Reflections on Foundations, ALEC and Higher Ed Reform in Wisconsin
Last week, a fellow Madison blogger drew our attention to some potentially troubling relationships between a major higher education foundation, a DC-based consulting group, a conservative political organization, and a new initiative in the UW System. Scott Wittkopf at Badger Democracy is playing a critical role in attending to the relationships among funders of higher education reform efforts, and political constituencies. He has since mapped in greater depth the work of one foundation, Lumina , and another blog post is forthcoming. Since I have established relationships with both Lumina and HCM Strategists, the consulting group in question, and have blogged (and hosted guest blogs ) before on the large role that foundations are playing in pushing the higher ed reform agenda, I want to fully disclose as much as possible my role and assessment of this situation. First, readers of this blog know my work as an expert on college student success, and as an outspoken champion fo...