CEO Corner
Burck Smith, CEO StraighterLine
When the Internet became a cultural phenomenon in the early 1990’s, I became interested in the social implications of Internet access. Who wins? Who loses? What industries will change? How should government policy change to accommodate these new technologies? This interest drove me to public policy graduate school where I asked the question that would ultimately lead to StraighterLine:
In light of massive investments in technology in higher education and K-12, why have prices risen faster than inflation and student outcomes declined? If a technology is being used appropriately, it should result in lower prices, better outcomes or both. What’s different about education?
To try to answer this question, I have written articles and chapters, presented at conferences and given interviews. To “walk the walk,” I started an online tutoring company called SMARTHINKING and, now, StraighterLine.
Op/Eds
Disruption in Higher Ed
Lack of Cost Control in Higher Ed
Chronicle Op/Ed
Book Chapters
Higher Ed Reform, from the Chapter “Rethinking Accreditation,” College 2.0, an Entrepreneurial Approach to Reforming Higher Ed, Kauffman Foundation, June 2012
The Higher Ed Chapter in:
Interviews, Videos and Misc Articles
Ed Tech Profile
Short article on Subscription Pricing and Remediation
UMass Presentation
NYU Law Presentation
Grad School Masters Thesis
Guest Blog Post
Guest Post on UMass Blog
Interview with the Higher Education Management Group
Interview for an education policy class at Northeastern