Following my earlier blog on forced academies in Birmingham, our friend the DFE hit man, Rob Briscoe has gone a stage further. He has suggested that we invite K12 to give us a presentation as a prospective sponsor. A quick check on the internet: who are they? Nothing came up.
K12 is a US based company labouring to get US schools under its auspices. If they’ve been recommended by Mr Briscoe then they must surely have something substantial to offer? Rick Hatcher kindly sent me this:
Profiles of For-Profit and Nonprofit Education Management Organizations: Thirteenth Annual Report – 2010-2011
Gary Miron, Jessica Urschel, Mayra A. Yat Aguilar, Breanna Dailey
January 6, 2012
K12 Inc. runs 49 for-profit state schools in the US.
‘The largest net increase in schools managed was K12 Inc., which experienced an
increase of 14 schools between 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. A medium for-profit
EMO profiled in last year’s report, KC Distance Learning, was acquired by K12 Inc.,
the nation’s largest for-profit EMO in terms of enrollment.
In last year’s Profiles, the total enrollment of K12’s 24 schools exceeded that of any
other for-profit EMO. This year, after the acquisition of KC Distance Learning,
K12’s total enrollment for its 49 schools (65,396) far exceeds any other EMO.’
26 out of 49 K12 schools didn’t meet AYP. AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) provides a crude indicator of the extent to which schools are meeting state standards.
This is a very interesting article about the politics of K12:
http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/EPSL-0404-117-EPRU.pdf

As Professor Hatcher says the only reason that K12 would have is to get a foothold in British schools is for profit. So where are Michael Gove’s – not to mention his friend Rob’s – concern for educational standards. The idea we were told was to raise standards, particularly of failing schools.
Foundry school came out of special measures until one Driscoll visited the school and put us back there. The schools had been making great strides since coming out of category, and governors who have been into school have seen for themselves this is the case. At the same time there are academies which are failing and some are among the 200 worst schools in the country. When Gove was asked what his plans were for those it went strangely quiet, The response of the Conservative Education Chairman was to question whether this had been thought through. Evidently not.