A U.S. college degree is the ultimate prize for many people. But America's primary and secondary schools have been criticized for decades. Critics say they focus too much on testing and stunt students' creativity and imagination. Our correspondent Karina Huber reports on the alternatives some American tech companies are offering with mixed success.

This is a promotional video for WeGrow - a new pre-kindergarten and elementary school started by the wife of WeWork's co-founder and CEO.

Housed in WeWork's New York headquarters, the school charges between 22 and 42 thousand dollars a year in tuition.

KARINA HUBER NEW YORK "WeGrow is just the latest example of a school started or funded by tech leaders. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel invested heavily in a school called 'AltSchool', which opened in New York and California."

Education experts say it's obvious why Silicon Valley would want to invest in schools.

BARI NORMAN, PRESIDENT EXPERT ADMISSIONS "It's a big business. Huge business. Parents are willing to pay and invest and sacrifice for education increasingly."

Norman says education is ripe for disruption. In the U.S. it relies heavily on standardized testing, which some critics say kills children's imaginations. Some parents worry they won't develop the necessary skills to survive in an increasingly automated world. The schools backed by tech titans tend to favor individualized learning that tailors the curriculum to each child - something many parents like. Paul France, the author of the upcoming book "Reclaiming Personalized Learning", says that sounds good but taken to an extreme, it can perpetuate a sense of entitlement.

PAUL FRANCE TEACHER & AUTHOR "When we send kids the message that you get to learn about what you want, and you get to make your own plan all the time, we're telling them that the other 20 people around you don't really matter."

Norman says there are other risks with new schools.

BARI NORMAN, PRESIDENT EXPERT ADMISSIONS "Generally speaking, we're open to new things but we're certainly skeptical until we see results."

AltSchools have already closed in New York and California amid complaints from parents. Now the company is shifting its focus to selling educational software to other schools. France isn't surprised.

PAUL FRANCE TEACHER & AUTHOR "What I've learned is that it's really really challenging to do what's best for kids when profits are involved."

KARINA HUBER, CGTN, NEW YORK.