During my tenure as a volunteer art teacher for reputable educational institutions, I discovered that not-for-profit organizations share a common flaw - the need to justify bigger grants every year. None of these institutions have programs to make themselves self-sufficient and eventually independent. By the time that a grant is funneled to institutions, a percentage, however small, will be diverted towards unintended purposes. It is more convenient for these institutions to show hardship every year, than to try to become independent. The need for bigger grants eventually transforms them into fund-raising organizations just to cover the costs of administration.
The MFF is based on the idea of rewarding philanthropists for their contribution to education, just like an Oscar rewards those who have accomplished something outstanding in the film industry. Once the concept and purpose behind the MFF is established by high-visibility philanthropists or people interested in solving the educational crisis we can dedicate our energy to develop the MFF unhindered by the fear of having to defend and protect the concept as an intellectual property. It would be a catastrophe if someone were to appropriate this idea and deny us the use of it. Or worse yet, that it would become public domain.
The control of the MFF production and sale needs to be legally protected. Those philanthropists or institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to solving the educational crisis are the only ones able to guarantee such legal protection. The creation of a MFF is so simple that anyone, with contacts in high places, could appropriate it for self-aggrandizing reasons. The concept needs a powerful and respectable foundation to protect and establish it as a fund-raising tool created specifically to help our educational problem.
The acceptance of a MFF, made public by a well-known philanthropist or educational institution, would legitimize, copyright the name “Mental Flaws Floss,” and register it as a trade mark. I am willing to sign any legal document stating that all proceeds or use of MFF be solely dedicated to further alleviate our educational crisis. I will produce and contribute as many MFF as are initially needed to help with the cost of lectures and training seminars.
In the September 29, 2003 issue of Newsweek it says that The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation bestowed $51 million to New York City public schools and that the aim is “to turn some of New York’s sprawling and often troubled high schools into smaller, theme based academies.” My proposal will turn ALL of them into theme-based academies, and not just in New York City but in the whole country. I am sure that you’ve heard the saying “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The Newsweek article mentions that the Gates Foundation gift, which will be funneled through seven nonprofit groups, will create 200 more such schools. Nowhere in the article is mentioned a program that could make any of these seven nonprofit groups, or the 200 schools, self-sufficient and eventually independent of further grants from foundations.
I propose to teach the production of this distinctive form of art (MFF) to be sold exclusively through programs to be sponsored by corporations. This will, eventually, make the institutions self-sufficient and independent. In addition, paying students a minimum wage to learn how to create these sculptures will give them an incentive to participate in after-school programs and/or enroll in summer school.
In an article published in the New York Times, Sunday, February 27, 2005, it quotes Mr. Gates, speaking to the National Governors’ Association. “America’s high schools are obsolete” and are “ruining the lives of millions of Americans every year.” To address the problem, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it would give $15 million to the National Governors’ Association, “to be disbursed to states that take significant steps to improve their high schools.” It pains me to know that the Foundation, after investing $733 million in more than 1,500 high schools, still the problem of education is in a dismal state of affairs as described by Mr. Gates at the National Governors’ Association.
“Adopting rigorous academic standards,” as suggested by Mr. Gates, is only part of the solution, given that not every student is capable of excelling in academic studies despite how hard they try. I was one of those students. Regardless of how hard I studied, I remained a C minus student. I loved school but felt as if there was something wrong with me. The only time I felt as if I belonged was when the school needed decorations, banners, back drops, costumes or props for their plays, and they would ask me to be the art director. It made me feel important.
The problem is how to finance an education while supporting oneself after graduating from high school without any viable skills. Mr. Gates said, “What we know about graduation rates, the people who graduate and the skills they have – it paints a very scary and almost shameful picture of the contrast between the idea of education as a great equalizer and the actual state of affairs.”
I am convinced, and all I’m asking is an opportunity to demonstrate, that the great equalizer is an education based in philosophy and art. Imagine a society where students, by the time they finish hi
gh school, understand what they read, know how to think conceptually, know how to read and write music, know how to express themselves through writing, drawing, know basic mathematics and know how to create an MFF to support themselves and further their education. I am the poster child for this proposal. I need the help of a philanthropist or a foundation to tighten the tourniquet and stop this money hemorrhage. I propose to teach children how to fish instead of giving them the fish.I am not asking to lower the standards of education to accommodate mediocrity. If anything, I am just providing an extra set of tools to help improve the existing educational crisis that throwing money at the problem has not been able to solve. What I propose is an art and philosophy program which would parallel the rigorous academic standards of education. All of this can be accomplished and funded by the sales of Mental Flaws Floss created by the students through after-school and summer school programs.
The MFF is based on the idea of rewarding philanthropists for their contribution to education, just like an Oscar rewards those who have accomplished something outstanding in the film industry. Once the concept and purpose behind the MFF is established by high-visibility philanthropists or people interested in solving the educational crisis we can dedicate our energy to develop the MFF unhindered by the fear of having to defend and protect the concept as an intellectual property. It would be a catastrophe if someone were to appropriate this idea and deny us the use of it. Or worse yet, that it would become public domain.
The control of the MFF production and sale needs to be legally protected. Those philanthropists or institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to solving the educational crisis are the only ones able to guarantee such legal protection. The creation of a MFF is so simple that anyone, with contacts in high places, could appropriate it for self-aggrandizing reasons. The concept needs a powerful and respectable foundation to protect and establish it as a fund-raising tool created specifically to help our educational problem.
The acceptance of a MFF, made public by a well-known philanthropist or educational institution, would legitimize, copyright the name “Mental Flaws Floss,” and register it as a trade mark. I am willing to sign any legal document stating that all proceeds or use of MFF be solely dedicated to further alleviate our educational crisis. I will produce and contribute as many MFF as are initially needed to help with the cost of lectures and training seminars.
In the September 29, 2003 issue of Newsweek it says that The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation bestowed $51 million to New York City public schools and that the aim is “to turn some of New York’s sprawling and often troubled high schools into smaller, theme based academies.” My proposal will turn ALL of them into theme-based academies, and not just in New York City but in the whole country. I am sure that you’ve heard the saying “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The Newsweek article mentions that the Gates Foundation gift, which will be funneled through seven nonprofit groups, will create 200 more such schools. Nowhere in the article is mentioned a program that could make any of these seven nonprofit groups, or the 200 schools, self-sufficient and eventually independent of further grants from foundations.
I propose to teach the production of this distinctive form of art (MFF) to be sold exclusively through programs to be sponsored by corporations. This will, eventually, make the institutions self-sufficient and independent. In addition, paying students a minimum wage to learn how to create these sculptures will give them an incentive to participate in after-school programs and/or enroll in summer school.
In an article published in the New York Times, Sunday, February 27, 2005, it quotes Mr. Gates, speaking to the National Governors’ Association. “America’s high schools are obsolete” and are “ruining the lives of millions of Americans every year.” To address the problem, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it would give $15 million to the National Governors’ Association, “to be disbursed to states that take significant steps to improve their high schools.” It pains me to know that the Foundation, after investing $733 million in more than 1,500 high schools, still the problem of education is in a dismal state of affairs as described by Mr. Gates at the National Governors’ Association.
“Adopting rigorous academic standards,” as suggested by Mr. Gates, is only part of the solution, given that not every student is capable of excelling in academic studies despite how hard they try. I was one of those students. Regardless of how hard I studied, I remained a C minus student. I loved school but felt as if there was something wrong with me. The only time I felt as if I belonged was when the school needed decorations, banners, back drops, costumes or props for their plays, and they would ask me to be the art director. It made me feel important.
The problem is how to finance an education while supporting oneself after graduating from high school without any viable skills. Mr. Gates said, “What we know about graduation rates, the people who graduate and the skills they have – it paints a very scary and almost shameful picture of the contrast between the idea of education as a great equalizer and the actual state of affairs.”
I am convinced, and all I’m asking is an opportunity to demonstrate, that the great equalizer is an education based in philosophy and art. Imagine a society where students, by the time they finish hi
gh school, understand what they read, know how to think conceptually, know how to read and write music, know how to express themselves through writing, drawing, know basic mathematics and know how to create an MFF to support themselves and further their education. I am the poster child for this proposal. I need the help of a philanthropist or a foundation to tighten the tourniquet and stop this money hemorrhage. I propose to teach children how to fish instead of giving them the fish.I am not asking to lower the standards of education to accommodate mediocrity. If anything, I am just providing an extra set of tools to help improve the existing educational crisis that throwing money at the problem has not been able to solve. What I propose is an art and philosophy program which would parallel the rigorous academic standards of education. All of this can be accomplished and funded by the sales of Mental Flaws Floss created by the students through after-school and summer school programs.
