Making the grade? Private equity, privatization and the future of American education

The document argues that declining federal investment in US education has created opportunities for private equity firms to treat the sector as a "return-generating machine." It highlights the activities of firms like Leeds Equity Partners, which sought $1.8 billion for an education-focused fund in 2023, and notes that while these firms claim to improve outcomes through technology and personalized learning, there is no conclusive data proving that funding is more effective when directed to private-equity owned companies than to public school districts.

• Private equity firms are increasingly targeting the US education sector for profit, with Leeds Equity Partners announcing a goal in 2023 to raise $1.8 billion for its largest education-focused fund, targeting "knowledge industries" which the firm claims constitute 12% of US GDP and are growing twice as fast as the overall economy.
• Despite claims from private equity firms that they improve educational outcomes via new technology and personalized learning, there is no conclusive evidence that spending is more effective at private-equity owned companies than within public school districts.
• The trend toward school privatization is increasing annually as a result of insufficient public infrastructure and funding, which the document asserts limits access for the most vulnerable families.

APA

Private Equity Stakeholder Project (2025). Making the grade? Private equity, privatization and the future of American education. https://pestakeholder.org/reports/making-the-grade-private-equity-privatization-and-the-future-of-american-education/

Chicago

Private Equity Stakeholder Project. Making the grade? Private equity, privatization and the future of American education. 2025. https://pestakeholder.org/reports/making-the-grade-private-equity-privatization-and-the-future-of-american-education/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Private Equity Stakeholder Project |title=Making the grade? Private equity, privatization and the future of American education |date=13 March 2025 |url=https://pestakeholder.org/reports/making-the-grade-private-equity-privatization-and-the-future-of-american-education/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{privateequitystakeholderproject2025making, author = {{Private Equity Stakeholder Project}}, title = {{Making the grade? Private equity, privatization and the future of American education}}, institution = {Private Equity Stakeholder Project}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://pestakeholder.org/reports/making-the-grade-private-equity-privatization-and-the-future-of-american-education/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }