Editor’s Note: The following guest column by Microsoft founder Bill Gates appeared Feb. 12 in USA Today and Gannett newspaper across the country.
“I believe the new standards are one of the most important education ideas in decades.”
BILL GATES
Last month, Melinda and I published our foundation’s annual letter, about myths that block progress for the poorest. We focus on myths about global issues, like the myth that foreign aid is a big waste, but when it comes to domestic issues we’re in the grip of mythology, too. And these myths aren’t just wrong; they’re harmful, because they can lead people to fight against the best solutions to our biggest problems.
Take the example of America’s schools. Right now, 45 states are implementing new academic standards, known as the Common Core, which will improve education for millions of students. Unfortunately, conversation about the standards is shrouded in myths.
I want to explain why Common Core is among the most important education ideas in years.
The standards are just that: standards, similar to those that have guided teachers in all states for years, except these standards are inspired by a simple and powerful idea: Every American student should leave high school with the knowledge and skills to succeed in college and in the job market. MORE…
Indian River Guardian 
Thank you, Mark for publishing this. It is an important article that should be brought to the attention of the majority of people who have dreams, hopes and inspirations for the children of the 21st century.
Those who are opposed to Common Core are not doing the next generation any favors because the world of tomorrow is going to require current students to compete in the global marketplace. As things stand now, the USA is behind the curve and we have to catch up with other countries around the world.
You are welcome, Pat. My objective in posting Mr. Gate’s column is simply to make more information available to readers, in hopes that it will help them make sense of the current debate. Reasonable minds can differ on this and many other issues, but it is simply not possible to have an open, reasoned discussion, if people are not willing to listen to and hear from each other. My view is that if you cannot make the other side’s case as well as they make it themselves, then you are not going a good enough job of listening.
Here is a case in point. Today, I went back and forth with Mark Mucher and a few others from the Tea Party/Taxpayers Association camp on TCPalm.com. I was seeking some clarification from them about what current local government services they would consider non-essential. I was also asking for some clarification about what difference, if any, there is in the mission of the Tea Party and the local Taxpayers Association. Predictably, Mucher and his anonymous friends simply made petty, personal attacks. Minds are like parachutes. They only work well when they are open.
Thank you. I read the guest editorial from the Indian River Taxpayers Assn. published in today’s Press Journal. Frankly, I did not recognition the organization from their self-description. It has been my experience that those who are advocating for smaller government are not able to articulate what they mean by such a definition. All too often advocates for smaller government don’t really want to live with the consequences. A classic example of this phenemona is that our elected representative in the U. S. House of Representatives claims to be against government waste and yet he advocates for NASCAR sponsorships as a part of the Department of Defense budget. Unfortunately, he is not even aware at the lack of logic in holding the two opposing views.
In his recent book “Duty,” former defense secretary Robert Gates explains well how even the more conservative members of Congress perpetuate wasteful spending on procurement programs that seemingly benefit their districts. In truth, though, any and all wasteful spending hurts all of us.
The vast majority of great invention in the last thirty years have come from young people taught in common core education systems.
I’ve read comments on Facebook from people opposing Common Core. It sounded like they were afraid the Federal Government was taking away their “freedom”. Have not figured out which freedom they are talking about, other than the freedom for their kids to barely make it through high school; the freedom to watch their children grow up, become low-paid workers in dead-end jobs, and the freedom to never reach their potential. Judging from Bill Gate’s article, I’m thinking those against CC are totally misinformed about the end result. There may be some whose religion has them convinced that the US educational system will cast aside the Bible and install evolution in science classes. It would be a shame to see the rest of the world surpass us in the job markets and in contributing to the continued success of all of humanity, while we flounder.