Author Archives: William

In a Jonathan Alter Newsweek article on Bill Gates’ involvement in education reform efforts, Gates lists some questions he’d want to ask the woman Alter describes as his “chief adversary” in the education reform debate, Diane Ravitch. As WaPo education columnist Valerie Straus puts it: It’s the world’s richest (or second richest) man vs. an education historian and New York University research professor. In her column, Straus gave Ravitch an opportunity to answer those questions. It’s a good opportunity to hear responses from the side of the education reform argument that (so far) has had a much smaller megaphone. Here’s one interesting passage: Gates: “Does she think all those ‘dropout factories’ are lonely?” Ravitch: “This may come as a surprise to … More >>