FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2009, file photo Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates speaks at the "Get Schooled" conference hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom in Los Angeles. Marking another phase in his education agenda, Gates is now taking a more targeted approach to help struggling U.S. schools. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is now funding groups working directly with clusters of public schools in some of the most impoverished regions of the country. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)