Our schools are failing because of people like Bill Gates

[Count Olaf]

At a time when technology has moved so far so fast, our children should be smarter than ever..what happened?

There are so many educational computer games to help kids learn. My kids were reading and doing math at 3 thanks to Elmo educational games. Even low income families can buy the $10 game and do nothing and their kids will learn(granted they don't have access to Grand Theft Auto and the like) Once kids gets the basics down, technology can move them forward far faster than ever before. The learning company and others have created so much wonderful software, it is a crime that our children are not advancing instead of going backwards.

The government, realizing the importance of computers has poured a ton of money into the tech departments of schools. People talk about teachers not having enough for supplies? Well go take a look at the waste in the technology department.

Where does the money go? To educational software to move kids forward? No, the money is used to buy Microsoft office and other microsoft products, and new computers which need all new microsoft crap, and if there is any money left over they buy blackberries for all the teachers, who most likely don't even want them.

They are purposely NOT using educational software to educate our children faster and better and instead giving all the money to Bill Gates who then uses his $$ he took from public education to push charter schools.

There is plenty of money in the public schools, that is why they want to take them over. The greedy bastards were already in place siphoning money with corporate contracts. Greedy bastards serve in all administrative positions, taking more for themselves even as they fire teachers. BUT If they can pour even more of that public money into their own bank accounts, the kids will be even dumber and more easily accept their position flipping burgers in our new 'service' economy. I don't believe any of these public figures fighing for charters are doing it for the kids.

If Bill Gates really wanted to help education he would offer his software free to all schools. Almost all technology $$ goes to him, why doesn't he stop siphoning money off the public and allow the funding to go to something that will help children learn, not fucking microsoft office?

The people that think schools just need more money need to really take a look at waste going on. The money is there, it is not going where it needs to be. The administrators aren't going to fire themselves. The administrators are not going to stop wasting money on tech toys for themselves and new furniture and power lunches(oh excuse me-catered 'meetings'.

The schools are just as corrupt as the politicians that control them.

[NoNothing]

1. Please note:

Bill Gates is not the CEO of Microsoft any more. He cannot appropriate corporate resources for charitable works. And, as far as that issue is concerned, Microsoft actually has pretty generous licensing terms for nonprofits and educational purposes. I encourage you to take a look at your local school's budget and see where the money really goes.

[KamaAina]

3. An avatar is worth a thousand words

How's your MSFT stock doing these days? :shrug:

[NoNothing]

4. I have no financial interest in Microsoft, FWIW

Feel free to dispute anything I actually said.

[el_bryanto]

6. Why dispute what you said? It's so much easier to attack your avatar

And around DU, we like doing things the easy way.

Bryant

[Count Olaf]

7. my husband has worked in the tech department of several schools

He encouraged the use of educational software, found discount places to purchase it...but the money went instead to microsoft office for 100 computers. His requested purchase would have been less than $200. The teachers all got blackberries that year though, which most did not want.

[Dappleganger]

22. WTH do teachers need to be issued blackberries?

They have email, an in-school phone system w/walkie talkies in our school. Why blackberries?

[NeedleCast]

23. And that's Bill Gates fault....how?

[Statistical]

25. Bill should have used his Gates mobile to swoop in and stop it.

Obviously the fact the he didn't is because his is ebil and kills childrens souls for profit!

DUH. Isn't it obvious?

[Count Olaf]

27. this isn't just about Bill Gates

but do your really think he is pushing charters because of his interest in the education of children?

[Statistical]

29. Do you really think he is pushing AIDS funding in Africa because of his interest in people living?

Of course not he is pure ebil. See the goal is to prevent people from dying in Africa so he can work them to death as cheap labor in some future "Gates Corp" factories. It is so obvious. The billions his foundation has spent saving people lives in Africa and attempt to reduce the effects of an AIDS holocaust is just so he can make more money in the future. DUH. I mean it is so clear.

You are aware that Bill Gates is retired right?
You are aware that Bill Gates has no voting control over Microsoft right?
You are aware that he has donated roughly half his fortune to charity?

The single most profitable thing he could have done in the last 20 years IS NOT DONATE MONEY TO CHARITY.
Had he NOT donated money to charity he wold be $20 billion + richer today. Far richer than any (imaginary schemes) involving children.

I mean think about it for a second. If all he cared about is money ..... HE COULD BE $20 BILLLION RICHER TODAY by simply doing nothing and not voluntarily donating that money.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. That is the administration of those schools

by the way you are aware that the Education version of Microsoft Word is not that bad price wise right?

So did MANAGEMENT at those schools decide to buy FULL versions (I can see one or two machines with a full business suite by the way... though Open Office would serve the same role)... but the rest sporting home and student edition would be fine...

Oh and Gates has been retired for over ten years from Microsoft.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

Unrec.

Not even going to waste my time pointing out why.

[el_bryanto]

2. Look I hate Bill Gates as much as the next guy

But the fact that schools are blowing money on stuff they don't need doesn't seem to be his fault.

I'm fairly sure that Microsoft already does offer an educators discount on their products? Certainly when I was a student i was able to pick the then curent version of office pretty cheap and was shocked a few years later when I found out how much it's actually supposed to cost.

Bryant

[flamin lib]

5. Education is the last thing to change. Face it, it's all based on what went before;

Readin, ritin' & 'rithmatic.

Text book budgets are a dead end, when they are worn out or need to be updated they're junk and discarded. It seems to me that a Kindle type device built to military tough standards could be produced in quantity for the cost of one or two year's text book cost. Graduate to the next grade and just plug in the flash drive with the new curriculum. Need new textbooks? Just buy one DVD and clone it to the network.

Such a system would require: a stable operating system that doesn't obsolete all software every year, a hardware platform tough enough to compete with hardcover textbooks for longevity and a distribution system for upgrades to content and enhancements. None of these things are compatible with current business philosophies.

Keep in mind that these devices won't need the fastest processors or the largest memories. The railroad transportation system is monitored by barcode readers based on the 8086 and 8088 Intel chips. The only reason any of the system's components have been upgraded is that the old chips are no longer available and the new processors bring nothing to the technology.

It won't completely replace the number two pencil and tablet, but what a savings could be had.

[Statistical]

20. It isn't a technical problem.

Textbooks cost very little to actually print. $10 or less per book. They are sold for $150 to $300 per copy because it is VERY PROFITABLE for those writing (and selling) textbooks.

While I agree a Kindle like device makes sense don't expect textbooks to drop by 90% in price. They are expensive only because the people writing them want them to be expensive. No reason a history book can't be printed for $15 in bulk (and publisher and authors still make a nice profit). However why do that when you can sell it for $70, $100, $150, $300?

There is no reason to expect publisher's won't require the same high prices for etextbooks.

Kindle is still a great concept and it would in time allow quicker edits/fixes/corrections to keep ciriculum up to date. It would also reduce the huge amount of wasted resources in printing millions of textbooks every year (which have a very short lifespan).

[exboyfil]

36. No reason textbooks have to even be purchased from

publishers. Lots of talented mouths feeding at the DOE trough - why can't they write textbooks to be Open Source. Come on their is nothing innovative in the majority of them. In fact most of them are not very good.

[Statistical]

40. Agreed open source textbooks is the solution

ebook or physical book open source textbooks would cut textbooks costs (i.e profit margins) by 70%.

However schools tend to be conservative (little C) and "do things the way we have always done it".

For roughly a hundred years schools have bought textbooks from publishers. They last a couple years and then publisher offers a new edition. Rinse and repeat.

The reality is for many subjects there is no reason an open-text format couldn't replace published books very rapidly. Take math books. Not a whole lot has changed in last 50 years. Even if there was some upfront cost to come up with a good open-book initiative within a couple classes you would have a text for teaching say Calculus I which is free. Free for the next year, free for year after that, free for the next 100 classes.

Well reality isn't perfectly free. Likely small revisions will be made changing explanations, providing better examples, fixing errors but each iteration the amount of changes gets smaller and smaller. By the 10th year you likely would have one of the best highschool Calculus I textbooks in the world and future costs would be nothing (for ebook version) or minimal (for physical text version).

Convincing schools to do something that radical is very difficult. Textbooks is BIG MONEY and they will fight it tooth and nail.

[exboyfil]

41. Really I can't say the refinements accomplish much

I am Homeschooling my daughter with the same 1970s Warriner Grammar book I used (a solution manual is even available). I have pulled off gorgeous diagrammed sentences from Google books of in domain textbooks. I am using my father-in-law's Literature anthologies from the 1950/1960s to supplement.

I would put up my High School Physical Science textbook against what they have now. Also probably any of my math books. The big exception would be something like Levine and Miller's Biology textbook - obviously mine from my High School days would be insufficient.

I have found the Ancient History textbook to be pretty poor. Far less material covered, and alot of that material is trivial.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. fail

[Count Olaf]

9. you did? I'm sorry...but that doesn't surprise me.

You should have used more educational software as a child.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. You should have used more educational anything as a child.

A short course in logic would do wonders.

[Recursion]

10. Nobody's stopping schools from installing edubuntu

In fact, I took a job last year installing it in a school. Bill Gates didn't appear and slap me for doing it.

[Statistical]

12. Microsoft literrally gives software away to schools.

Your rant is very misplaced.

Microsoft Office 2010 (Home & Student) in Academic Volume licensing (100+ units) is about $12 per computer. That right not a typo, $12 per computer. Most school districts can get volume license for free (and is $0.00). Microsoft gives the software away for free because it benefits them. If kids grow up using it the company they work for will most likely use it too (and the license won't be free for companies).

"Almost all technology $$ goes to him,"
:rofl:

The tech sector is a $7 trillion (as in $7000 billion) industry.

You might be surprised WHY microsoft gives software for free to schools (and not just Office either, $20K SQL Server licensing, exchange, Windows Server, etc).

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/opensource/?p=1837&tag=nl.e540

[Count Olaf]

14. tech money in the schools

where does it go? Why aren't children using educational software to advance?

I have personal experience with this.

I have seen the amount wasted on microsoft products and it wasn't $12 per computer.

I imagine that for tax purposes Microsoft gives grants etc. and for PR...but then they are still taking major$$ from public education technology funds.

[Statistical]

16. It has nothing to do with taxes or grants.

Free Microsoft products in school means next generation of workers will know AND EXPECT Microsoft products. So they (or at least a significant fraction) will buy them for their home computers and companies will buy them for their workers.

Free software for students = billions in paid software once they grow up.

"I have seen the amount wasted on microsoft products and it wasn't $12 per computer."
Nobody is forced to use anything. The school board is making a choice. A choice you feel is wrong.
Who is at fault the board for using software you feel isn't worth it
OR
Microsoft for offering a product (and heavily discounting it).

Now if schools were required by law to buy microsoft products your rant might make sense.

[dionysus]

13. i'll take "absolutely full of shit" for $500 Alex.

:rofl:

[blondeatlast]

15. Write back when you have a fact to share. nt

[Count Olaf]

17. So maybe I am full of shit

I challenge all the people interested in their schools, to find out how much money is being spent and where.

PLEASE do it for the children.

And I am not just talking about Bill Gates. I am talking about corporate sponsored administrators as well. The system is corrupt. Before anyone talks about pouring more money into schools, we need to look at where it is going first and cut out the waste. Then we can give teachers the money they need for supplies, the janitors can buy their own soap and TP, and the teachers can finally be paid what they are worth.

How do administrators get their positions? Who holds them accountable? How many of these people are making over $100,000 per year and they have never even been a teacher? Who holds them accountable for their spending choices?

[blondeatlast]

19. I ran for school board--have you? It might be an eye-opening experience.

Again, write when you get a fact.

[Count Olaf]

26. no I did not- perhaps you can tell us where technology money is being spent in the schools?

Why don't the teachers have enough money for tissue paper and glue, but they have money for blackberries?

How many administrators in your district are making $100,000 per year to sit on ass?

[blondeatlast]

31. Too many admins, agreed, but the software comes very inexpensively;

I recall about $15 dollars per station for MS Office--which is more than reasonable. Licensing wasn't much more.

If you're so pissed--do what I did.

[exboyfil]

18. So should the hardware manufacturers give away their product

How about the food suppliers, textbook manufacturers, furniture, electric suppliers etc?

Just because it is Intellectual Property does not mean that it is free. Lots of free software options available if you are willing to do the Tech support.

I am not a big fan of Microsoft, but to be fair he is not the problem with the spending in the school system.

The first place I would start would be with textbooks. A Kindle like device for every student with open book access (this is something the Department of Education should have been working on for a long time). One Kindle like device bought in bulk would equal the price of about two textbooks.

Next I would make wider use of virtual schools. While not all students can learn this way, you can push a bunch of students through with this method thus reducing overall cost for the district. Even at parent paid rates, I can have my daughters take courses from the North Dakota Center for Distance Education for about $4K/yr. The economies of scale available from such an approach are tremendous.

[Count Olaf]

24. Microsoft is just one of the many corporations siphoning off public education $$

Why do they want to privatize everything? $$

yet everyone talks about how the schools have no money? Obviously the greedy bastards see the money available in the school systems, ready for the taking. It is just that they want more, and less accountability.

The corruption is already happening. If we fix the waste and corruption, we can save the public schools.

The public schools are messed up, and they are using that to push the charter schools.

They created the problem, and who benefits from 'the solution'. This is all by design, by the greedy assholes and their corporations, for the greedy assholes and their corporations.

[blondeatlast]

32. Then run for school board. nt

[Gaedel]

34. The corporations and greedy assholes............

did not create the current problems in the school systems.

These problems have been caused by school boards, local taxpayers (voting no on millage increases), uncaring parents, rotten kids, school superintendents, school district bureaucracies, school principals, in-school bureaucracies, teachers, clerical and janitorial support staff, and the unions.

The whole system is broke top to bottom. I am not a fan of private/charter schools, but we need some real paradigm changing movement to fix the schools (more money is not a paradigm change).

[Spike89]

21. The wrong is thick here

Aside from the fact that your big point is debunked easily--MS is most certainly not gouging schools, you're terribly wrong about the educational value of general use software such as Office. There certainly is some good educational software out there, but word processing, presentation, spreadsheets, databases, etc. are incredibly powerful and versatile tools that can be used in virtually all curriculur areas. Because general purpose software, such as Office, is in essence subsidized by business, it is actually cheaper in almost every way than the specialized educational software.
I won't even go into the pedagogy and cross-curricular limits most dedicated educational software imposes. The truth is that a good teacher will do much, much better for his or her students by giving them a powerful tool so they can do things that the teacher hadn't even thought of.

[Count Olaf]

28. the school has a computer for every 3 kids, but sixth graders can't do their multiplication tables

Elmo can teach kids multiplication by 1st grade, leaving the children to use their valuable time and formative years to learn more, move faster intellectually than any previous generation.

Why isn't that happening?

Why at a time when there is so much technology available to move children forward faster, we are instead going backwards? Micosoft office is not teaching children to read and do math.

[exboyfil]

37. It may be that the technology

is not facilitating learning. I had my kids doing all sorts of Reader Rabbit Math etc when they were young. I am not entirely sure they proceeded any faster than I did at that age using the old school methods. As a matter of fact my oldest was blessed with a teacher of the old school method in 4th grade - my daughter progressed faster in math that year than any other year. Unfortunately that wonderful woman retired, and my youngest did not get her. She got a youngling more interested in being connected to modern methods. At the end of the day the quant capabilities of my two daughters diverged at that point. It has taken three years for my youngest to catch up to the progress of my oldest.

I really think a somewhat different thinking process goes on when you have a pencil in your hand and are performing calculations. You really can't do the tricks we learned on a computer (for example setting up long division). Even carrying digits is a chore with a computer. Mental math and writing down is different than typing the answer on a computer. At some point you are going to face paper tests. Elmo goes quickly by the wayside.

[dionysus]

38. i agree with you on the benefits of educational software, but somehow blaming bill gates for the

problem is wierd.

i learned math with this silly colecovision game in the early 80s, it was a blast.
FOUND IT!

monkey academy. i loved that game. they displayed math equations that were missing pieces. so as this little monkey you had to run around, and pull down these shaes that had numbers on them, when you had the right number, you can solve the equation. they made it fun by having these crabs chase you around.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/colecovision/monkey-academy/screenshots/gameShotId,130576/

[blondeatlast]

35. Indeed. I don't like gates support of charter schools and privatization, but your point about

using software such as MS Office is spot-on.

[slackmaster]

30. LOL!

Wut?

[Uzybone]

39. so before Microsoft all our schools were awesome?