Scholastic Snake Oil: K-12 Profits At The Expense Of Kids Of All Ages

K-12 Profits At The Expense Of Kids Of All Ages

What do you think of a company that uses taxpayer subsidies to sell its services to public school districts--and to advertise?

What would you think if that company offered online educational "services"?

Well, such companies exist. ?One of the most prominent is called K-12. ?It's interesting that its name is also the generic term for the schooling most Americans get. ?How many people, in doing research about public schooling, have Googled "k-12" and come up with the company's website.

Turns out, they've been getting nearly the same amount of money, per-pupil, for their online schooling as most brick-and-mortar schools get. ?And what does this company--founded by former banker Robert Packer, and whose initial investors included Michael Milken and his brother Lowell--do with that money?

It increases enrollments in order to boost revenues. ?Then it increases teacher workloads in order to reduce the amount it spends on each student. ?And it lowers standards to give the appearance of "progress." ?As it happens, their students are less likely to meet even the standards posed by No Child Left Behind than students in brick-and-mortar schools.

And, to attract more students, it advertises, and pays handsomely for the privilege.

Now, I'm not against online education in principle. ?As K-12's founders like to say, many homeschooling parents use company's online platforms to supplement the instructors they're giving their kids. ?Some schools with few resources are doing the same. ?And it can also be a boon for kids who are victims of bullying in regular schools, or handicapped kids whose local schools may not be accessible or offer the facilities they need.

However, in order to benefit such students, companies like K-12 can't be mere profit centers for investment bankers. ?And it's simply reprehensible to let them make money on the taxpayers' dime and at the students' expense.

Source: http://scholasticsnakeoil.blogspot.com/2012/12/k-12-profits-at-expense-of-kids-of-all.html

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