{"id":40,"date":"2007-09-13T05:53:00","date_gmt":"2007-09-13T10:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40"},"modified":"2020-07-25T19:06:22","modified_gmt":"2020-07-26T00:06:22","slug":"bill-gates-and-eli-broad-go-gangsta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40","title":{"rendered":"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: I wrote the article below two years ago. In light of Eli Broad’s takeover of the United States government and Kanye West’s latest outrage, I thought it was worth another look. It’s just too bad that Barack Obama is willing to take policy advice from the friend of a jackass<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>
\n<\/object>
\n<\/object>
\n
\n<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bill Gates and Eli Broad can\u2019t revolutionize public education alone. They need a posse. Realizing that they needed to appeal to more than billionaires and ex-Governors Ed in \u201908 teamed up with another education policy expert, rapper Kanye West.<\/p>\n

You may have heard by now that bad boy billionaires, Bill Gates and Eli Broad, are kicking it together. They invested $60 million (lunch money) in the Strong American Schools Project<\/a>, also known as ED in \u201908<\/a>. They hope that this charitable non-profit organization \u201cwill catapult the need for improved public education to the top of the 2008 presidential candidates\u2019 agendas.\u201d(Heszenhorn, 2007) One can hardly criticize an effort to get presidential candidates discussing critical education issues, but it is unclear if Gates and Broad should be steering the agenda.<\/p>\n

It is disingenuous that Gates and Broad are investing $60 million just to inspire spirited debate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne complication, however, is that ED in 08, isn’t just pushing candidates to have some real education agenda; it also wants them to support a specific trio of policies: more learning time for students, common academic standards across states, and tying teacher pay to things like subject specialty, performance, and working in high-poverty schools.\u201d (Education_Sector, 2007)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Gates and Broad have very specific educational beliefs and track records in American schools. Gates pushes small schools while Broad is much more pernicious in the way he spends money to influence urban education policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe says urban public schools are failing and must adopt methods from business to succeed, such as competition, accountability based on “measurables,” and unhampered management authority\u2014all focusing on the bottom line of student achievement, as measured by standardized tests.<\/p>\n

Broad wants to create competition by starting publicly funded, privately run charter schools, to enforce accountability by linking teacher pay to student test scores, and to limit teachers’ say in curriculum and transfer decisions.\u201d(Mcintosh, 2007)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These efforts can have a negative impact on the quality of education they hope to improve. In the new book, Letters to a Young Teacher<\/a>, Jonathan Kozol points out how the small school movement is exacerbating school segregation and suggests that Gates spend his money offering incentives for suburban districts to welcome urban students, complete with transportation.(Kozol, 2007) Classroom teachers and school administrators know well how the calls for business models, accountability and standardized testing has turned schools too many schools into joyless sweatshops.<\/p>\n

Broad runs academies in which he \u201ctrains\u201d school principals and superintendents, presumably like you would train seals if you wanted them to use Excel and focus on \u201cmeasurables.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does Mr. Broad really want schools run with the virtues found in real estate development, the field where he made his money? How much low-income housing has Broad built? Real estate quality has as much to do with school quality as any other factor. Have Broad\u2019s companies received tax abatements as incentives for development? If so, that money comes directly out of the tax base funding public schools.<\/p>\n

Politicians are already programmed to say, \u201cWe need to pay teachers more, but hold them accountable.\u201d They say that in their sleep. Gates and Broad are already victorious, except for privatizing public schools.<\/p>\n

Gather the Peeps<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gates and Broad can\u2019t revolutionize public education alone. They need a posse. Who better to hire to direct their efforts than Governor Roy Romer? Romer was so effective as the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District that upon his retirement the district replaced him with someone possessing no qualifications<\/a> whatsoever.<\/p>\n

Realizing that they needed to appeal to more than billionaires and ex-Governors Ed in \u201908 teamed up with another education policy expert, rapper Kanye West. In between drinking Cristal, feuding with 50 Cent and busting mad rhymes, West has had time to formulate a profound educational insight. Kids should go to school. Frankly, he may have spent more time creating his post-Katrina statement, \u201cGeorge Bush doesn\u2019t care about Black people<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some more wisdom from Mr. West…<\/p>\n

We breakin’ up again,<\/p>\n

We makin’ up again,<\/p>\n

but we dont love no more,<\/p>\n

I guess we f**kin’ then.<\/p>\n

Have you ever felt you ever want to kill her,<\/p>\n

and you mix them emotions with tequilla.<\/p>\n

And you mix that wit’ a little bad advice,<\/p>\n

on one of them bad nights.<\/p>\n

Yall have a bad fight,<\/p>\n

and you talkin’ bout her family her aunts and sh#t.<\/p>\n

And she say, “Muhf**ka yo mama’s a b^tch!”<\/p>\n

You know, domestic drama and sh@t.<\/p>\n

All the attitude.<\/p>\n

I’ll never hit a girl, but I’ll shake the sh&t outta’ you.<\/p>\n

But imma’ be the bigger man.<\/p>\n

Big pimpin like jigga man. (Lyrics from Bittersweet<\/em> by Kanye West)<\/p>\n

We Need More Leaders like Kanye West<\/strong><\/p>\n

I just received an email from Ed in \u201908 Executive Director Mark Lamkin with the subject \u201cKanye West Gets It.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday night I watched Kanye West’s killer performance on the MTV video music awards, and now I’m watching the number of views climb for his <\/em>new public service announcement<\/em><\/a> for us here at the <\/em>ED in 08 campaign<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Kanye West has made it. He has achieved the kind of success in his chosen field that we all wish we could achieve, and with a new album dropping today, he isn’t showing any sign of slowing down.\u201d <\/em>(Press release email from Ed in \u201908 \u2013 September 13, 2007)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/object>
\nIn a 2007 tirade riddled with expletives, Kanye said he should have won the prize for his video “Touch The Sky,” because it “cost a million dollars, Pamela Anderson was in it. I was jumping across canyons. If I don’t win, the awards show loses credibility,” Kanye said. <\/em>(AP)<\/p>\n

That Kanye West is quite the role model.<\/p>\n

Wow! We educators sure are lucky to have an infantile, petulant and misogynistic rapper on our team. I guess that\u2019s how Gates and Broad roll.<\/p>\n

I guess the best we can hope for is that Gates, Broad and West will pop a cap in TAKS<\/a> scores.<\/p>\n

Put your hands in the air and wave \u2018em like you just don\u2019t care!<\/p>\n

\n

Sidebar<\/strong>: Read what Diane Ravitch, member of the Koret Task Force of the Hoover Institute and former Reagan Asst. Secretary of Education has to say about The Broad Prize. <\/a><\/p>\n

\n

References:<\/p>\n

Education_Sector. (2007). Schwarzenegger speaks. Schwarzenegger speaks.<\/em> Retrieved May 4, 2007, from http:\/\/www.quickanded.com\/2007\/05\/schwarzenneger-speaks.html<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Heszenhorn, D. M. (2007, 4\/25\/07). Billionaires start $60 million schools effort. New York Times,<\/em> p. 21.<\/p>\n

Kozol, J. (2007). Letters to a young teacher<\/a><\/em>. NY: Crown.<\/p>\n

Mcintosh, D. (2007). Schools “Broad” Agenda. Schools “Broad” Agenda.<\/em> Retrieved 32.26, from http:\/\/www.wweek.com\/editorial\/3226\/7507\/<\/a><\/span>.<\/div>\n

Originally published Thursday, September 13, 2007 in The Pulse: Education’s Place for Debate<\/strong><\/em>
\nBy Gary S. Stager, Ph.D<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note: I wrote the article below two years ago. In light of Eli Broad’s takeover of the United States government and Kanye West’s latest outrage, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[446,427,435,434,426,436,425,431],"tags":[497,499,496,498,473],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classic-stager","category-education-policy","category-featured","category-learning","category-merit-pay","category-news","category-politics","category-teaching","tag-bill-gates","tag-edin08","tag-eli-broad","tag-gates-foundation","tag-school-reform"],"yoast_head":"\nBill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta - Stager-to-Go<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta - Stager-to-Go\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Note: I wrote the article below two years ago. In light of Eli Broad’s takeover of the United States government and Kanye West’s latest outrage, …\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stager-to-Go\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gary.stager\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-09-13T10:53:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-07-26T00:06:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gary Stager\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@garystager\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@garystager\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gary Stager\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gary Stager\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8bd320bea4758fc56f376ecdd9b8b184\"},\"headline\":\"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta\",\"datePublished\":\"2007-09-13T10:53:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-07-26T00:06:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40\"},\"wordCount\":1165,\"commentCount\":1,\"keywords\":[\"bill gates\",\"edin08\",\"eli broad\",\"gates foundation\",\"school reform\"],\"articleSection\":[\"classic Stager\",\"education policy\",\"Featured articles\",\"learning\",\"merit pay\",\"news\",\"politics\",\"teaching\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40\",\"name\":\"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta - Stager-to-Go\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2007-09-13T10:53:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-07-26T00:06:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8bd320bea4758fc56f376ecdd9b8b184\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?p=40#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/\",\"name\":\"Stager-to-Go\",\"description\":\"The personal blog of Gary S. Stager, Ph.D.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8bd320bea4758fc56f376ecdd9b8b184\",\"name\":\"Gary Stager\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/Gary-gravatar.png\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/Gary-gravatar.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/Gary-gravatar.png\",\"caption\":\"Gary Stager\"},\"description\":\"Veteran educator Gary Stager, Ph.D. is the author of Twenty Things to Do with a Computer - Forward 50, co-author of\u00a0Invent To Learn \u2014 Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, publisher at\u00a0Constructing Modern Knowledge Press,\u00a0and the founder of the\u00a0Constructing Modern Knowledge\u00a0summer institute. He led professional development in the world\u2019s first 1:1 laptop schools thirty years ago and designed one of the oldest online graduate school programs. Gary is also the curator of The Seymour Papert archives at DailyPapert.com. Learn more about\u00a0Gary here.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/cmkpress.com\\\/gary\"],\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/stager.tv\\\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta - Stager-to-Go","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta - Stager-to-Go","og_description":"Note: I wrote the article below two years ago. In light of Eli Broad’s takeover of the United States government and Kanye West’s latest outrage, …","og_url":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40","og_site_name":"Stager-to-Go","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gary.stager\/","article_published_time":"2007-09-13T10:53:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-07-26T00:06:22+00:00","author":"Gary Stager","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@garystager","twitter_site":"@garystager","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gary Stager","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40"},"author":{"name":"Gary Stager","@id":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd320bea4758fc56f376ecdd9b8b184"},"headline":"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta","datePublished":"2007-09-13T10:53:00+00:00","dateModified":"2020-07-26T00:06:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40"},"wordCount":1165,"commentCount":1,"keywords":["bill gates","edin08","eli broad","gates foundation","school reform"],"articleSection":["classic Stager","education policy","Featured articles","learning","merit pay","news","politics","teaching"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40","url":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40","name":"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta - Stager-to-Go","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/#website"},"datePublished":"2007-09-13T10:53:00+00:00","dateModified":"2020-07-26T00:06:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd320bea4758fc56f376ecdd9b8b184"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=40#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Bill Gates and Eli Broad Go Gangsta"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/#website","url":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/","name":"Stager-to-Go","description":"The personal blog of Gary S. Stager, Ph.D.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd320bea4758fc56f376ecdd9b8b184","name":"Gary Stager","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Gary-gravatar.png","url":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Gary-gravatar.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Gary-gravatar.png","caption":"Gary Stager"},"description":"Veteran educator Gary Stager, Ph.D. is the author of Twenty Things to Do with a Computer - Forward 50, co-author of\u00a0Invent To Learn \u2014 Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, publisher at\u00a0Constructing Modern Knowledge Press,\u00a0and the founder of the\u00a0Constructing Modern Knowledge\u00a0summer institute. He led professional development in the world\u2019s first 1:1 laptop schools thirty years ago and designed one of the oldest online graduate school programs. Gary is also the curator of The Seymour Papert archives at DailyPapert.com. Learn more about\u00a0Gary here.","sameAs":["http:\/\/cmkpress.com\/gary"],"url":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?author=2"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5488,"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions\/5488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}