In October, the Obama administration nominated Ted Mitchell, the chief executive of the NewSchools Venture Fund, to become under secretary of the Department of Education. While the nomination has flown largely under the radar, the choice represents a sign that the administration is favoring greater privatization of public education.
As Lee Fang pointed out last December, Mitchell’s connections to for-profit colleges and the movement toward privatization raise real questions about his commitment to public education. On top of his work with the NewSchools Venture Fund, Mitchell has connections to powerful education corporation Pearson and to Salmon River Capital, a venture capital firm that helped found the for-profit college Capella University. Furthermore, until he stepped down to prepare for his confirmation process, he was on the advisory board of Students Matter, the organization funding a legal challenge to teacher tenure in California.
TO DO TO READOver at City Watch LA, Gary Cohn detailed the concerns advocates for public education have over Mitchell’s nomination.
TO WATCHLast spring, Education historian Diane Ravitch spoke at Occupy the Department of Education about the dangers of privatization and the Department of Education’s failure to stand up to corporations profiting off our education system.
