I seem to be generating a series of posts in which I comment on the arguments of rich educational philanthropists (see previous post on Mark Zuckerberg). I understand there is a gut-level, negative reaction to what Zuckerberg and Gates have to say because a) it is assumed they are not educational practitioners and hence have little to offer and b) they are supporting educational practices (e.g., charter schools) that public school teachers regard as a threat. A more productive approach might be carefully analyze the issues raised [see previous post].
This Gates post suggests that teachers receive very little feedback (regarding what they do well). Would most educators really disagree with a focus on better feedback? I see the potential of individualized instruction systems to provide evidence of specific student strengths and weaknesses [dashboards]. Rather than suggesting such performance data are a way to question the competence of educators, why not label it as a way to identify the specific assistance required by individual students.