Monday, June 07, 2010

This is Not a Disruptive Innovation

NYTimes:

Behind the blue screen, however, is a host of unanswered questions about a system that seemingly requires little overhead. There are no libraries, cafeterias, playgrounds, coaches, janitors, nurses, buses or bus drivers — but can cost taxpayers per student as much as or more than traditional public schools.

This year, the San Mateo virtual school attended by the Drews children is expected to receive $5,105 per student in state and federal money — $375 more per student than what children in their authorizing school district of Jefferson Elementary in Daly City are expected to receive, said the district.

If you're delivering an alternative product at the same price as existing alternatives to customers who would be part of the market regardless, then you don't have a "disruptive innovation."

Actually, if these virtual schools preceded the original homeschooling movement, offline homeschooling would be seen as a disruption of these expensive virtual schools.

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