Between 2005 and 2008, Governor Easley worked with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to secure millions of dollars to create small, autonomous public high schools. The schools, known as Learn and Earn high schools, became the centerpiece to Governor Easley’s education efforts. The state now has dozens of these schools, and taxpayers are footing the bill.
In a statement released from the Gates Foundation, they acknowledge that “Many of the small schools that we invested in did not improve students’ achievement in any significant way.” That’s two billion dollars down the drain. Now, the Gates Foundation is changing its strategy.
Based on what the foundation has learned so far, we have refined our strategy. We will continue to invest in replicating the school models that worked the best. Almost all of these schools are charter schools. Many states have limits on charter schools, including giving them less funding than other schools. Educational innovation and overall improvement will go a lot faster if the charter school limits and funding rules are changed.
The new direction is encouraging, but the problem is that North Carolina continues to invest heavily in the Gates small school model.
