Not much education bang from billionaires' bucks

Billionaires, with good intentions, have poured millions into a host of public schools systems across the country and achieved only minimal success, according to a joint study conducted by Newsweek Magazine and the Center For Public Integrity.

It's not that the money pumped into school systems from New York to California by deep pockets billionaires such as Bill Gates, Michael Dell, the Walton Foundation, and others haven't produced some results, but the impact on test scores and graduation rates were in most cases minimal.

At first blush, the disappointing results of these efforts might be seen as bolstering the argument that the answer to improving public schools isn't more money, especially in inner cities. Actually, the issue is how you spend the money.

Until the realization sinks in as to how deep perennial poverty, drugs and yes, racism, have decimated the urban landscape, neither misspent billionaire bucks, charter schools, nor efforts to dismantle teachers unions will produce a great leap forward for most urban students.

The goal of the Gates, Dell, Waltons, et al, philanthropy is apparently to cull out bad teachers by creating better ways to test student progress.

Hungry youngsters -- often born of teenage mothers with little or no education and with no fathers in their lives -- are going to have problems in school. Students existing in these circumstances are going to bring those problems with them into the classroom.

You don't need teams of Ph.D.s to understand that.

The $6.2 million the Dell Foundation spent to monitor students' progress in the Oakland school system, the $30 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the $7 million from the Eli Broad Foundation spent to monitor progress, shrink class sizes and raise test scores yielded desultory results.

Indeed when they realized their money and methods were not having the desired effect, the Dell Foundation made the rational decision to stop throwing good money after bad.

Tony Smith, Oakland's current superintendent, has adopted his own approach of a "full district community district," which addresses problems of nutrition and racism.

Parade of patriotism | Crescent City California News, Sports ...

Foggy skies and a cool breeze didn’t deter people from coming out en masse Monday to enjoy the Fourth of July festivities in Crescent City.

The traditional parade began at 10 a.m. and lasted about an hour and a half. Lollipops and mints filled the streets as people riding floats tossed candy into the crowd.

That crowd included Christy Righetti, from Santa Rosa, who said she and her family have been making the drive to Crescent City to enjoy the patriotic celebration for four years.

“It’s nice to see everybody enjoying themselves,” Righetti said.

She said her family typically  goes camping in Oregon the week before and then drives back down to Crescent City in time to visit friends on the Fourth. This year, she said her 2-year-old son, Elias Righetti, really enjoyed the parade.

“He loves it,” Righetti said. “This is the first year he has a concept of candy.”

In between bites of a corn dog, Elias said he especially liked the fire trucks, of which there were many from all of the local fire departments.

The Crescent City Fire Protection District took the first place award in the parade for the fire department category.

In the walking entry category, the Jedediah Smith Mountain Men took first place with their pre-1840 costumes and black powder guns. Many small children covered their ears as the men and women fired muzzle-loading rifles into the air during the procession.

Pizza Hut and Renner Petroleum tied for first place in the business category, while the Smith River School’s marching band took the prize for best band.

The Shriners’ mini car club took first place in the car division for their zippy little vehicles and the Cornerstone Assembly of God got the first place award in the non-profit category.

Del Norte 4-H took first place for the best horse entry and the North Coast Roller Derby took first place for the remaining float category.

Rocky Jenkins, from Grass Valley, said this was his first time being in Crescent City for the Fourth of July and that he was impressed by the celebration.

“I love the parade,” Jenkins said, adding that he was happy to be out of the Grass Valley heat.

Once the parade ended, people flocked to Beachfront Park to shop, eat, listen to music and enjoy the remaining activities, some of which played out under blue skies that prevailed by mid-afternoon.

Waning crescent moon

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