than just throw money at the problem and solve the issues through the use of technology. This isn't an Apple vs. Microsoft thing we are dealing with anymore. One of the main problems that nobody seems to want to speak about is the parents. No matter what you do or how much these kids get the opportunity to excel, it all starts at home. If parents don't start to accept responsibility for raising their children properly by getting involved and teaching them right from wrong, NOTHING in the world is going to change those kids pre-determined paths and behaviors.
What some of these organizations need to do is spend some of that money in educating PARENTS, not the students. In most of these inner-city schools, the kids are simply products of their environment. If the parents themselves are criminals, act like animals and set a poor example, can you really expect a different outcome from the children? It all starts at home folks. Until the government and school system acknowledge that and try to change the behavior at home through education and incentives like free tuition, no amount of money or technology will help these kids (or parents) succeed. And if the parents don't want to improve their lives and take the initiative to educate themselves and get off of public assistance (ie. Welfare), well then...you can pretty much figure out the rest.
I think a goal of 80% of students graduating college-ready is completely unrealistic. Take it for what it is, there will always be folks at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder and that won't ever change. Stop throwing money into programs and places where it won't do any good, and start spending it where the kids are on the borderline and can go one way or the other. If you can save those kids and push them over the edge into the right direction, then we have accomplished something indeed.
Magnet programs are a great start. As the article implies, creating programs centered around specific themes (what we call magnet programs), the kids seem to get more involved, learn more, and overall turn out better than those students who don't have that opportunity. If you can capture a kids interests, and get them involved in something they care about, you have won half the battle. And THAT my friends is where I jump on my Apple soap-box. Apple just plain and simply gets it. NOBODY else has the resources in education and can implement a magnet program in the arts like Apple does. I applaud Bill and Melinda Gates for their efforts, they are certainly on the right track, but the missing element is what Apple seems to do best - CREATE and INNOVATE.
Full Story @ Fast Company | The Gates Effect:
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