General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTime for Congress to Investigate Bill Gates’ Role in Common Core by Diane Ravitch
https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/06/09-1A new Washington Post story by Lyndsey Layton about how Bill Gates funded the Common Core revolution is startling. His role and the role of the U.S. Department of Education in drafting and coercing almost every state to adopt the Common Core standards should be investigated by Congress.
The idea that the richest man in America can purchase and working closely with the U.S. Department of Education impose new and untested academic standards on the nations public schools is a national scandal. A congressional investigation is warranted. The close involvement of Education Secretary Arne Duncan raises questions about whether the federal government overstepped its legal role in public education.
Thanks to the story in The Washington Post and to diligent bloggers, we now know that one very rich man bought the enthusiastic support of interest groups on the left and right to campaign for the Common Core. Who knew that American education was for sale? Who knew that federalism could so easily be dismissed as a relic of history? Who knew that Gates and Duncan, working as partners, could destroy state and local control of education?
The revelation that education policy was shaped by one unelected man who underwrote dozens of groups and was allied with the secretary of education, whose staff was laced with Gates allies is ample reason for congressional hearings.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)took donations from Bill Gates with computers and financial money for schools. Once you do that, you sometimes can't live without those funds and then suddenly the donor wants something back. It is really classic. I doubt anybody is surprised.
Dustlawyer
(10,502 posts)Most of the problems in this country today can be traced directly to the almost complete control the Plutocracy has over our government. They starved all government agencies, including public education, then co-opted them with private money and the lure of future lucrative employment in the private sector. Regulatory agencies have no money to inspect and prosecute so our laws become meaningless.
Wake up and fight for Complete Campaign Finance Reform (CCFR) and Publicly Funded Elections! I know it has become cliche to urge people to " Take our country back," but it is absolutely true in this respect! We no longer have Representative Democracy since "We the People" do not contribute anywhere close to the campaign contributions of the massively wealthy. Let's take away their ability to control government and guys like Bill Gates will have to go back to being just a rich computer nerd instead of someone taking over education in America. The NRA will lose its teeth, Wall Street will have to suffer punishment for their crimes, and a new group of politicians can go to D.C. to do the People's business.
chervilant
(8,267 posts)I spoke to the grandparents of a child whose father (their SIL) helped her with her math homework. Apparently, Gates and his "education" sycophants have seen fit to radically alter the way children are taught math. This father (an engineer) told his daughter she was "doing it wrong," and proceeded to teach her how to solve the problems faster and easier.
The child's teacher allegedly asked her how she did her homework, because she "got all the answers right, but used the wrong process."
I wonder how badly Gates and his minions have "rewritten" education standards...
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)doing basic math. The engineer did his kid no favor by restricting his kid's learning...especially when it would have taken him five minutes on google to learn the process being taught.
This is an improvement over the one-size-fits-all method you were probably taught.
chervilant
(8,267 posts)I was not taught "the one-size-fits-all method" of teaching, whatever that means. From my personal experience, and multiple encounters with instructors on various levels, including the community college where I taught before I moved home, I know that most educators learn to assess how each student learns, then to explore methods that most facilitate each child's ability to grasp the subject matter. Furthermore, I've had the distinct honor of having students share with me their methods of solving different expressions, which has given me opportunities (teachable moments, if you will) to ask these students to 'teach' their methods to our classes.
Is "better schools" your euphemism for charter schools? Just FYI, I attended a private university (Rice U. in Houston), and I experienced first hand a rather poor example of an instructor in Cal I, from whom I learned not ONE scintilla of calculus. In other words, "better schools" is not directly correlated with "better teachers."
Finally, I didn't get the impression that the engineer 'restricted' his "kid's" learning. And, your observation -- "it would have taken him five minutes on google to learn the process being taught" -- completely misses the point. The last time I explored a list of polymaths, Gates wasn't on it. And, math is the oldest game our species has invented--so, I trust that the methods we've developed to 'teach' math have yielded excellent results (other than Einstein, Curie, and the better known scientists). I'd like to hear why Gates and his cronies feel it's necessary to completely revamp how we teach math. Oh, but then, that presumes we are going to discard the 'several different ways of doing basic math'?
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)method that your engineer friend eschewed?
Your first paragraph suggests that the child's teacher was doing her job--assigning different methods to see what her students would take to. Your friend didn't help his daughter when he refused to learn the process.
Better schools means precisely that---schools where the teachers are well-supported by the parents and teach on multiple levels.
chervilant
(8,267 posts)Do I need to use the Google for you? Why not explore "Bill Gates' Role in Education Reform" and see how many hits you get?
Furthermore, the person I referenced in my first post is not my "friend."
Lastly, I am putting you back on my IL, so please don't waste time answering this post.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)I like the automatic assumption that common core is evil. Therefore Bill Gates is EVIL!!!
America's Epitaph. Too Stupid to Live.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)roody
(10,849 posts)methods every 7 to 10 years? Be sure that common core will be all wrong according to TPTB on 10 years. And lots of money will be spent on the new thing.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)he's slime...knr