ABSTRACT
Banks and loan collectors were already handling massive college student loans. Some investment firms and for-profit education industries backed Race to the Top because its agenda promised increased earnings. In addition, members of the Democrats for Education Reform, the political group that shaped Race to the Top policies, came from the investment industry. Common Core State Standards generated profits for many companies. The Public Consulting Group is an example of a company created primarily to exploit government spending for human services. Democratic reliance on human capital theory was used in the Race to the Tops' search for alternative teacher education certification and teacher evaluation methods. By the 2016 election, college student loans were a national crisis. No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top spurred the growth of the education industry and increased the interest of investment firms in education. Mainly drawn from investment firms, Democrats for Education Reform influenced Democratic President Barack Obama's Race to the Top.
