The GSV Big 10: Control. Alt. Elite.
The GSV Big 10: Control. Alt. Elite.
Here's your weekly coverage corner for the top 10 stories, insights, and major plays in learning and skilling.
#1 Here’s What Colleges Are, and Aren’t, Saying About the Israel-Hamas War
The sound of silence. If anything screams how morally lost our academic institutions are, it’s the epidemic of laryngitis amongst leading universities. If mass murder and genocide aren't cause for outrage, we're not exactly sure what is. Former Harvard President Larry Summers was dead on with bashing of the leadership of Harvard and its peers last week.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
#2 Ben Sasse’s Letter on Israel to Jewish Gators
As a welcome contrast to the Ivy League's murky and mushy statements, University of Florida President Ben Sasse’s letter to Jewish Gators was a model of moral clarity and leadership in a time of crisis. Linked here are his remarks at the University of Florida vigil and his letter to the Jewish community.
WSJ
#3 Marc Rowan: University Donors, Close Your Checkbooks
In our view, Bari Weiss and The Free Press did an amazing job of reporting the reality of the unimaginable. It doesn't appear she's slept from last Saturday morning until today. In the realm of enough is enough, the Ivy League business model of using alumni donations to create powerful endowments is at risk, as major donors are done supporting the unsupportable.
#4 Public Charter Schools and the Chipotlification of American Education
“Chipotlification" (a tortured made-up word creating an analogy to Chipotle) means that parents are responsible for assembling components to provide every child a personalized learning experience. Moreover, charter schools are the “bowl” that holds all the components together.
The 74
#5 A Uniquely Terrible New DEI Policy
California’s 1.9 million community college system is one of the most powerful vehicles for potentially creating equal opportunity for all. Ironically, the system could be derailed by a new set of DEI rules that trample on free speech while telling faculty how to teach. As one chemistry professor put it, “what’s the ‘anti-racist’ perspective on the atomic mass of boron?” How about discrimination isn't cured by more discrimination?
The Atlantic
#6 New North Texas high school grows entrepreneurs: It’s a mall with a two-story school stacked on top
Opportunity Central looks a lot like the campus of the future. Over 60% of Gen Z students dream of being their own boss, so high schools should help them pursue that dream. College has been the traditional “starting line” for integrating curriculum and career goals… that’s moving earlier and earlier.
WFAA
#7 ACT Reports Record Low Scores as Admissions Landscape Shifts
As test-optional admissions movement continues to grow, the students who are still taking standardized tests continue to struggle. The high school class of 2023 had the lowest score since 1991, and 43% of students did not meet any of the subject-matter benchmarks. If nearly half of students can’t meet subject-matter benchmarks, how can we expect students not just to make it to college, but to thrive while there?
The New York Times
#8 33 Semifinalists Vie for $1 Million Yass Prize
In conjunction with Forbes 30 Under 30, the Inaugural Yass Summit in Cleveland featured 33 semifinalists for the Yass Prize, the "Pulitzer of Education Innovation." The 2023 semifinalists serve more than 520,000 students across 21 states and nationally serve millions when the education technology awardees are included. What was also announced was the Yass Center for Education, to help students, teachers, and parents achieve the American Dream.
The Yass Prize
#9 10 Minute School aims to democratize education for Bangladeshi students
A Megatrend is students' attention spans have become shorter and shorter. Bangladesh-based 10 Minute School (10MS) is the latest company using YouTube to democratize access to supplementary education for K12 students. Following the lead of Indian unicorn PhysicsWallah, 10MS started as a YouTube channel that scaled the education of top coaching centers in Dhaka through digital content. Now, 10MS looks to expand from videos to paid books, courses, and an offline offering.
TechCrunch
#10 Bill Gates Says Learning This Underrated Skill Leads to Career Success
Not exactly a groundbreaking insight, but having one of the World's most successful people saying Math is the silver bullet to success is worth hearing.
