A few weeks ago, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation released its new strategic plan for giving in k-12 education, our own Checker Finn expressed concern that charter schools and other forms of parental choice were missing from the menu. But in a speech at George Washington University yesterday, Mr. Gates himself cleared up any confusion by endorsing these innovative options repeatedly:
In schools across the country, we're seeing results that smash old prejudices about what poor students can achieve. High Tech High School in San Diego, Green Dot Schools in Los Angeles, Aspire High Schools in California, KIPP schools that have spread across the country, and YES College Preparatory Schools in Houston. These schools are doing work that should be talked about everywhere....These are not isolated examples. There are public schools and charter schools serving some of the most disadvantaged students in the country, and yet they are recruiting great teachers, making the curriculum more rigorous, using data to see what works, and graduating students ready for college.
Gates Foundation staff: got the message?
Bill Gates picture from Microsoft
Heart graphic by mystica from Open Clip Art Library
Genesis charter school picture from Sacramento City Unified School District
