Bill Gates: Invest in better teaching

[Hum]

Watch an interview with him Sunday on "Fareed Zakaria GPS" at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET.

(CNN) -- Today I released my annual letter. Each year, I reflect on what I learned in the last year through our travels and work with the foundation and how that will shape my thinking over the coming months. This year, my letter focuses on how important it is to set clear goals and measure progress in order to accomplish the foundation's priorities, both here at home and around the world.

Setting a clear goal lets you know what you're driving at: Picking the right interventions that will have the most impact on that final goal, using that information to understand what's working and what's not, and adapting your strategy as necessary. One of the clearest examples of the power of measurement was the work of our partners to support great teachers.

In the past few years, the quest to understand great teaching has been at the center of the public discussion about how to improve education in America. But for the country's 3 million teachers and 50 million schoolchildren, great teaching isn't an abstract policy issue. For teachers, understanding great teaching means the opportunity to receive feedback on the skills and techniques that can help them excel in their careers. For students, it means a better chance of graduating from high school ready for success in life.

But what do we mean when we talk about great teaching? In my experience, the vast majority of teachers get zero feedback on how to improve.

That's because for decades, our schools have lacked the kinds of measurement tools that can drive meaningful change. Teachers have worked in isolation and been asked to improve with little or no feedback, while schools have struggled to create systems to provide feedback that's consistent, fair and reliable.

That's why the Gates Foundation supported the Measures of Effective Teaching, or MET, project. The project was an extraordinary, three-year collaboration between dozens of researchers and nearly 3,000 teacher volunteers from seven U.S. public school districts who opened their classrooms so we could study how to improve the way we measure and give feedback about great teaching.

more at CNN

[simonlang]

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.

oh well mitt was so right in that debate, now bill says the same and obama does - ofc - nothing. when mitt was governor in massachusetts that state always ranked first in the tests.

[Joshie]

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.

oh well mitt was so right in that debate, now bill says the same and obama does - ofc - nothing. when mitt was governor in massachusetts that state always ranked first in the tests.

To be totally frank, I think the sort of people who think education can boil down to one issue (i.e., unions) are contributing jack to the solution.

Here's a truth of the universe: crap is complicated. Real problems will almost never come down to one factor that needs 'fixing'. There are no one-step cure-alls. There are no single causes. There is no "the problem". Crap is complicated, and what you've just said is nothing but a talking point. Yet another steaming pile pulled from the hat of political speech. Yeah, I mixed metaphors. That's just the way the cookie breaks the camel's back.

"It's the unions" is unproductive, inaccurate, childish, and not a sign of independent thought.

[linsook]

To be totally frank, I think the sort of people who think education can boil down to one issue (i.e., unions) are contributing jack to the solution.

Here's a truth of the universe: crap is complicated. Real problems will almost never come down to one factor that needs 'fixing'. There are no one-step cure-alls. There are no single causes. There is no "the problem". Crap is complicated, and what you've just said is nothing but a talking point. Yet another steaming pile pulled from the hat of political speech.

"It's the unions" is unproductive, inaccurate, childish, and not a sign of independent thought.

Agreed.

[Growled Member]

If the problem was simple and easy to solve someone would have done it by now. It's a very complicated issue caused by many factors. I seriously doubt that one answer will solve every problem.

[Richteralan]

Bill Gates is wrong. It's always the teachers' fault. And teacher's union's.

/s

[chrisj1968]

Check this out. this lady explains the purposeful "dumbing down of america". I believe there are a huge intelligent group here

OR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8RulhBVzbk

[Hum]

^ There is definitely a dumbing down going on.

[Growled Member]

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

[Anibal P]

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

Need to have as many people as possible dependent on Government for subsistence if you want to control everything, free thinkers are not allowed either, they get in the way

[jakem1]

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.

oh well mitt was so right in that debate, now bill says the same and obama does - ofc - nothing. when mitt was governor in massachusetts that state always ranked first in the tests.

Out of interest, have you ever taught children? When you're dealing with a class of 25+ children it's all about people management with limited opportunities to deal with the needs of individuals. If you're lucky enough to have a class of 5 to 10 kids you can actually teach them and attend to their needs.

It might seem like fun to bash unions but they're made up of teachers who know what they're talking about. If all you want is a babysitter then large class sizes are a good idea but if you want children to learn and grow then you need to create an environment where they can.

[rfirth]

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.

It's poverty and a culture that revels in ignorance. Want to fix the problem? Make learning cool again.

[Argi]

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

That's not true.

[Tom]

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

Uhm, no.

It's happening in place where the governments are cutting education. Countries that are still heavily invested in education; Finland, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan and Norway are doing perfect fine. The US has had a anti-intellectual mindset for a few decades now, mainly thanks to the tea party.

[Joshie]

...a few decades now, mainly thanks to the tea party.

TIL the four year old Tea Party has time travel technology.

[Hurmoth]

Uhm, no.

It's happening in place where the governments are cutting education. Countries that are still heavily invested in education; Finland, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan and Norway are doing perfect fine. The US has had a anti-intellectual mindset for a few decades now, mainly thanks to the tea party.

Really? What criteria are you using to come to this ridiculous conclusion?

http://www.nationmas...salary-starting

America #5, Finland #17, South Korea not in the top 22, New Zealand #18, Japan not in the top 22, and finally Norway, #8 in starting teacher salaries.

If you're going based on GDP, then you may be correct in %, but not in total dollars, you know, considering Norway's GDP is only $485.8 billion (2011) and America's is $15.09 trillion (2011).

The problem with education in America isn't how much that's spent, it is that there's no focus on actual studies, it is more on memorization. We have horrible standards of learning tests (at least my state did) that didn't really require us to learn the subjects, just memorize them. And there's a major difference between the two, at least I think so.

http://finance.yahoo...-213348441.html

The US spends five times more than any other country on education. So try again on America not investing in education. And slams on a grassroots party that has only been around for four years, really is ignorant.

Now, with regard to Mr. Gates' comments, I agree that we need to invest in better teachers, but one of the problems, at least from my perspective, is that poor teachers are rarely fired because of unions. Unions have no place in the education system, period. A poor teacher should not be shielded by a union, it is unacceptable for this to happen. There needs to be a body, even an international body, like CompTIA for certifications in technology, that teachers get their accreditations from that have to be renewed every few years or they can't teach anymore. This will keep teachers on their toes for knowing what they should be teaching their students. I had way to many teachers who simply did not understand the material they taught, or could not teach in real world scenarios. For example, one of my computer teachers was very book smart, but applying the lessons to the real world was incredibly difficult for him.

Our problem isn't a lack of funding, it is a lack of good teachers and getting rid of the poor ones.

Here's an article regarding this matter from a teacher who opposed teachers unions: http://news.yahoo.com/former-teacher-unions-bad-teachers-152100130.html

Edited February 2, 2013 by Hurmoth

[Tom]

Really? What criteria are you using to come to this ridiculous conclusion?

http://www.nationmas...salary-starting

America #5, Finland #17, South Korea not in the top 22, New Zealand #18, Japan not in the top 22, and finally Norway, #8 in starting teacher salaries.

If you're going based on GDP, then you may be correct in %, but not in total dollars, you know, considering Norway's GDP is only $485.8 billion (2011) and America's is $15.09 trillion (2011).

The problem with education in America isn't how much that's spent, it is that there's no focus on actual studies, it is more on memorization. We have horrible standards of learning tests (at least my state did) that didn't really require us to learn the subjects, just memorize them. And there's a major difference between the two, at least I think so.

http://finance.yahoo...-213348441.html

The US spends five times more than any other country on education. So try again on America not investing in education. And slams on a grassroots party that has only been around for four years, really is ignorant.

Now, with regard to Mr. Gates' comments, I agree that we need to invest in better teachers, but one of the problems, at least from my perspective, is that poor teachers are rarely fired because of unions. Unions have no place in the education system, period. A poor teacher should not be shielded by a union, it is unacceptable for this to happen. There needs to be a body, even an international body, like CompTIA for certifications in technology, that teachers get their accreditations from that have to be renewed every few years or they can't teach anymore. This will keep teachers on their toes for knowing what they should be teaching their students. I had way to many teachers who simply did not understand the material they taught, or could not teach in real world scenarios. For example, one of my computer teachers was very book smart, but applying the lessons to the real world was incredibly difficult for him.

Our problem isn't a lack of funding, it is a lack of good teachers and getting rid of the poor ones.

Here's an article regarding this matter from a teacher who opposed teachers unions: http://news.yahoo.co...-152100130.html

Based on actual research.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading

[Hurmoth]

Based on actual research.

http://www.guardian....science-reading

There's absolutely no context with that graphic. Also, I offered actual research. I never said that other countries didn't excel in education, I said that we spend more on education. We invest 5 times more than any other country in education, something you simply cannot refute.

If you're going to post a graphic like that, put some context with it that backs up your statement: "It's happening in place where the governments are cutting education. Countries that are still heavily invested in education: ..." Either you didn't mean to say that or you are clueless to your own argument.

[Salutary7]

Investing in education is hugely important, but even if school districts are capable of putting resources toward positive change, that doesn't mean they always will. I did part time work for a school district years ago, for a which a family member is still a full time employee. The ineptitude of the board/administration led to millions in practically wasted tax dollars. Not saying this is typical across America, but it does seem that the people in charge are often far too disconnected from the needs of students and teachers. It's OK to say we need more effective teachers, but they, even with unions, are still at the mercy of the districts' ineffective decisions. It would be more useful to look at improving systemic problems over incidental ones.

[linsook]

Now, with regard to Mr. Gates' comments, I agree that we need to invest in better teachers, but one of the problems, at least from my perspective, is that poor teachers are rarely fired because of unions. Unions have no place in the education system, period. A poor teacher should not be shielded by a union, it is unacceptable for this to happen. There needs to be a body, even an international body, like CompTIA for certifications in technology, that teachers get their accreditations from that have to be renewed every few years or they can't teach anymore. This will keep teachers on their toes for knowing what they should be teaching their students. I had way to many teachers who simply did not understand the material they taught, or could not teach in real world scenarios. For example, one of my computer teachers was very book smart, but applying the lessons to the real world was incredibly difficult for him.

Our problem isn't a lack of funding, it is a lack of good teachers and getting rid of the poor ones.

The problem is how do you prove a teacher is a poor one? This is where the wonders of the Gates Foundation's research comes in. Their Measures of Effective Teaching, can finally give a more definite answer on who the best teachers are and provide a more comprehensive feedback to those who lack effectiveness, on how they can improve. They are also trying to discover what makes the best teachers so effective so they can better train the average and poor teachers. Now those who do not improve, you will now have a strong case to get them terminated. Bill recognizes that funding is not the major issue, but rather the level of teaching effectiveness. He has also spoken out against seniority based salary and arbitrary salary grade increases for those who obtain advanced degrees while teaching, saying neither increases the effectiveness of a teacher. However Gates does not openly criticize the unions, but rather works with them. I believe, that he believes, this is the key. Providing the knowledge and tools to nurture the good teachers, train others to become better and give a definitive answer on those who are bad so you can better remove them.

[Richteralan]

The problem is how do you prove a teacher is a poor one? This is where the wonders of the Gates Foundation's research comes in. Their Measures of Effective Teaching, can finally give a more definite answer on who the best teachers are and provide a more comprehensive feedback to those who lack effectiveness, on how they can improve. They are also trying to discover what makes the best teachers so effective so they can better train the average and poor teachers. Now those who do not improve, you will now have a strong case to get them terminated. Bill recognizes that funding is not the major issue, but rather the level of teaching effectiveness. He has also spoken out against seniority based salary and arbitrary salary grade increases for those who obtain advanced degrees while teaching, saying neither increases the effectiveness of a teacher. However Gates does not openly criticize the unions, but rather works with them. I believe, that he believes, this is the key. Providing the knowledge and tools to nurture the good teachers, train others to become better and give a definitive answer on those who are bad so you can better remove them.

All these are excellent points, but until the USA as a society starting to respect teachers, especially in the K-12, none of these will really be "effective."

[Guest seanseany]

but until the USA as a society starting to respect teachers,

Hope grammar is top of the agenda !