Edison Awarded Contract to Manage 20 Philadelphia Schools

AP ^ | 7-31-02 | Michael Rubinkam

[Pharmboy]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The city school district awarded $25 million in contracts Wednesday to seven outside companies, including Edison Schools Inc., to run 45 of the district's 264 schools. Edison, the nation's largest private operator of public schools, will get $11.7 million a year to manage 20 low-performing schools in the district of more than 200,000 students.

The School Reform Commission, created by the state after it seized control of the city's failing public school system in December, voted 4-0 to award the contracts, which run for five years.

Teachers, parents and students argued for months against hiring Edison, which was supported by Gov. Mark Schweiker and the state's education secretary.

During negotiations, Edison had demanded roughly $1,500 more per pupil than the district currently spends to educate students. Instead, it received $881 more per pupil.

Company spokesman Adam Tucker said the money is still enough to "do some wonderful things in Philadelphia."

Schweiker said the commission's vote will lead to "historic and dramatic education reforms."

Opponents disagreed. Middle school teacher Lisa Haver, 46, said the commission should have spread the money equally among all 264 schools, "because all of them need help. We all know that."

[Pharmboy]

It will be interesting to see if the dailies pick this up. The only time they report on Edison is when they get bad publicity. Between the Supremes ruling on vouchers and this, Ms. Feldman of the teacher's union is having a bad year.

[Indrid Cold]

"Teachers, parents and students argued for months against hiring Edison..." Yeah, I'll bet they did. Bet the parents and students are singing out of the other side of their mouths in a few months, though.

[Lancey Howard]

There is some smear job or another against Edison published every week around here (Phila. area) in one or more of the local toilet papers. The DNC / teachers union scum just feed something to the Stinky or the Daily News or the Courier Slimes and voila! - - front page.