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In higher ed, as the Gates Foundations’ power grows, grumbles do too

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the most active nonprofit players in higher education — to the tune of $472 million, Gigaom reports. … Given the scope of its activity and funding, it’s hard for the foundation to not be a target for critics. And it’s been the subject of educational debate in the past: Education historian Diane Ravitch has been among its most vocal detractors of its pro-privatization efforts in K-12 education and, earlier this spring, the Gates Foundation rankled some parents with its new initiative to aggregate mounds of student data with the goal of personalizing learning. … For example, some critics worry that a focus on measurability and experiences delivered via technology will help prepare students for short-term employability but not necessarily long-term social mobility.

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