[euroclydon]

I'm not sure what your alternative to a "startup" is, a lobby group or advocacy group? Should Khan, Resig and the others quit and become teachers in the school system or work for Obama?

I'm a big fan of changing (disrupting, making less relevant) systems from the outside. Maybe KA won't bring about the change you seek, maybe it will take homeschoolers, or the Internet, or society taking advantage of the technology we have so one parent can stay home.

[hokua]

I think Khan should be a teacher at least for a year. He would realize his stuff is a great for those students who already have access to good mentors (parents, teachers). But for those students with parents who don't value education and are stuck in bad schools, these students need a good teacher not video lectures. My point is that let's not pretend KA addresses the fundamental problem in Ed.

[euroclydon]

Ah, and here is where you and I differ quite substantially in our opinions. Schools, school boards, books, and basically everything but parents and the quality of their parenting, comprise "education" to me, at least the "education" which society should tackle when they talk about education.

The problem you speak of is a deficient family rearing environment. That can be addressed by programs like The Boys and Girls Club, YMCAs, and similar, but educators should not think it's their responsibility to overcome deficient parenting -- that's dangerous.