Education is big business

I’m still on vacation (just taking a short break waiting for the steam cleaner to cool), but I had to stick this next link up somewhere because if I wait, it’ll be gone with the wind.

A search for background, triggered by query on an email list about the “Indiana Core 40,” took me to the website for The American Diploma Project, hosted by Achieve, Inc. a business located on Eye St. in  Washington, D.C.   A search for Achieve, Inc.’s address took me to the Buyer’s Guide for Educators (don’t get excited, the “educators” in question are bureaucrats with government-sized wallets).  The page linked to by Google was “1-100 of 107″ links that matched the search term “nw” (a part of the Eye St., Wash., D.C. address).  “Educators” who aren’t searching for “nw” can search for service providers around the country.  I knew about the large pool of suppliers for schools, but even this list elicited a ‘wow.’

The education biz isn’t just curriculum and science lab supplies.  It also includes, among other things, construction, architects, security systems, cafeteria food suppliers, air filter systems, locks, climate control, building paint, furniture, and lighting.

When we talk about support for public education, the support doesn’t just come from the NEA and AFT.  When homeschooling parents ’save money’ for school districts, the absence of their children from school also means fewer jobs and sales for the peripheral service suppliers.  It’s a convoluted world out there.

Just something to keep in mind.

Now, for me, it’s back to babysitting the granddog (who just ran to me to ‘save’ her from that bad, bad man who told her to stop barking at nothing and go lay down) and steam cleaning around the stove.  I do get to go out tonight for our anniversary, so ‘Jill’ isn’t having all work and no play.

Tags: public education

This entry was posted on September 5, 2008 at 1:40 pm and is filed under News-Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.