Private Enterprise and Public Education

The growth of for-profit providers in the K–16 education sector has generated more than its share of controversy. From the emergence of charter schools to post-secondary options like the University of Phoenix, for-profit providers have been lauded for their capacity to serve historically underserved populations but derided for their pursuit of profit—which, critics argue, is at the expense of the public good.

This important volume takes stock of the debate, neither demonizing nor celebrating the for-profit sector, to understand what it takes for for-profits to promote quality and cost effectiveness at scale. Contributors address how policymakers and other education stakeholders can create an environment where the power of for-profit innovation and investment is leveraged to better serve students. The role that private enterprise can and should play in American education needs to be brought to the forefront of reform discussions. Editors Hess and Horn move beyond heated rhetoric to offer a thoughtful and probing analysis that will enable stakeholders to craft a viable future for public education.

Contributors: John Bailey, Tamara Butler Battaglino, Stacey Childress, KC Deane, Whitney Downs, Todd Grindal, Andrew P. Kelly, Mickey Muldoon, Matthew Riggan, Chris Whittle, Ben Wildavsky

“The public and private sectors often interact in an uneasy and unstable dance of cooperation, but education has come later to the dance hall than other areas of public policy.  There is much we still need to learn, and this broad and diverse collection provides an excellent place to start.” 
Jeff Henig, Chair, Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Teachers College, Columbia University

“No subject in education reform is more polarizing than the role of for-profit enterprises. But as Hess and Horn demonstrate in this volume of remarkably objective analyses, both the for's and the anti's have the issue all wrong. Business has important roles to play, but specifying them takes the kind of nuanced thinking that ideologues hate. Policymakers would do well to read this engaging volume and tune out the noise that has obscured serious debate.” 
John Chubb, Interim CEO, Education Sector

1114841051
Private Enterprise and Public Education

The growth of for-profit providers in the K–16 education sector has generated more than its share of controversy. From the emergence of charter schools to post-secondary options like the University of Phoenix, for-profit providers have been lauded for their capacity to serve historically underserved populations but derided for their pursuit of profit—which, critics argue, is at the expense of the public good.

This important volume takes stock of the debate, neither demonizing nor celebrating the for-profit sector, to understand what it takes for for-profits to promote quality and cost effectiveness at scale. Contributors address how policymakers and other education stakeholders can create an environment where the power of for-profit innovation and investment is leveraged to better serve students. The role that private enterprise can and should play in American education needs to be brought to the forefront of reform discussions. Editors Hess and Horn move beyond heated rhetoric to offer a thoughtful and probing analysis that will enable stakeholders to craft a viable future for public education.

Contributors: John Bailey, Tamara Butler Battaglino, Stacey Childress, KC Deane, Whitney Downs, Todd Grindal, Andrew P. Kelly, Mickey Muldoon, Matthew Riggan, Chris Whittle, Ben Wildavsky

“The public and private sectors often interact in an uneasy and unstable dance of cooperation, but education has come later to the dance hall than other areas of public policy.  There is much we still need to learn, and this broad and diverse collection provides an excellent place to start.” 
Jeff Henig, Chair, Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Teachers College, Columbia University

“No subject in education reform is more polarizing than the role of for-profit enterprises. But as Hess and Horn demonstrate in this volume of remarkably objective analyses, both the for's and the anti's have the issue all wrong. Business has important roles to play, but specifying them takes the kind of nuanced thinking that ideologues hate. Policymakers would do well to read this engaging volume and tune out the noise that has obscured serious debate.” 
John Chubb, Interim CEO, Education Sector

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Private Enterprise and Public Education

Private Enterprise and Public Education

Private Enterprise and Public Education

Private Enterprise and Public Education

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Overview

The growth of for-profit providers in the K–16 education sector has generated more than its share of controversy. From the emergence of charter schools to post-secondary options like the University of Phoenix, for-profit providers have been lauded for their capacity to serve historically underserved populations but derided for their pursuit of profit—which, critics argue, is at the expense of the public good.

This important volume takes stock of the debate, neither demonizing nor celebrating the for-profit sector, to understand what it takes for for-profits to promote quality and cost effectiveness at scale. Contributors address how policymakers and other education stakeholders can create an environment where the power of for-profit innovation and investment is leveraged to better serve students. The role that private enterprise can and should play in American education needs to be brought to the forefront of reform discussions. Editors Hess and Horn move beyond heated rhetoric to offer a thoughtful and probing analysis that will enable stakeholders to craft a viable future for public education.

Contributors: John Bailey, Tamara Butler Battaglino, Stacey Childress, KC Deane, Whitney Downs, Todd Grindal, Andrew P. Kelly, Mickey Muldoon, Matthew Riggan, Chris Whittle, Ben Wildavsky

“The public and private sectors often interact in an uneasy and unstable dance of cooperation, but education has come later to the dance hall than other areas of public policy.  There is much we still need to learn, and this broad and diverse collection provides an excellent place to start.” 
Jeff Henig, Chair, Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Teachers College, Columbia University

“No subject in education reform is more polarizing than the role of for-profit enterprises. But as Hess and Horn demonstrate in this volume of remarkably objective analyses, both the for's and the anti's have the issue all wrong. Business has important roles to play, but specifying them takes the kind of nuanced thinking that ideologues hate. Policymakers would do well to read this engaging volume and tune out the noise that has obscured serious debate.” 
John Chubb, Interim CEO, Education Sector


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780807772997
Publisher: Teachers College Press
Publication date: 08/01/2013
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

Frederick M. Hess is director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He writes the Education Week blog, Rick Hess Straight Up, and serves as executive editor of Education Next. Michael B. Horn is the co-founder and executive director of education of Innosight Institute. He was named one of the 100 most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education by Tech & Learning magazine.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction Frederick M. Hess Michael B. Horn Whitney Downs 1

1 More Than Meets the Eye: The Politics of For-Profits in Education Andrew P. Kelly 11

2 The Costs and Benefits of Nonprofit and For-Profit Status: Perspectives from Executives and Entrepreneurs Mickey Muldoon 33

3 Crossing to the Dark Side? An Interview-Based Comparison of Traditional and For-Profit Higher Education Ben Wildavsky 57

4 Unequal Access: Hidden Barriers to Achieving Both Quality and Profit in Early Care and Education Todd Grindal 80

5 Beyond Good and Evil: Understanding the Role of For-Profits in Education Through the Theories of Disruptive Innovation Michael B. Horn 100

6 Odd Man Out: How Government Supports Private-Sector Innovation, Except in Education John Bailey 121

7 The Role of For-Profits in K-12 Online Learning Michael B. Horn 140

8 Philanthropic Dollars in Commercial Markets: Blessing or Curse? Stacey Childress Tamara Butler Battaglino 154

9 Between Efficiency and Effectiveness: Evaluation in For-Profit Education Organizations Matthew Riggan 173

10 Would Steve Jobs Be a Hero if He Had Built an Education Company Every Bit as Good as Apple? Chris Whittle 192

Conclusion Michael B. Horn Frederick M. Hess KC Deane 204

Notes 211

References 225

About the Contributors 239

Index 245

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“There is much we still need to learn, and this broad and diverse collection provides an excellent place to start.”
Jeffrey R. Henig, Teachers College, Columbia University


“No subject in education reform is more polarizing than the role of for-profit enterprises. Policymakers would do well to read this engaging volume and tune out the noise that has obscured serious debate.”
John Chubb, Education Sector

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