Bill Gates Speech to National Education Summit: "I am terrified for our workforce of tomorrow."

GatesFoundation.org ^ | 2/26/05 | Bill Gates

[macbee]

The education they offer is considered too "elitist" around here.

That's a real shame, isn't it? There was a time in this country when anyone who truly wanted to be considered educated devoted themselves to studying the Great Books and the trivium (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric). I'm just glad that there are teachers out there who are dedicated to keeping this tradition alive.

[Smartaleck]

"There's nothing stopping him, from demonstrating his point, and leading by example."

Well, if he were claiming to be a teacher ......

[Binghamton_native]

What some of us are trying to say is that education must be more than just a "technical" education. Many of the present generation are terrific technically but unable to think logically. Think about the possible correlation between the techies in the SF Bay Area and this area being the bastion of liberalism. See post 95 regarding the type of education that offers some hope.

[ladylib]

The teacher who founded this charter school wanted to open it in my county. He was constantly thwarted, not only by school officials but by town planning boards which changed their policies overnight about where alternative schools could be built. It must have been very frustrating for him. People in my county just love their cutting-edge, progressive, multi-culti public schools, and the feeling is that if parents aren't happy, there are always private schools. Unfortunately for so many parents, they are paying such high school taxes, there is no money left over for private school tuition. So much for public school choice.

He finally gained permission to open it in the next county in an old Georgian-style mansion. It attracts the children of immigrants and lower middle-class blue-collar workers, as well as minority children from the inner city. They do quite well on their state-mandated tests.

[Smartaleck]

"Many of the present generation are terrific technically but unable to think logically. Think about the possible correlation between the techies in the SF Bay Area and this area being the bastion of liberalism."

Think about this. Engineers are the engine that drive technology. Engineering is fundamentally math driven. A comprehensive understanding of math can only be accomplished with those with logic skills. Ergo, techies by definition posses some degree of logic.

Liberalism is a social matter and consists of one's opinions about how they see the world. One does not have to be logical to have an opinion. Lawyers, to be successful and effectively persuasive, must be logical too. How many hairbrained illogical laws and stupid results come out of that profession.....liberal or Conservative? Conversely we are a successful as a nation because of great legal minds. ;-)