Marathon Pundit: Tom Harkin attacks career colleges

Two days ago I wrote about the General Accounting Office revising a negative report about for-profit schools, better known as career colleges. But the chairman of the of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Tom Harkin (D-IA), is only tuning in to the first study, which was released in August.

The Student Access Student Choice coalition (SASC) wants Harkin to pay attention to both reports, as it explains in a press release released yesterday:

"Senator Tom Harkin's criticisms of career schools and universities do not take into account the educational opportunities they provide to American citizens, including veterans who frequently attend these institutions due to their convenience. Months ago, the GAO issued a report critical of career schools and this report formed the basis for many of Mr. Harkin's concerns," said Phil Singer, spokesperson for the Student Access Student Choice (SASC) coalition. "But recently, the GAO was forced to revise that report after many of its assertions were called into question. We look forward to working with Harkin and other lawmakers over the coming months to ensure that they are aware of the opportunities that career schools create for Americans around the nation. The time has come for an honest debate concerning the critical role career colleges and universities play in educating Americans."

But I am not sure if Harkin is capable of an honest debate on this issue. He is arguably the most pro-union senator in Washington--for the last three years he's tried to finagle a way to force Big Labor's Holy Grail, the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, into law. EFCA would put an end to secret ballot elections when workers are asked to join a union.

How honest is that? Oh, many not-for-profit colleges are unionized. Coincidence?

Career colleges perform a tremendous service to Americans--particularly military veterans

Senator John McCain: :On one of the most rare occasions in my political career I find myself in complete agreement with Lanny Davis. Of course there needs to be action taken to stop the abuses that [Harkin] ad nauseum continues to point out … but to kill off the for-profit institutions … we’d be literally be doing away with every department of federal government." (Jennifer Epstein, "Senate Scrutiny Round 3," Inside Higher Education, 10/1/10)

Brigadier General John Castellaw: "For-profit schools are particularly valuable for veterans. Unlike traditional college freshmen, veterans often return home to busy schedules dominated by work and family. They require the flexible course schedules and online classes that are the hallmarks of for-profit schools. As shown by my example, the needs of veterans often cannot be met by traditional nonprofit schools." (Brig. Gen. John Castellaw, “Castellaw: Let Veterans Decide What School Is Right; Obama Plan To Treat Heroes Like Scofflaws Is Insulting,” The Washington Times, 9/15/10)

Jon Soltz: Co-Founder of VoteVets.org Co-Founder: "It’s not often you'll find me agreeing with an op-ed in the Washington Times, but this one from retired Brig. Gen. John Castellaw is spot on. Since passage of the 21st Century GI Bill, which VoteVets.org worked hard to pass, thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have taken advantage of their education benefit to take classes at online universities. For many veterans, coming home doesn't mean staying put. For those still in the service, it could mean moving around to new bases, or time away for drill throughout the year. For many, this makes taking classes at a traditional on-campus college difficult, if not impossible. Even for those who may be through with their service, they come home to families, jobs, and other responsibilities that makes picking up and moving to a college campus out of the realm of the possible. For them, online universities offer a chance to get a higher education, while tending to their transition back to life in the states. For many more, who may be based overseas, online colleges offer a vital service to those who served in war -- a chance to gain the education often required for promotion within the military." (Jon Soltz, “Let Vets Have College Choice,” The Huffington Post, 9/29/10)

Freedom Rock, a salute to Iowa troops

Forbes On The American Public University System: "My analysis and research has led me to American Public University System, a subsidiary of American Public Education … The company has a compelling growth model, a clean balance sheet and upright business ethics. APUS was founded in 1991 by a former Marine Corps officer and instructor, James Etter, and SEC filings show that the company has operated with integrity that befits a former Marine. APUS originally focused on meeting the unique educational needs of our veterans and the military – a very mobile population with extended, irregular schedules and limited financial resources. Over time, the university has expanded its offerings in response to demand for post-military career preparation, and today their programs provide relevant and affordable distance learning to more than 77,000 working adults worldwide." (Hilary Kramer, “For-Profit Ed Goes To The Head Of The Class,” Forbes, 12/1/10)

Veteran Chevay Hampton: "I joined the United States Armed Forces because of the love that I have for my country. I'm proud of my service, and that of my fellow soldiers. One of the valuable lessons I learned while serving is that the military always takes care of its own. As a U.S. Army Reservist, and the spouse of an Active Duty Soldier that is currently deployed, I would like to continue to have a country with limitless promise and possibilities that we risked our lives to protect. An important component of this promise was the opportunity to further my education, enabling me to build a successful career. The education grants I received through the post 9/11 G.I. Bill allowed me to attend the type of school that worked best for me. Many of my friends in the service as well as the spouses of service members went on to attend for-profit career schools and had great things to say about the opportunities this education afforded them. These schools give students the flexibility to attend classes while working a job, taking care of a family, and not to mention moving from duty station to duty station every couple of years. This flexibility level is a key reason that career colleges rank alongside community colleges as top choices for returning veterans." (Chevay Hampton, “Career Colleges Provide Opportunities To Veterans,” RedState, 11/22/10)

What do others say about the Democrats' war on for-profit schools?

Writing for the Cato Institute, Neal McCluskey lays down the line: "As seems to be standard in these kinds of reports, the authors take the worst data they can find for for-profit schools, conduct an apples-to-pears comparison to public and private nonprofit institutions, and declare for-profit schools demons of the first order."

Big Government tells us that prominent trial lawyer Chris Hoyer and his wife have donated almost $30,000 to Barack Obama's campaign fund and other Democratic candidates and causes over the last ten years. Through his law firm, Hoyer is targeting career colleges around the country for class-action suits. Coincidence?

I linked to this American Spectator article last week, Elitism at the Department of Ed, but it deserves a second look.

As for Senator Harkin, last year 3,500 of his constituents were deployed to Afghanistan, the largest call up of Iowans since World War II. When they come home, some of them will decide that a career college will be a better fit for them than Harkin's alma mater, Iowa State University. Will there be fewer of these schools when they return?

Related posts:

GAO revises its negative report about for-profit schools
The Department of Education's war on career colleges
Idiotic edu-crats attacking for-profit colleges
Freedom Rock and Veterans Day

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