A decade ago, the dot-com boom fueled a wave of venture investment in Internet-enabled education companies. Since then, the evolution of social media coupled with improvements in connectivity and mobility would seem to presage a new class of companies looking to make learning more effective and less expensive.
But it’s going to take more to jump start real education reform, Jonathan Grayer, former chief executive of education company Kaplan Inc., said Friday, speaking at the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association’s Capital Connection in Washington, D.C. “Changing that model can only occur in very dire times,” he said.
Those times could be upon the U.S. over the next several years as states and municipalities struggle with the impact of constrained tax revenue and falling federal support, while parents demand an education system that produces results. “The customer for K-to-12 education in this country is the parent,” said Grayer, who is now chairman and CEO on investment firm Weld North.
To read the full, original article click on this link: National Education Crisis Could Spell Venture Capital Opportunity - Venture Capital Dispatch - WSJ
Author: Russell Garland
