(What is the matter with these people? You would think that if someone conclusively showed that one school did a better job educating our children then another school, they would want that school to teach thier children. Nope, these parents would rather have half the students graduate functionally illiterate in a public school then have any school system (god forbid) make a profit (gasp) You would think they would work in thier childrens best interest, but they are 'philisophically opposed' to for profit schools. Isnt that like being 'philosophically opposed' to medicine and surgery. 'I dont care if it works, makes our lives better, educates our childrent better, it is for profit and must be bad!!!' Does anyone know anybody who lives in San Fransisco, can you forward this article to them! - Mike)

San Francisco to boot out successful Edison school
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A narrow majority of San Francisco's newly-elected school board
intends to boot for-profit Edison Schools out of the city --
even though Edison has dramatically improved the performance
of the school under its control.

from - http://www.ncpa.org/pi/edu/pd011701b.html

A narrow majority of San Francisco's
newly-elected school board is
"philosophically opposed to for-profit
management" of a public school there. So
it intends to boot for-profit Edison
Schools out of the city.

Three years ago, the board signed a
five-year contract with Edison to run one
school there -- coincidently named
Edison. The company manages 113
schools in a dozen states with 53,000
students.

No one contends Edison hasn't done a
fine job -- even though it does want to
make money.

Last fall, 49 percent of fifth graders at
Edison scored at the national
average or better in math, compared
with 28 percent the year before.

In reading, 35 percent of fifth graders
performed at national levels --
compared to just 2 percent before the
for-profit firm took over.

In all, Edison has the third most
improved showing on statewide tests
of all of San Francisco's 71 schools.

Nevertheless, incoming school board
president Jill Wynns wants to revoke
the remaining two years on Edison's
contract because Edison "has been a
destructive force, shattering our
sense of community."

If Edison is forced to leave the city,
education reformers predict, it will
embolden teachers' unions and other
opponents of its planned entry into New
York City schools. Last month the board
of education there endorsed a proposal to
allow Edison Schools to manage five of
the city's worst schools if it could
convince a majority of parents in each to
go along.