To the untrained eye, privatization may appear to be in opposition to the mission of public education. Its has been argued that the business model of bottom line results and visible returns has had a dehumanizing effect in the business world. Companies seem to focus on profits, often at the expense of the common worker. Though skeptics abound, the reality of the dismal situation the public school system has found itself in is cause enough for authorities to rethink their current model. The trend toward increased emphasis on accountability has fueled a resurgence of standardized testing and some broad method of categorizing student achievement to fit a national mold. Yet, is there more to the move toward privatization than simply repairing a broken model? The multisided debate may soon be put to rest as failing districts seek to capitalize on opportunities to experiment with new techniques. Though there are pros and cons to any new approach, especially one as revolutionary as privatization, it is necessary to evaluate both and reach a reasonable conclusion.
The basic premise of privatization is based on the assumption that independent companies can perform specialized functions more efficiently than the government. A major goal in doing so includes cutting through bureaucracy and wasteful habits, and streamlining the functionality of school systems to fit a specific goal or profit. For example, public schools have resorted to this method in food service and maintenance duties. In the business model, an industry with a thriving monopoly is inherently inefficient and subsequently yields a substandard product. Competition gives businesses or in this case school districts, an incentive to achieve. The present system is much like a communist model that has universal standards and expectations but no incentives to drive creativity and innovation. It would seeming fitting that in a capitalistic society, the education system would be much treated like an industry, perhaps even the greatest and most important industry! The most evident form of privatization is the Edison Company.
