One of the goals of Seattle Works is to inspire.  As a board member, I often find that inspiration at our monthly meetings.  On September 15^th, we had a visit from Scott Oki who spoke to us about his current projects and his efforts to improve public education.

Scott Oki is a former senior-vice president of Microsoft who helped develop their international operations.  Since leaving Microsoft in 1992, he has been involved some amazing efforts in the community.  He has served on dozens of advisory boards for both for-profit and non-profit companies.  He also runs the Oki Foundation which tackles many societal issues. 

Initially, he talked about a new social entrepreneurship idea that is geared to bringing donors closer to the people that they help.  This effort focuses on people who are willing to donate small amounts of money to help those in need around the world.   With basic technology such as camera phones and free Web 2.0 cloud based services, this new organization will help donors see the impact of their contribution and build an emotional connection with the people being helped in developing nations.  By combining this effort with social media networks, Scott talked about the tremendous viral potential of this strategy.   

After that, he focused on his research on public education.  I was alarmed to learn about the following issues in the American school systems:

• There are more non-teachers than teachers on the payroll of school districts
• A large number of teachers have tenure which makes them impossible to fire even when they are ineffective
• It’s difficult to reward insanely great teachers due to unions
• Children are often socially promoted to the next grade instead of earning the right by merit.   This hurts the entire class as the educator must babysit instead of teach
• Parents have no choice in where to send their children even if they know the school is awful
• Standardized curriculums and testing have taken the creativity out of the classroom as teachers are encouraged to teach to a test instead of to the subject

The sense of outrage in the room was palpable.  Scott then talked about his recent book and his ideas to reform the educational system. The name of the book is Outrageous Learning: An Education Manifesto and it is available on Amazon.  I’ve had a chance to read it and it is brilliant.

The mark of a great speaker is the amount of discussion that happens after their ideas settle into the audience.  After Scott left, the board talked about his ideas and the impacts of the educational crisis on our generation.  Some of my closest friends who teach in our public school systems have been laid off recently; these are people who I would consider “insanely great”.  Several other board members mentioned this as well.  We also talked about how the WASL and the “No Child Left Behind” act have affected local school districts.   We also asked ourselves if radical change was possible or even necessary. 

I’m always impressed with the diverse experiences and opinions of our board members.  The inspiring session with Scott Oki was a great break from the tactical work around Seattle Works events and budget. 

Break’s over.  SWANK is coming up fast!  Looking forward to another amazing auction night on October 10^th!

I started salsa lessons earlier this week.  As expected, I’ve forgotten all my lessons from a few years ago.  My novice companion is completely embarrassing me on the dance floor.  She’s picking up the moves so fast, it’s ridiculous.  It’s going to take a lot more work for me to do this.  AGAIN.  I couldn’t be more delighted. This is where my perseverance intersects with my lack of shame.  This is me at my best.

It’s still sunny in Seattle.  Usually the changing of the weather here has a huge impact on my mood.  Will this year be different?  I certainly hope so.

It’s also the time of the year when I need to plan for the future.  Last year, I made the mistake of deciding on business school but only applying to Stanford.  I still think an MBA is in my future, but I will apply to more schools.  I do want to come back to the Gates Foundation when I’m finished.

I watched a couple of movies this week: the critically acclaimed Pan’s Labyrinth and the manic Mission Impossible 3.  I disliked both of them.  MI3 was a waste of time… an episode of Alias without likeable characters or an overarching story line.  Pan’s Labyrinth deserved its accolades. It is brilliantly written and well-acted.  It reminded me of Mystic River… never has a brilliant movie felt more abusive.  It’s advertised as a fairy tale but it was more of a historical piece mixed in with the delusions of a young girl in misery.  MI3 was easily forgettable.  Pan’s Labyrinth is not and I would not have seen it if I knew what I was in for.

I’ve replaced my addiction to reading with a Netflix subscription.  That’s what a new 52″ HDTV will do to you.

This past week, I had a chance to see both The Dark Knight and complete Metal Gear Solid 4.  I doubt that I will ever see two mediums of entertainment achieve such greatness ever again.

The Dark Knight was spectacular.  Rarely have I ever felt like a movie about superheroes could transcend the lines between good and evil.  Christopher Nolan took Batman to new heights and Heath Ledger set the bar for villainy.  The body count in this film is tremendous and some of the deaths are mind-blowing.  However, the film goes far beyond its shock value and weaves a message of epic proportions.   Its a long movie but every minute counts.  I’ve rarely been this engaged with a film. 

I also completed Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PS3.  It’s a masterpiece!  Despite a convoluted, heavy handed story, it redefines the standards for virtual entertainment.  The graphics are gorgeous and the gameplay is deep and challenging.  The execution was perfect. 

If I was looking for an escape from my work and my life, I found it this week in my entertainment.   I almost feel like I need to grab a good book to top this off… I’m on a winning streak!