Published in today's Seattle Times is an article about the Gates Foundation and how they have decided to allocate their funds. With a goal in mind, founders Bill and Melinda Gates, has decided to "identify and pay higher salaries for good teaching, help average teachers get better, devise better tests and create a national set of learning standards for high schools." Through these measure the idea is to double to number of low-income students who complete college or post-high school degree.
I find this type of charity so inspiring. I visited the Gates foundation website to learn a bit more about their work and learned that the foundation was started in 2000 and they intend to spend the foundation's money within 100 years. They see real problems in the world and they want to make a quick change.
The article mentions that the funds so far have been split 50/50 between scholarships and the improvement of high schools. This is likely why I haven't seen much impact in either my main placement or my dyad placement. I would love to hear any one's personal experience with the impact of the Gates Foundation, if anyone has seen or experienced the support of this very generous foundation.
1 comment:
I think they are also interested in National Standards, as well as developing a National Assessment. I think that was released last week as well, if I read correctly.
To some degree I think that standards for math, reading, writing, etc should be standardized. Are they not all trying to do virtually the same thing anyway? But let local schools and school boards decide on the best way to get there, and the best way to measure it.
I admire the ideals, and the desire to what to use their money for change. But I question things like developing their own assessment.
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