New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced a plan to rethink or "reimagine" brick-and-mortar education when schools reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. His partner? Bill Gates, whose educational initiatives, such as the much-despised Common Core standards, have proven to be abysmal failures.

Cuomo's vague references to what might actually change in education, including his questioning of whether "the old model of in-person learning is obsolete," have both public-school advocates and parents' rights supporters on edge. These groups are wary of the Gates Foundation's involvement, which would presumably focus on funding more technology, whether in the classroom, at home, or, as Cuomo referenced: "[B]y recreating larger class or lecture hall environments with virtual classrooms." The governor further warned that "the old model of our education system where everyone sits in a classroom is not going to work in the new normal."

Cuomo's announcement was almost immediately greeted by criticism. The Gothamist reported on May 6 that at least five organizations had already spoken out against it, including the Alliance for Quality Education. The Alliance's executive director Jasmine Gripper said, "This collaboration raises a red flag and real questions about what shape our 'reimagined' public schools will take post-pandemic, and whether they will be recognizable as public schools at all."

While some might applaud the fact that the current public school system could become unrecognizable, the new format would likely not mean improvement in the true sense of traditional liberal education.

Another coalition of diverse groups, including the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, the New York State Allies for Public Education, and Class Size Matters, signed a letter opposing the Cuomo-Gates Foundation partnership following the governor's announcement. The Gothamist quoted the letter as stating in part: "Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation have promoted one failed educational initiative after another, causing huge disaffection in districts throughout the state. Whether that be the high-handed push by the Gates Foundation for the invalid Common Core standards, unreliable teacher evaluation linked to test scores, or privacy-violating data-collection via the corporation known as inBloom Inc., the education of our children has been repeatedly put at risk by their non-evidence based 'solutions,' which were implemented without parent input and despite significant public opposition."

Perhaps predictably, teacher organizations are opposed to the notion of abandoning the traditional in-classroom model, calling for "robust school staffing, even outside of a physical classroom." The New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta advocates including "educators as the experts they are by involving them in these discussions about improving our public education system for every student."

Whether the hazy new model of education that Cuomo and Gates envision will gain traction remains to be seen, but the Gates Foundation has "committed to work with New York State on its efforts to ensure equitable access to education for its students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Of course, the hope remains among parents' rights advocates that homeschooling and other educational choice initiatives will win out as the best alternatives for students in the post-coronavirus era.

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