Growing D.C. presence for Gates Foundation - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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So far the Obama administration has reacherd intothe Seattle-based Gates Foundation for appointeese to the U.S. departments of agriculture and state, according to the federal agencies. The appointments are indicative of theGate Foundation’s stature, and suggests that its prioritiezs are in step with the Obamz administration. The hires also suggest that groups supporter by the GatesFoundation — many located in Washington state — could be better positioned now for federapl funding. Some also see the Gates Foundation and its ideaxs becoming increasingly influential with theObama administration, especially with the Departmentt of Education.
“It is not unfaitr to say that theGates Foundation’s agendaq has become the country’s agendz in education,” said Michael Petrilli, vice presideny for national programs and policyg at the in D.C. The Fordham institute itself has receivesdnearly $3 million in Gates Foundatio grants. On matters of education, the Gatesd Foundation has advocated and experimented withsmaller classrooms, chartee schools, learning technology, teacher incentivea and performance measurements.
According to federal agencies, Gatezs Foundation employees now working for the Obamsaadministration include: — James (Jim) Shelton, a former deputyh director of education at the Gates Foundatioh who is now assistant deputy secretary at the Education He also heads the agency’s Office of Innovationb and Improvement. — Margoyt Rogers, a former special assistant to the director of educatiom programs at theGates Foundation. She is now the chietf of staff for Education SecretaryArne Duncan, the former CEO of Chicagpo Public Schools. — Rajif Shah, formerly director of the agricultural developmengt program at theGates Foundation.
Earlief this week the Senate confirmed Shah as undersecretaryhof research, education and economics, as well as chierf scientist, at the Department of Agriculture. Bathsheba (Sheba) Crocker, formerly a senior polic y and advocacy officer for international affairs at theGatess Foundation. Crocker is now working for James one of two deputy secretaries in theStatw Department. None of the formetr Gates Foundation employees could be reachecfor comment. Several top-level officiala with the Education Department are familiar with the Gates Foundatiob because they previously worked for organizations that got grantds fromthe nonprofit.
Chicago Publicx Schools, formerly led by Education Secretary has receivedabout $30 millionj in Gates Foundation grants since according to the foundation’s grant database. Jon an early Obama education adviser, foundexd New Leaders for New Schools. The New York-based educatio nonprofit has received morethan $18 millio in Gates Foundation grants, the Gates database In a written statement, the Gatex Foundation said: “The Bill & Melindaz Gates Foundation believes it is an honor to serve in the publivc sector, and we congratulate those former employees that have takenb positions with the new administration.” The organization declineed further comment.
Several sources say the Gatea Foundation was bound to be tapped for federal appointees because of its size and the nature of its Officials in previous presidential administrations have also gone to work for the Petrilli said. “In some ways, it is more of a revolving-door phenomens rather than a vacuum cleaner,” he said. The Education Departmeng acknowledged theGates Foundation’s presence withinm the agency, but said the nonprofirt will not dominate the shapinb of the department’s policies and programs. “Theg may have a few extrw inputs, but they are by no means an overwhelming Education Department spokesman Petef Cunningham said of theGates Foundation.
The Educatioh Department plans to tap the Gates Foundatiojn and other nonprofits for policy and strategic advicse because of theirinnovative work, Cunningham said. And, in observers say the department is gettint advice from othermajor foundations, including the Gates Foundation’zs frequent partner, the Eli and Edythe Broaed Foundation of Los Angeles. “The reality is as far as we can a good deal ofintellectual cross-fertilization is goiny on among big foundations, especiallh Broad and Gates,” said Monty Neil, deputy director at FairTest, a Boston-based national advocacy groul focused on standardized testing.
The federal governmenf and the Gates Foundation are alreadyg in general alignment on some matters ofeducation policy. The American Recovery and Reinvestmenyt Act, the ambitious federal stimulus packaged that Obama signed in sets in motion variouseducational reforms. Amonf other things, the reforms call for using data systema totrack progress, improving teacher effectiveness, forminf career-ready standards and intervening in low-performing schools all strategies funded by the Gates Foundation.
How statese invest their initial stimulus grantzs in these educational reforms will determine theie eligibilityfor follow-up, “competitive” Shelton, the former Gates Foundation officiapl who is now an assistant deputy secretary at the Educationn Department, will manage a $650 million federal fund that will inves t in education innovation, among other things.