Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy The Gates Foundation won't permit acceleration?

I requested that my son be considered for a subject acceleration in math. His current math placement is VERY inappropriate.

We received a response from the principal stating that because the school is participating in the Methods of Effective Teaching Study sponsored by the Gates Foundation that no student can be moved once they are placed for the year.

But they had his test scores (all at 99%) and never considered him for alternative placement. Additionally, I tried to contact the school last year to get clarification on the curriculum, but nobody ever called me back.

Is anybody else in this situation? Does anyone have a contact involved in this study (I am afraid my email will get lost in the shuffle)? Anyone know anything about the general philosphy of the Gates Foundation? I know they have gotten some so-so press lately, but I don't think this is an issue that will get too many people fired up, so trying to puplicize it won't help. Anyone have any ideas?

I forwarded the response from the school to the Gates Foundation with the following note:

As explained in the email chain below, we have been informed that our son�s math placement is inflexible due to his school�s participation in the Methods of Effective Teaching Study sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

We have not been remiss in seeking appropriate placement for our son. Prior to the end of the 2009-2010 school year I contacted XXXXX Elementary and asked that a faculty member contact me regarding the school�s curriculum, but I never heard back. Very shortly after the start of the school year my husband and I met with my son�s math teacher and the gifted coordinator and this restriction was not mentioned.

I think it is very unfortunate that the Gates Foundation is inadvertently placing us in a position where we have to consider removing our son from this school mid-year, but I am confident this is an unintended consequence which can be resolved. Could someone please contact me on this can be achieved? It is very likely that there are other children in other schools who may be having their educations compromised as well. It seems obvious that it is in everyone�s interest, especially the students�, to resolve this as quickly as possible.

Is this a public school? Sounds like complete BS on the part of the school, trying to avoid something they dont' want to do. If a public school, no way in heck should individual educational determinations should be held hostage in order to secure grant funding. I would be making a big stink about this. I guess a charter school or something else might have some argument about this, but I would not at all let it go.

How much do you want to bet that you don't get a response from the Gates Foundation.

Cat

I found the names of some individuals involved in elementary education at the Gates Foundaion and emailed them as well. Some were undeliverable, but a few went though. We'll see.

The one to William Gates got returned. Oh well.

It is a public school.

I'd guess there must be someone from the district involved in the implementation of this study at your school. I'd poke around at the district level to see if you can find someone who can help you (I might start by asking about the study itself and how your school was chosen, and try not to mention your child's issue until you find the right person).

How frustrating!

I can easily believe that a school can participate in a study without getting informed consent from every child's parent - otherwise no school would ever be able to participate in anything! However, the study must, I think, have been approved by some ethics committee, or at the very least, there is a person running it who is responsible for its being ethically run. That person or committee would be interesting to identify.

My cynical best guess would be that, if this is not simple a lie, then it's something like:

Study organisers: Do we have to worry about children changing year group during the year?

School: Oh no, we'd never permit that.

Study organisers: Good, we'll write in that that won't happen, then.

School, later: See, it says here that children won't change year group during the year.

I realize now I was mislead. The principal is simply refusing to move him and gave the study as the reason. It's not possible that the study can FORBID a child changing classes.

I also found out the teachers get paid $1500. They probably deserve it, but it seems unsavory in this context.

We are meeting next week and I will ask exactly what the penalty is to the school/teacher stipends if he is reassigned (I'm doubt there is any). And how it was determined that a private foundation should be able to dictate placement.

I bet we still don't get any results.

I am at a university and do research in schools. Consent *is required* from the parent of every child included in the study. There is an institutional review board at the university and at each school that must approve the plan before it can be implemented. And you can bet they will reject the plan if it doesn't involve collecting consent forms for each participant.

I looked it up; it's called the MET Project. Teachers get small stipends for participating. If the school didn't notify the parents, they've probably messed up, and pretty badly, especially if they're giving surveys to the students or videotaping them for the project.

You could raise a legitimate stink about this. Basically, if the school is saying that your child can't be accelerated because of this project, and especially if the school would have considered acceleration otherwise (e.g. if there's a policy in writing or a law that's being ignored), the school is forcing him to participate in research without your consent. This is a pretty blatant violation of informed consent laws.

Are they making videotapes or any other records for this project, without consent? Again, another violation of informed consent.

See this article. Scroll down to section 5 (Research). Informed consent applies to social research as well as medical research.

I suspect that the school is the problem here, rather than the Gates Foundation. But they all have an obligation to ensure that they get informed consent.

I advise writing an extremely pointed letter to the school board (NOT the principal) pointing out that they've ignored your previous requests and asking them why they're forcing your son to participate in research without your consent. Use the term "in violation of informed consent laws." It will get their attention. You need to write a letter or send an email; don't let this go through verbal communication.

If the response you got from the principal was in writing, photocopy it or scan it and send it. If he gave a written response saying the study was the reason for refusing the request, the school could be on the hook, regardless.

I work in research, and people just can't do this kind of stuff without your permission.

From what you've written, the principal seems to have made up his mind and you'll get nowhere with him, which is why you might want to consider going over his head. From the school board's perspective, looking bad in public and causing a possible uproar over informed consent is worse than letting some kid do appropriate math.

Val

Thanks Val,

My husband found a mention of the study in the minutes from a PTA meeting last year. But we were not at the school last year and I don't recall being informed.

It's not impossible that I signed a general release in the rush of the first few days, but it would be atypical for me to have no memory of it. I could certainly argue that the implications weren't disclosed.

Now that I think of it there was a form that mentioned kids being interviewed by the media. I thought it was weird and I either crossed that out if it was part of a longer form or did not submit it. I remember mentioning it to my husband and telling him it was a bad idea - kids can say weird things. So obviously I was signing things in that vein but I was reading them.

You think I should go to the school board right way? Not wait until Monday? What about the district superintendent? I think the principal has made a blunder and I'd like to give her a chance to corrrect it.

Gently saying this: keeping everything verbal helps them ignore you. Keeping everything written down forces them to pay attention to you.

Val