Chan-Zuckerberg’s Chief Of Staff Reveals Plan For Big-Bet Philanthropy

Assuming we're both talking about the United States, no we don't.

"All the issues you outline are very much tied to education."

I agree, but apparently in reverse.

There's a constant backwards causation that people place on education - that it causes the issues outlined. That's wrong. These issues cause failings in school - huge swaths of children don't eat breakfast in this country, but we want to blame teachers and the education system for that child's educational shortcomings.

Of course there's always room for improvement, but this pervasive idea that education is at the root of all issues is just wrong. A good education can't do anything to help someone in deep poverty because they once had a medical emergency while un- or under-insured. It doesn't help someone that can't get a job because they have a felony conviction for minor drug use.

And cycles as they are, it's almost impossible to educate a child that lives with hunger or homelessness or violence or incarcerated parents...

I'm fine with people working to improve education, but a top-down approach hasn't worked yet, and isn't likely to work. It's like trying to improve hospitals without consulting doctors. Teachers are demonized but are rarely (rarely, not "never") the problem.

And surprise, surprise, the districts with the highest number of failing students and underachievement happen to be those with the highest level of children routinely immersed in poverty and crime and violence.

No amount of "No Child Left Behind" or standardized testing or Chromebooks in those schools will increase student achievement until the root issues in the communities are addressed.

Yes, they are. What you seem to be ignoring is that those issues cause poor education. Kids in a bad environment are going to have a hard time learning.

Which of course leads to less opportunities and the cycle continues for their children.