Kamala Harris, the state attorney general and candidate for the U.S. Senate, has called for the U.S. Department of Education to strip recognition from the accrediting agency that approved Corinthian Colleges, the now defunct for-profit university that defrauded many thousands of students.
Harris has written the U.S. Department of Education, urging it to revoke federal recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), which among its other accomplishments accedited the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges, Inc., which left tens of thousands of students with useless degrees and millions of dollars in debts.
“The predatory scheme devised by executives at Corinthian Colleges, Inc. was unconscionable. And despite enforcement actions by the California Department of Justice and the federal government against Corinthian, ACICS continued to accredit Corinthian, hurting thousands of students in the process,” Harris said. “Students relied on Corinthian’s accreditation status, believing they were obtaining a high quality-education with real job prospects.”
ACICS boasts of accrediting more colleges than any other agency but a quick perusal of its roster finds that most of them are small vocational training institutions, offering certificates and associate degrees in such fields as dental assistance and office management.
Harris joins 13 other state AGs who are opposing the renewal of ACICS as an accreditation agency. Harris and 10 other AGs are also calling for tougher standards for college recruiters on military bases.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Kamala Harris is a well educated and strong AG, She is now running to take Barbara Boxer’s seat in the US Senate, and her record as our California AG has been excellent. I strongly recommend her candidacy. This Corinthian College case is one more coffin nail for the immoral corporations who prey on non-sophisticated students using false ads in the media, and making outrageous loans to these students which they will carry with them for most of their lives, and which cannot be abrogated in bankruptcy. The pseudo accreditation agency should be shut down and those in government who have allowed it to function with so much deception, should also be joined in any indictments,
LikeLike
I completely agree, Ellen. And while we’re discussing predatory business ventures in the guise of educational endeavors: the next step is to repeal the law allowing the California State Board of Education to authorize charter schools that have already been denied at the LEA and county levels.
LikeLike
YES…
LikeLike
Not likely to happen while “Governor Charter School” is in office.
LikeLike
I think that Kamala should also strip Tom Torlakson, the State Supt. of Ed in CA, of all of his powers. Like the NY Board of Regents it is under his watch that private charters grow and lack of accountability under his term is incredible.
LikeLike
Worked hard to get Tom elected and keep Marshall Tuck out of Sacramento…so much for that choice. What has happened to Tom that he ‘walks softly but carries NO big stick?’
LikeLike
We were lucky we had a couple of state AG’s to go after the for-profits. Millions of people would still be getting ripped off daily if the state law enforcement officials hadn’t acted.
Congress decided to “study the issue” for 15 years while they all continued to take money from the providers. They issued many, many reports.
Good for her for doing her job.
LikeLike
The accreditor of Relay? The accreditors, of all of the universities, listed at UnKochMyCampus.org? The accreditor of an education college, whose president, is a board member of a company, like Pearson?
What values are they accrediting?
LikeLike
Good news. Too bad there are not more states on board to make this longstanding problem “make news and make waves.” Therein lies the problem and the political power of the for-profit scammers.
LikeLike
There’s a good chance that Harris will run for governor of California in 2019 when Brown terms out.
LikeLike
I personally would like to see Harris stay in the Senate and perhaps in twelve years, after two terms in the Senate, she would be a candidate for the presidency.
I am all for electing John Chiang for Governor of California.
Together, these two dedicated and highly motivated people can turn around many of our state’s problems. From education issues to water issues, they would give us a great team.
Hopefully, Feinstein will realize that after her long long long time in office, and bow deep into her dotage, it is NOW time to give a younger person a chance to solve the nation’s problems.. A new Senator who is not a close friend of Eli Broad, and whose husband is not a Regent of the U. of C. and also in the war industry, would be most welcome.
LikeLike
Same pattern yields the same result.
The three main credit rating agencies gave companies like AIG triple A ratings, with government also looking the other way.
Fraud was the result in both cases.
LikeLike
We learned through bitter deception that the 3 rating agencies work for and are paid by the corporations that they rate. What a scam! This is how AIG and other banksters got away will all their mortgage bundling frauds and brought down the economy of our nation and of the world.
LikeLike