How Wealthy Elites Have Always Been Able to Buy Admissions

FEATURING DIANE RAVITCH – Nearly 50 people have been charged and several arrested earlier this week by federal authorities in connection to a massive bribery scheme that involved an educational consultant named William Singer and wealthy parents paying to get their children into top schools. Among those arrested were actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli as well as several athletic coaches and admissions officials.

Federal authorities dubbed the case “Operation Varsity Blues.” It is the biggest college admissions scandal that the Justice Department has ever taken on. According to Associated Press, “Prosecutors said parents paid an admissions consultant from 2011 through last month to bribe coaches and administrators to label their children as recruited athletes, to alter test scores and to have others take online classes to boost their children’s chances of getting into schools. Parents spent anywhere from $200,000 to $6.5 million to guarantee their children’s admission.”

Andrew Lelling, US Attorney for the District court of Massachusetts announced the charges against dozens of parents in a massive college admissions scandal on Tuesday. The investigation is apparently ongoing and could result in more charges.

Read Diane Ravitch’s article ‘The College Admissions Scandal: Why Am I Not Surprised?’, HERE.

Diane Ravitch, award-winning leader in education and the author of ten books, including The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education and Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools. She is a research professor of education at New York University and served as Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to the Secretary of Education from 1991-1993 under the George H. W. Bush administration. She is also the co-founder of The Network for Public Education.