A nice column by Nick Kristof about Bill and Melinda Gates, who haven't given up on ed reform:

That's the amazing news. In contrast, they acknowledge, the foundation's investments in education here in the United States haven't paid off as well.

"There's no dramatic change," Bill acknowledged. "It's not like under-5 mortality, where you see this dramatic improvement."

But both Bill and Melinda insist that they aren't dispirited by the lack of transformational progress in education. "We're still very committed," Bill says.

One giant leap: Bill and Melinda say the foundation is now going to further expand beyond K-12 to also invest nationwide in early childhood programs. I'm thrilled, for I'm a believer that helping children aged 0 to 5 (when the brain is developing rapidly) is crucial for the most at-risk children.