As the nation’s biggest-philanthropy, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is renowned for its work fighting malaria and ending global poverty. But in the U.S., it is better-known for its controversial stances on reforming American public education — most-notably its support of teacher quality reform outfits such as the National Council on Teacher Quality (an organization for which I’ve done work). Most-recently, it has given $290 million to three school districts, including the school district in Memphis, Tenn., and a coalition of charter schools led by Green Dot, to develop models of what high-quality teaching should look like.

The woman currently at the head of these Gates Foundation efforts, Vicki Phillips, offered her thoughts earlier this week. Watch and consider her points on why traditional teachers compensation does little for improving the quality of education for children — especially those in the poorest communities.