Edupreneurs are
restructuring or creating schools, and others
entered the marketplace to give parents
offer technologies that can improve schools,
options.
attempting to
retrain teachers, or facilitate education at
There are dozens of for-profit companies
address the need
home. The following is an overview of for-
involved in school administration and owner-
for improving
profit schools and the educational products
ship. They vary in the services they offer, edu-
and services they offer in the K12 market.
cation philosophy, curriculum, and method
K12 education
of instruction. However, for-profit schools
both by working
For-Profit Schools
share several characteristics that distinguish
The growth of charter schools and the
them from most government schools:
within and by
adoption of voucher programs and tuition tax
competing
· A mission statement: For-profit
credits are providing companies with more
against the state-
opportunities to become involved in adminis-
schools clearly define their goals and
tering and opening schools. Although for-
philosophies, helping school employ-
run schools with
profit schools currently serve a relatively small
ees and parents understand the pur-
a variety of prod-
number of students (approximately 100,00019
pose of the school.
· Assessment and accountability: For-
students at 230 schools),2 0 for-profit compa-
ucts and services.
nies are awarded roughly 10 percent of all
profit schools and school management
charters.21 Therefore, as states increase the
companies typically measure results in
terms of student performance and par-
number of available charters and adopt more
ent satisfaction. They recognize that
voucher and tuition tax credit programs, the
they will be held accountable if they fail
number of schools administered and opened
to deliver on their promises, either by
by education companies will likely increase.
parents removing their children from
Parents' motives for seeking alternative
the school or by school boards failing
schools vary and are not simply a function of
to renew their charters or contracts.
wanting better academic offerings. William G.
· Curriculum and teaching method: For-
Howell and Paul E. Peterson of the Harvard
Program on Education Policy and Govern-
profit schools tend to adopt particular
ance studied the decisionmaking criteria used
research-based curriculums and instruc-
by parents with children participating in a
tional methods. Schools highlight their
voucher program in Dayton, Ohio, and found
philosophy, curriculum, and instruc-
that, in addition to academic quality, parents
tional methods so parents can deter-
considered teacher quality, discipline, school
mine whether a school's offerings are
safety, and religious instruction important.22
suitable for their child.
Other studies conducted on choice programs
Perhaps the best-known for-profit school-
in San Antonio, Texas, and New York City
support those findings.2 3
ing company is Edison Schools. Edison is the
largest private operator of public schools,
Parents also have ideas about what their
running 79 schools for roughly 38,000 stu-
children should learn and how they should be
dents in the United States as of November
taught--ideas that often conflict with those
1999.2 4 Twenty-four of those schools are
of government school systems. This problem
is manifest in ongoing debates: Should
charter schools; the other 55 schools are
schools adopt character education, and, if so,
"contract schools," or schools that Edison
what values should be taught? Should
operates under an agreement with the local
school board.2 5
schools adopt phonics or whole language
instruction? What are the roles of self-esteem
Edison Schools emphasizes the impor-
education, multiculturalism, and religion in
tance of technology in education. After the
schools? While government schools attempt
first year of a school's operation, Edison gives
to find one-size-fits-all solutions to those
every student in second grade or above a com
-
polarizing questions, for-profit schools have
puter and modem for home use and offers a
5