Morning Report: Education Scam or Economic Engine
Posted: Thursday, March 24, 2011 6:30 am | Updated: 6:44 am, Thu Mar 24, 2011.
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It's the fifth-largest private employer in the county and spreads money around through political lobbying and sponsorships of events like the Holiday Bowl. But just a few years ago you probably wouldn't have known it. Neither would have its many critics, including a U.S. senator who called it "an absolute scam."
The company is Bridgepoint Education, a for-profit company that owns two universities and educates 99 percent of its students online.
"Criticism of the company centers on its remarkable ability to attract students and remarkable failure to graduate them, all while receiving hundreds of millions in federal student aid dollars," Liam Dillon and Will Carless report. "The complaint: Bridgepoint has set up a system to use federal dollars to line investors' pockets rather
- Must-Read Stories on Bridgepoint
In putting together our story on what for-profit education company Bridgepoint Education means to San Diego, we relied on a trove of other media coverage.
Here are some must-reads:
• This fascinating story by The Huffington Post's Chris Kirkham explained the company's business model, gave us insight into the company's marketing techniques and why they've been so controversial. Kirkham sought out several former Bridgepoint employees and was able to paint an intriguing picture of the company's corporate culture. Here's a snippet:
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- Bridgepoint Booms Over Troubled Waters
Signs of Bridgepoint Education's newfound prominence in San Diego begin as you're flying into the city's downtown Lindbergh Field airport. A few seconds before you land, you'll swoop past its name and logo, displayed in huge white letters at the top of 600 B Street, a downtown high-rise.
Bridgepoint announced its move into that building last spring, the same year the for-profit higher education company put its name on the Holiday Bowl college football game. The same year it began sponsoring the San Diego Symphony's Summer Pops series. The same year it injected itself into San Diego's political consciousness by donating to a campaign and lobbying city leaders for the first time.
Four years ago, Bridgepoint was barely a blip in San Diego. Today, it's made itself impossible to miss. Its operating profits have increased 5,000 percent during that time, to $216 million last year, and it's now the county's fifth-largest private employer. The latest phase of Bridgepoint's extraordinary growth has been putting its indelible stamp on the city it calls home.
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- Has School Reform Ground to a Halt?
There was a lot to be worried about in this recent UCLA report on how budget cuts have impacted California high schools. A summer survey of almost a quarter of high school principals in the state found that 49 percent said they'd shortened the school year and 74 percent said class sizes had grown.
But perhaps the most alarming nugget was this one:
Also, 88 percent of principals said the budget cuts have all but halted their school reform efforts, as key staff have been let go and time for professional development has been eliminated.
I've been noticing this trend too. When I visit San Diego schools, some are so flustered with budget cuts that it's hard to get people to talk about changing instruction or trying new things. Is your school pushing forward with good changes even as budgets are cut? Or has less money meant less attention to fixing what needs fixing? Please let me know what's happening at your school.
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