New schooling: Seven area principals in N.Y. for training

Terry Webster

Wednesday, March 28, 2001 | 11:27 a.m.

Meeting

The School Board will discuss Edison at a special meeting 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Education Center, 2832 E. Flamingo Road.

Although its uncertain financial picture is drawing national attention and several local hurdles remain, Edison Schools is getting closer to its planned fall startup in Las Vegas.

This week marks a training session for principals of the seven Clark County schools selected for the program.

"They will be learning more about the curriculum, the program and the leadership concept," Kathy Hamel, Edison spokeswoman, said. "It also will cover the different staff positions and what the responsibilities are for each one."

Principals from Ronnow, Cahlan, Lincoln, Park, Crestwood and Lynch elementary schools, along with West Middle School, are in New York this week for a training seminar. The Clark County School Board has approved the schools to pilot the Edison program this fall.

If district officials are pleased with Edison's performance, the for-profit company could take over up to 13 additional schools by 2005, bringing the total to 20.

Hamel said informational meetings about Edison's program are being planned for parents and staff.

Based on student enrollment, Edison is expected to be able to support only students already zoned to attend the seven schools.

Meanwhile, principals say they are looking forward to bringing Edison on board. They say it will improve student performance and provide more resources.

"One of the reasons I like the program is that they look at the whole child," Karen Williams, principal of West Middle School, said. "They are concerned with academics, social skills and getting parents involved in their children's education. They also emphasize responsibility, respect and integrity."

Miguel Rodrigues, principal of Park Elementary, said Edison is bringing additional work for administrators and teachers, but it will be worth it.

"We have to do quite a bit of work in education, anyway," he said. "The proof will be in the pudding. If the hard work results in helping out kids, it will be worth it. The school is not here for the staff. It's here for the students and the parents."

Others see it as a chance to give disadvantaged children more opportunities.

"We have a community of wonderful children with lots of needs," Sheila Jones-Mosely, principal of Lynch Elementary, said. "I think that with the resources Edison has, we are going to be able to make significant gains."

Optimism is high among local officials, despite negative reports about Edison, the nation's biggest for-profit manager of public schools. The firm has come under fire recently in New York, Dallas and San Francisco.

At issue in San Francisco are allegations of sending special education students to other campuses, employee mismanagement and enrollment manipulations that altered test scores.

The San Francisco school board voted 6-1 Tuesday night to give the company 90 days to correct the alleged problems at the 503-student Edison Charter Academy.

Edison officials have denied any wrongdoing.

School officials here said Edison will be out if it doesn't perform.

"We are not going to fool around with a company that does not show success," Augie Orci, assistant superintendent for elementary education, said. "And we have protections for that in our contract. All in all, I think their successes have outweighed their failures. Edison itself has admitted it isn't perfect."

Orci added that Edison's methods and programs will help serve as a learning laboratory for other schools in the district.

Hamel said Edison's basic program will operate the same here as it does in Edison schools in other cities, except for tutoring. Tutoring will take place during the regular school day for year-round schools.

One of the most common criticisms of Edison is that it uses public funding for schools in an effort to turn a profit. Districts hand over state and federal aid and Edison uses it to run its schools.

According to a financial summary report, Edison's revenues increased 63 percent to $167.1 million, for a six-month period ending Dec. 21. Over the same period, Edison reported a net loss of $22.7 million.

Edison has lost about $200 million since its inception 10 years ago.

The New York Daily News reported that investors -- among them 24 Edison executives -- sold $77.8 million worth of Edison stock last week.

Another report, this one in the New York Times, stated that H. Christopher Whittle, Edison's founder and chief executive officer, sold nearly $16 million of his personal holdings in the firm to reduce personal debts.

Wall Street analysts and investors sometimes become nervous when a company's chief executive sells shares, the Times reported.

Telephone calls to Edison's corporate office in New York City were not returned.

The district will essentially break even in handing over aid to Edison, Walt Rulffes, the district's chief financial officer, said.

"We're not going to 'lose' money, but we do provide capital provisions," he said. "They're getting a building to use at no cost."

Additionally, Edison has named capital projects the school district will have to complete before Edison can run its program. They include:

* Crestwood Elementary -- Roof repairs and the expansion of the multipurpose room.

* Lincoln Elementary -- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements, the completion of a new multipurpose room and the conversion of other spaces to classrooms.

* Park Elementary -- Replacement and removal of older buildings, along with portable classrooms, to allow the school to return to a traditional calendar, if possible.

* Ronnow Elementary -- Heating ventilation and air conditioning improvements and additional portable classrooms.

The district also will make upgrades or install new systems for telephones and computer networking at each of the Edison schools.

There are other hurdles to pass before the firm comes to Clark County.

Edison is working to raise some $10 million in donations to support Clark County's program.

If all of the money is not raised, some schools will be dropped from the program, Orci said.

The outside donations will be used to pay for Edison's school and home technology equipment. Edison provides computers for home use by students in grades three and up during its second year of operation.

Outside donations also will pay for curriculum materials.

Clark County's costliest roadblock, however, may come from the state Legislative Committee on Education.

The committee's chairman, Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said he is angry that the school district snubbed his committee's questions about the program.

"The state is a player in this," Williams said. "We are responsible for the performance of the schools that need improvement. My committee had questions the district couldn't answer. Yet this was approved by the School Board the next day."

Williams has proposed a bill that would require districts to get state approval on all Edison schools.

"It would apply to any future Edison schools," he said.

Superintendent Carlos Garcia has said that the hiring of Edison, which will operate under a partnership with the district, is a local decision.

Other final steps in bringing the program to Clark County involve the completion negotiations with the school district's employee unions.

"No one is going to lose a job," Sue Strand, president of the Clark County Education Association, said. However, teachers who want to work for Edison will have to interview and reapply for their jobs. Teachers also will have the option of transferring to another school.

The administrators union is working through Edison's evaluation process for principals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.