Article: Parents Who Can Afford It Value Global Education and Language Proficiency

From http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2012/10/global_competence_an_avenue_to_the_world.html

Global Competence: An Avenue to the World
By Anthony Jackson
October 26, 2012

Avenues: The World School opened its doors September 2012 in Manhattan with the goal of creating a global network of schools where students will receive a "world course," gain fluency in a second (or third) language, and achieve academic excellence. … Who wouldn’t want that for their kids?

Apparently a lot of people agreed. The school had over 2,700 students apply for 700 slots. … This is for a brand-new for-profit school costing almost $40,000 per year with no track record, a controversial business model in a city with a considerable number of high-performing private, independent schools. …

So what does it say that presumably educated parents of means lined up to pay $40,000 for a new school to receive an education that explicitly states it will provide a global view, second language learning, and study abroad as its core tenants? People pay for what they value, or what they can't receive for free elsewhere. Perhaps this gives a view on what our broader education system should be developing: what's needed for the future and what parents think is going to help their kids be successful.

Read the full article at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2012/10/global_competence_an_avenue_to_the_world.html