National College ran another ad (in addition to the one we told you about) against Jack Conway yesterday.

This one is an open letter to Jack that was signed by more than 750 students:

We understand that you have filed suit against National College for alleged violation of consumer protection laws. We know our college will deal with these allegations in due course, but we also know that you have publicly and repeatedly – in press conferences, television interviews, news articles, and especially in your campaign literature and fund‐raising solicitations – criticized Kentucky’s career colleges, and especially our college – National College.

We are proud of our college. It’s not Duke University, or George Washington University Law School; unlike you, very few of us have had the means to attend such prestigious universities and most of us preferred an education that was tailored to our family and work lives. We may never own racehorses or be elected attorney general. But we are the backbone of working Kentucky: bettering our lives, and the lives of our families, through our investment in a National College education.

-SNIP-

Mr. Conway, you have never been to our campuses, talked to our Campus Directors, or to the faculty and staff who work with us in our educational pursuits. Our college campus is constantly visited by community leaders, legislators, employers, government officials, and others who are interested in this asset of their community – why have you never visited a National College campus and met its students, staff, and faculty? Other leaders have!

You don’t know us. You don’t know our college. We call upon you to stop abusing your office and using it to launch deceptive and cynical politically inspired attacks demeaning and denigrating hardworking Kentuckians and the educational choices they have made. Don’t attack our education, our judgment, our qualifications as students, and our college for your own political gain!

While seemingly hokey at first, it’s rather hard-hitting. The letter/ad goes on to ask Jack some questions that, at the very least, will not be fun for his office to deal with.

Like these:

You said: “…they’re (career colleges) not accredited by the normal accreditation agencies…” Jack Conway, Cn|2, “Pure Politics,” 1/27/11

Our college is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools, an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the independent Council for Higher Education Accreditation, among others.

What makes our accreditation not “normal”?

-SNIP-

You said: “Let’s look at federal student loan default rate…” Jack Conway, Cn|2, “Pure Politics,” 1/27/11

Yes, why don’t we do that? National College’s official default rate of 7.9% is lower than the Kentucky statewide average of 10.2%, and is better than every community college in the state. We are confident in our ability to gain employment after graduation and pay back our student loans.

Why have you ignored National College’s low official default rate and instead misled others by talking about an unofficial, uncorrected trial default rate?

Click here (Warning: PDF Link) to take a look at the letter and tons of signatures.

Oh, and Jack? You really thought the national higher education community was going to stand with you as it looks more and more like you’ve turned what was a serious issue into a campaign stunt? Because they’re not. Sadly.

Why are you continuing to pull these stunts? Do you really want to make your job even more difficult after you win re-election? What on earth? You think judges and juries aren’t reading the facts as this plays out in the press? You could have handled this case and solved a big problem without trying to personally profiting from it via politics.

Your only saving grace is that National College is spending no telling how many thousands of dollars on a PR firm and countless more on advertising that can also be considered a silly and wasteful political stunt.