Bill Gates is set to deliver a speech on education today in honor of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's 15th year providing influence to policy makers and school districts across the country. 

The speech will take place at the "U.S. Education Learning Forum" in Seattle this afternoon.

"The foundation is calling Gates' speech his 'first major retrospective speech on education issues in almost eight years,' according to education blogger and media critic Alexander Russo, who will be moderating a panel on 'unlikely allies' at the forum," said Education Week.

Indeed, a lot has happened in the eight years since Gates has addressed his Foundation's influence in education.

In 2008, after spending time focusing on small-schools and prompting focus of K-12 issues in the presidential sphere, the Foundation dedicated itself to focusing on "on standards, teachers, and innovative practices to support struggling students," according to EdWeek.

Since then, it has had significant influence on helping to improve teacher evaluation systems and training teachers to implement Common Core standards, two polarizing topics in education currently.

"Right now, the foundation seems to be focused on pouring muscle and money into helping teachers implement the common standards through 'math and literacy collaboratives' and raising up teacher voice," EdWeek said.

Gates' speech today will likely touch on the evolution of the Foundation's work in these areas and plans for the future.

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

10/07/2015