Gates donates $51M to NYC Schools

[bfp]

NEW YORK - Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates (news - web sites) announced Wednesday that his foundation will donate $51 million to create 67 small, academically rigorous public high schools in poor neighborhoods.


"This commitment to high schools is critical," Gates said at a news conference. "I think it's the kind of thing that's going to keep this country at the forefront."


The grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (news - web sites) was announced at Morris High School in the Bronx, which has been made into five small schools with money from an earlier Gates gift.


"The small school really makes learning easier," said 10th-grader Siobhan Pearson, who attends one of the schools.


Among the officials accompanying Gates were Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Caroline Kennedy, the chief fund-raiser for city schools. The daughter of the late President Kennedy was named to the $1-a-year post last year as part of a bid to boost private-sector help for public education in the city.


Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, the onetime head of the Justice Department (news - web sites)'s antitrust division who once launched the case to break up Microsoft, on Wednesday thanked the billionaire for his "monumental commitment."


"We now know that these high schools work," Klein said, saying graduation and college attendance rates have grown dramatically at city schools with revamped curricula.


Bloomberg, who took office at the start of 2002, said the donation was the largest education grant the city has received during his administration.


"It's really the beginning of a new era in education," Bloomberg said. "We've had the old era for really too many years."


In an interview earlier Wednesday on NBC-TV's "Today" show, Gates said that he has faith that New York's schools can be an example for other educational systems in the country.


"The biggest challenge is in the urban schools," he said. "If we can renew the urban school districts a lot of that can affect the overall education system."


The grant announced Wednesday is part of a wider plan by the city to boost student graduation rates by creating 200 small high schools, replacing large high schools that are struggling. The grant will support the creation of 67 of those schools, which will be developed by seven nonprofit groups and will open between 2004 and 2007.


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[johnny861]

Bill Gates will always be a facinating person in my book.

He focuses on four specific areas for his philanthropy of which he's donated over $800 million to charities to date.

The four areas are education, world public health and population, non-profit, civic and arts organizations.

[bfp]

word... last year he donated 500M to india for aids research..

[Adam D]

Originally posted by johnny861
Bill Gates will always be a facinating person in my book.

He focuses on four specific areas for his philanthropy of which he's donated over $800 million to charities to date.

The four areas are education, world public health and population, non-profit, civic and arts organizations.

I wonder when Washington will start worrying about some of these.

[bfp]

Originally posted by WarLord
Methinks someone suffers from a guilty conscience.

It's the least he can do considering how he and his company have strong-armed the marketplace.

He's like a robber-baron of the late nineteenth century trying to buy goodwill by "giving something back".........bah.

then again, he could have kept it for himself. not that he doesnt have any money .

[bfp]

Originally posted by WarLord
Not the point, at all.

What, he should be lauded for donating?

The fact that he has as much as he does should be the focus, but so many in our culture like to lick the boots of the rich.

those EVIL corporations

[bfp]

Originally posted by WarLord
Thanks for demonstrating your tendency for jingoism and assumption again.

Small minds think small thoughts.....

Yours is about what, the size of a tennis ball now?

hehehehehe you moron... it was a joke...

you should go to your local psychiatrist son.. you def have a problem containing your anger. a bitch slap would prob do the job.

[randyc]

oohh a threat.

can we finally see you two kill each other?

i've been waiting for this.

[bfp]

call me out for weeks? obviously you havent been trying hard enough...

2061 West Hebron Pkwy Apt 2516
Carrollton, TX


come see me.... i will kill your sorry ass.. slit your fuckin throat, cut your fucking head off and piss all over your face before you die...


got it??

[Adam D]

get this on video.

[bfp]

i hope he shows up at my apt... i will kill his ass... im not going out like a pussy.. its all on the line.. death penalty i dont give a shit..

[Adam D]

That really has to be the stupidest comment you have ever made.

[johnny861]

Originally posted by WarLord
Methinks someone suffers from a guilty conscience.

It's the least he can do considering how he and his company have strong-armed the marketplace.

He's like a robber-baron of the late nineteenth century trying to buy goodwill by "giving something back".........bah.

I suppose it's better than not donating any money or volunteering time into the community if you can't afford to donate money...

How many people here volunteer or give on a regular basis?

[Satchel]

He gets plenty of abuse for the bad stuff. Nothing wrong with giving him credit where it is due.

I like this idea. It's just the kind of progressive thinking our country needs a whole lot more of.

honestly, this is what the wealty should do with thier money. give it back to the people who helped make them wealthy by improving things for the society as a whole. yes, my little socialist wealth envy side wants to drag him behind a pick-up. but he doesnt really seem to flaunt that wealth by like buying a small african nation, or a battleship, or a humongous mansion and dozens of fast cars.
ive never heard of him being obnoxiously wealthy.
hes just a cut-throat buisnessman.