Name: Silicon Valley investor tries to create 'microschool' in his yard, backlash ensues
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Silicon Valley investor tries to create 'microschool' in his yard, backlash ensues

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ByFILE - Internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis and CEO and Founder of Yammer David Sacks speak at Insights About Innovation: David Sacks Fireside Chat during the SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at Hilton Austin on March 9, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Earl Mcgehee/Getty Images for SXSW)FILE - Internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis and CEO and Founder of...A wealthy Silicon Valley investor caused a furor on Twitter Sunday after attempting to hire a teacher to create a "microschool" in his backyard.Jason Calacanis, an angel investor who has stock in Bay Area tech companies like Uber and Robinhood, posted the ad looking for "the best 4-6th grade teacher in Bay Area," and offered to pay them a salary "that will beat whatever they are getting paid" to teach a small group of children at his home.The tech investor even offered to hand out a $2,000 UberEats gift card as a referral bonus.Looking for the best 4-6th grade teacher in Bay Area who wants a 1-year contract, that will beat whatever they are getting paid, to teach 2-7 students in my back yard If you know this teacher, refer them & we hire them, I will give you a $2k UberEats gift card— jason@calacanis.com (@Jason)The posting immediately caused a backlash on Twitter, as is being seen by some as only exacerbating the privilege gap in education.Clara Jeffrey, the Editor in Chief at Mother Jones, replied, "Rethink everything about your family’s priorities."Twitter user Cory Christian added, "everything that’s wrong with the Bay Area all wrapped up in a nice little tweet."Shortly after the original tweet, the investor added, "We are offering 100% scholarships for folks who can’t afford to chip in. If you live in the bay and are in the 4th or 5th grade we will take applications based on merit."As the issue of safely reopening schools in-person is being fiercely debated across the country, many Bay Area parents have decided to take a do-it-yourself approach to learning by hiring a tutor and forming a learning pod — a small group of students who gather regularly to learn in a shared space.But the fear that this abrupt shift in schooling will only widen inequities and racial segregation within school districts has immediately reverberated, as exemplified by the reaction to Calacanis' tweet.Many predict that when children eventually do return, students whose parents have the means to participate in learning pods will most likely return to school academically ahead, while low-income children will have struggled at home without access to technology and support needed for online learning.Last week Oakland Unified School District said that it will not endorse the formation of learning pods. "Although we appreciate parent resourcefulness in creating small 'pandemic pods' to help manage the demands of this time, we do have some concerns," the district said in a statement.The furor over Calacanis tweet Sunday led to an appearance on TMZ."I found a topic that is much more polarizing than wearing a mask—starting a school in your back yard," Calacanis tweeted on Monday morning.Andrew Chamings is an editor at SFGATE. Email: Andrew.Chamings@sfgate.com | Twitter: @AndrewChamings

ByFILE - Internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis and CEO and Founder of Yammer David Sacks speak at Insights About Innovation: David Sacks Fireside Chat during the SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at Hilton Austin on March 9, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Earl Mcgehee/Getty Images for SXSW)FILE - Internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis and CEO and Founder of...A wealthy Silicon Valley investor caused a furor on Twitter Sunday after attempting to hire a teacher to create a "microschool" in his backyard.Jason Calacanis, an angel investor who has stock in Bay Area tech companies like...

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Silicon Valley investor tries to create 'microschool' in his yard, backlash ensues

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