When it comes to for-profit dealings in education, the usual divides between traditional political parties no longer hold up, according to a report from the American Enterprise Institute.
AEI researcher Andrew Kelly points out the nuanced areas where Democrats, in particular, take an unconventional stance on the issue.
Splitting from normal party ideology, most Democrats support for-profit contracting on K-12 education policies such as supplemental education services and school turnarounds, notes the report by the Washington-based think tank. But they do not go so far as to endorse for-profits taking over traditional school-management responsibilities. Even at the higher education level, the report says, some Democrats have expressed skepticism about the proposed gainful-employment regulations, which aim to crack down on abuses committed by for-profit colleges.
