Edison Project

<div id="siteSub"></div><div id="siteSub">---Chester Evans Finn, Jr., (b. August 3, 1944) is a former professor of education, an educational policy analyst, and a former United States Assistant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_Education" title="Secretary of Education" class="mw-redirect">Secretary of Education</a>. He is currently the president of the nonprofit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_B.Fordham_Foundation" title="Thomas B. Fordham Foundation" class="mw-redirect" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Thomas B. Fordham Foundation</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a> He is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Education, an Adjunct Fellow at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Institute" title="Hudson Institute">Hudson Institute</a>, and a senior fellow at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_University" title="Stanford University">Stanford University</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Institution" title="Hoover Institution">Hoover Institution</a> where he chairs the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education.Finn was Professor of Education and Public Policy at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_University" title="Vanderbilt University">Vanderbilt University</a> (1981–2002). He served as Assistant Secretary for Research and Improvement at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Department_of_Education" title="U.S. Department of Education" class="mw-redirect">U.S. Department of Education</a> (1985–1988). Earlier positions include Staff Assistant to the President of the United States; Special Assistant to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Massachusetts" title="Governor of Massachusetts">Governor of Massachusetts</a>(1972–1973); Counsel to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_India" title="United States Ambassador to India">United States Ambassador to India</a> (1973–1974); Research Associate at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookings_Institution" title="Brookings Institution">Brookings Institution</a> (1974–1977); and Legislative Director for<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Senator" title="U.S. Senator" class="mw-redirect">Senator</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Patrick_Moynihan" title="Daniel Patrick Moynihan">Daniel Patrick Moynihan</a> (1977–1981).checker finn RR depr of ed diane r:
https://dianeravitch.net/2012/11/24/checker-finn-opposes-the-for-profit-model-in-education/edison fail ohio
Back when I was a conservative, I was a founding member of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, which is now the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.TBF was a continuation of work that Checker Finn and I started in the early 1980s as the Educational Excellence Network.We advocated for liberal education and for higher standards for all students.Checker was always more enthusiastic about choice than I was, but we worked together harmoniously in our shared distaste for humbug of any kind. We even traveled together in Eastern Europe at the invitation of the AFT, to talk about education and democracy.When I left the conservative fold, I left the board of TBF.While I still disagree with TBF’s love affair with school choice, I admire the honesty and transparency that has distinguished the organization.<a href="http://www.edexcellence.net/ohio-policy/gadfly/2012/november-14/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do-the-edison-story-in-dayton.html#body" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">In this latest report, </a>TBF hired an experienced journalist to investigate why Edison failed in Dayton, Ohio, as an operator of a large charter school. Checker was one of the founding gurus of Edison.The story is fascinating.Most interesting is this quote:“Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, whose sister organization sponsors the two schools overseen by the Alliance for Community Schools board, is among the most disillusioned about Edison’s effort in Dayton. Finn was at the table with Whittle and Chubb when Edison was conceived, and he was an early proponent of its education model. He said that the company’s “horror show” in his hometown is a special embarrassment.“They did an abysmal job in Dayton,” Finn said. “I think it was an implementation and an accountability failure.”An assistant secretary of education under former President Ronald Reagan, Finn said he has become “cynical” about the for-profit model in education. “Shareholder return ends up trumping the best interests of students,” he said. Having watched education management companies for 20 years, “Most of the models I admire today are run by non-profit groups.”Now that is newsworthy! Checker is one of the most prominent of the conservative champions of choice, and he here admits that he has become cynical about the for-profit model.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.5em; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Tell that to Governor Snyder in Michigan, where 80% of the charters are for-profit. Or to Governor John Kasich in Ohio, who has collected millions of dollars in campaign funding from for-profit operators.And thank you, TBF, for showing other advocacy groups what it means to be transparent and self-critical and honest.</div><div id="siteSub"></div><div id="siteSub">
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    <p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>EdisonLearning Inc.</b>, formerly known as <b>Edison Schools Inc.</b>, is a for-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profit_%28economics%29" title="Profit (economics)">profit</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For-profit_school" title="For-profit school" class="mw-redirect">education management organization</a> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_school_%28government_funded%29" title="Public school (government funded)" class="mw-redirect">public schools</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a>. It was founded in 1992 as The Edison Project, largely the brainchild of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Whittle" title="Chris Whittle">Chris Whittle</a>. The initial expansion of Edison included the involvement of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ingram" title="Tom Ingram">Tom Ingram</a> (campaign manager and chief of staff to former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee" title="Tennessee">Tennessee</a> governor and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Education" title="United States Secretary of Education">United States Secretary of Education</a> from 1991-1993, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamar_Alexander" title="Lamar Alexander">Lamar Alexander</a>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benno_C._Schmidt,_Jr." title="Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.">Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Chubb_%28political_scientist%29&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="John Chubb (political scientist) (page does not exist)">John Chubb</a> (political scientist from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Institution" title="Hoover Institution">Hoover</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookings_Institute" title="Brookings Institute" class="mw-redirect">Brookings Institute</a>), and <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_E._Finn,_Jr." title="Chester E. Finn, Jr.">Chester E. Finn, Jr.</a> (assistant secretary of education to former presidents <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan">Reagan</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H.W._Bush" title="George H.W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George H.W. Bush</a>). Originally founded around the idea of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_voucher" title="School voucher">school vouchers</a></span>, Edison primarily contracts with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_district" title="School district">school districts</a> on the basis of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Performance_partnerships&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Performance partnerships (page does not exist)">performance partnerships</a>, alliances, and <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_school" title="Charter school">charter school</a> establishment.</span></font><br/>

EdisonLearning has its headquarters in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Manhattan" title="Midtown Manhattan">Midtown Manhattan</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City" title="New York City">New York City</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-0">[1]</a>

<h2>Contents</h2>

</div>

<ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#Approach_to_Education">1 Approach to Education</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#Expansion_and_contraction">2 Expansion and contraction</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#Criticism">3 Criticism</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#See_also">4 See also</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#References">5 References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#External_links">6 External links</a></li></ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2> Approach to Education</h2>

Edison claimed that it could run public schools for less money than

school districts could, and that it would improve student achievement

while making a profit for its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shareholder" title="Shareholder">shareholders</a>. Edison attracted ideological support from backers of privatization and school vouchers, including the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Journal" title="Wall Street Journal" class="mw-redirect">Wall Street Journal</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-Holier-1">[2]</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Institution" title="Hoover Institution">Hoover Institution</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-titleHoover_Institution-Education_Next-The_Philadelphia_Experiment-2">[3]</a>

Edison Schools work on the principle of being partners with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_district" title="School district">school district</a> concerned. They are divided into three sub-companies: District Partners, Charter, and Alliance. In addition Edison runs <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterschool_program" title="Afterschool program" class="mw-redirect">afterschool programmes</a> under the Newton brand and extended school year programmes under the Tungsten brand.

Edison has also made some headway in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK" title="UK" class="mw-redirect">Britain</a> with Edison Schools UK. Colbayns High School in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex" title="Essex">Essex</a> was the first Edison School in that country, and received praise from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OFSTED" title="OFSTED" class="mw-redirect">OFSTED</a> for its progress over nine months.

Edison Schools bases its approach on ten fundamentals and various

core values. The fundamentals include a better use of time (which means a

longer school day and a longer school year—189 days as opposed to 180

in the standard American school) and assessments that provide

accountability (including benchmark assessments and a structured

portfolio and a quarterly learning contract).

<h2> Expansion and contraction</h2>

Edison's stock was publicly traded on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASDAQ" title="NASDAQ">NASDAQ</a> for four years. The company reported only one profitable quarter while it was publicly traded.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-titleBusiness:Legislators.2C_teachers_balk_at_deal_for_Edison_Schools.2C_St.Petersburg_Times_Online:Business-3">[4]</a> After reaching a high of close to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar" title="United States dollar">USD</a>$40 per share in early 2001, shares fell to 14 cents. Also in 2001, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission" title="Securities and Exchange Commission" class="mw-redirect">Securities and Exchange Commission</a>

charged that Edison failed to disclose that as much as 41 percent of

its revenue that year consisted of money that it never saw: $154

million. By 2002, Edison was courting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Milliken" title="Roger Milliken">Roger Milliken</a> for a possible bailout. The company was eventually taken private in 2003, in a buyout facilitated by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liberty_Partners&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Liberty Partners (page does not exist)">Liberty Partners</a> on behalf of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Retirement_System" title="Florida Retirement System" class="mw-redirect">Florida Retirement System</a>, which handles pension investments for the state's public school teachers; The deal valued the company at $180 million<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-titleEdison_buyout_draws_Ire_in_Florida.-Free_Online_Library-4">[5]</a> or $1.76 per share.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-title-5">[6]</a> The three pension fund trustees at the time that endorsed the deal were: Florida Attorney General <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Crist" title="Charlie Crist">Charlie Crist</a>, Florida Chief Financial Officer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Gallagher" title="Tom Gallagher">Tom Gallagher</a>, and Florida Governor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeb_Bush" title="Jeb Bush">Jeb Bush</a>.

After losing many contracts,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-6">[7]</a>

Edison diversified away from the management of public schools and into

marketing conventional supplemental services such as testing, summer

school and tutoring. Most of its new business involves providing such

services rather than trying to manage schools.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-titleParents_Advocating_School_Accountability_Edison_Page-7">[8]</a>

In 2008, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_District_of_Philadelphia" title="School District of Philadelphia">School District of Philadelphia</a>,

Edison's largest single client with 20 schools (Edison was originally

planned to take over the entire district), later announced plans to

dismiss the company as a manager, noting that it and other private firms

would be eligible to reapply.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-titlePlan_would_bolster_troubled_city_schools.7C_Philadelphia_Inquirer.7C_02.2F15.2F2008-8">[9]</a>

By June 18 that year, Philadelphia's School Reform Commission voted to

seize six schools from outside contractors— four of them run by Edison—

citing lack of improvement.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-9">[10]</a>

EdisonLearning has not made a profit for the last 4 years and has

been relying heavily on Liberty Partners for financial support. Over the

last few years, Liberty Partners has replaced the senior leadership in

hopes for making the company profitable.

<h2> Criticism</h2>

Edison's educational and financial performance has been the subject

of criticism. Despite initial promises of costs reductions client

districts reported higher costs for their Edison schools.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-titleHow_Edison_Survived-10">[11]</a> Edison's claims about academic improvement failed to live up to the company's promises. A July 2002 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times" title="New York Times" class="mw-redirect">New York Times</a> analysis of Edison's claims found that the troubled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland,_Ohio" title="Cleveland, Ohio" class="mw-redirect">Cleveland</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio" title="Ohio">Ohio</a>,

school system achieved higher gains than Edison's schools when analyzed

with the methodology Edison applied to its own schools' achievement.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-11">[12]</a>

Edison's methods and processes were mentioned prominently in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alissa_Quart&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alissa Quart (page does not exist)">Alissa Quart</a>'s Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers

(2003), when some students started a demonstration against an Edison

School being built in their area, due to the commercial takeover of

their public schools.

Kenneth J. Saltman's The Edison Schools: Corporate Schooling and the Assault on Public Education

(Routledge, 2005) examines the efficacy of the company and raises

questions about the broader social, political, and cultural implications

of public schools being run for profit.

In the period the failure of Edison Schools to revolutionize

education became apparent, supporters of privatized education have

criticized Whittle's for entering contracts with public school districts

rather than setting up completely private schools. Writing in the Wall Street Journal in 2005, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K.Glassman" title="James K. Glassman">James K. Glassman</a> stated<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_note-titleAn_Entrepreneur_Goes_to_School-_WSJ.com-12">[13]</a>

Today, instead of owning 1,000 private schools, Edison merely manages

157 public ones. What happened? Edison had nowhere near the funding to

construct such a gigantic enterprise so quickly, and Mr. Whittle and Mr.

Schmidt lacked management skills and patience. After early setbacks in

starting his private schools, Mr. Whittle decided to switch focus

entirely and sought management contracts from urban school boards. With

no experience dealing with big-city unions and politicians, Edison

blundered into disaster after disaster. "Too often," writes Mr. Whittle,

"what rules schools is politics, not grades." He should have recognized

that fact earlier and stuck to creating his own low-cost schools.

</blockquote>

<table style="line-height: 110%; max-width: 175px; background: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_New_York_City.svg" class="image"><img alt="Portal icon" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_New_York_City.svg/32px-Flag_of_New_York_City.svg.png" height="19" width="32" /></a></td><td style="padding: 0 0.2em; vertical-align: middle; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:New_York_City" title="Portal:New York City">New York City portal</a></td></tr><tr valign="middle"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Factory_1b.svg" class="image"><img alt="Portal icon" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Factory_1b.svg/32px-Factory_1b.svg.png" height="26" width="32" /></a></td><td style="padding: 0 0.2em; vertical-align: middle; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Companies" title="Portal:Companies">Companies portal</a></td></tr><tr valign="middle"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg" class="image"><img alt="Portal icon" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg/28px-Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg.png" height="28" width="28" /></a></td><td style="padding: 0 0.2em; vertical-align: middle; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Education" title="Portal:Education">Education portal</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

<ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annenberg_Foundation" title="Annenberg Foundation">Annenberg Foundation</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Schweiker" title="Mark Schweiker" class="mw-redirect">Mark Schweiker</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_Summer_Adventure" title="Newton Summer Adventure">Newton Summer Adventure</a></li></ul>

<h2> References</h2>

<ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.edisonlearning.com/contact-us">Contact Us</a>."

EdisonLearning. Retrieved on October 4, 2011. "General Inquiries

EdisonLearning, Inc. 485 Lexington Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10017"</li><li id="cite_note-Holier-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-Holier_1-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=85000796">"Holier Than the Children: Big-city liberals put teachers unions first"</a>. The Wall Street Journal Online. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Holier+Than+the+Children%3A+Big-city+liberals+put+teachers+unions+first&rft.atitle=The+Wall+Street+Journal+Online&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionjournal.com%2Feditorial%2Ffeature.html%3Fid%3D85000796&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-titleHoover_Institution-Education_Next-The_Philadelphia_Experiment-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-titleHoover_Institution-Education_Next-The_Philadelphia_Experiment_2-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080521142343/http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/3355016.html">"Hoover Institution - Education Next - The Philadelphia Experiment"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/3355016.html">the original</a> on 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Hoover+Institution+-+Education+Next+-+The+Philadelphia+Experiment&rft.atitle=&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20080521142343%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoover.org%2Fpublications%2Fednext%2F3355016.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-titleBusiness:Legislators.2C_teachers_balk_at_deal_for_Edison_Schools.2C_St.Petersburg_Times_Online:Business-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-titleBusiness:Legislators.2C_teachers_balk_at_deal_for_Edison_Schools.2C_St.Petersburg_Times_Online:Business_3-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sptimes.com/2003/09/26/Business/Legislatorsteachers.shtml">"Business: Legislators, teachers balk at deal for Edison Schools"</a>. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Business%3A+Legislators%2C+teachers+balk+at+deal+for+Edison+Schools&rft.atitle=St.+Petersburg+Times&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sptimes.com%2F2003%2F09%2F26%2FBusiness%2FLegislatorsteachers.shtml&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-titleEdison_buyout_draws_Ire_in_Florida.-Free_Online_Library-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-titleEdison_buyout_draws_Ire_in_Florida.-Free_Online_Library_4-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Edison+buyout+draws+Ire+in+Florida-a0113231844">"Edison buyout draws Ire in Florida. - Free Online Library"</a>. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Edison+buyout+draws+Ire+in+Florida.+-+Free+Online+Library&rft.atitle=&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefreelibrary.com%2FEdison%2Bbuyout%2Bdraws%2BIre%2Bin%2BFlorida-a0113231844&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-title-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-title_5-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://epsl.asu.edu/epru/articles/EPRU-0311-43-OWI.doc">"Edison Schools accepts buyout"</a>. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Edison+Schools+accepts+buyout&rft.atitle=&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fepsl.asu.edu%2Fepru%2Farticles%2FEPRU-0311-43-OWI.doc&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-6">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pasasf.org/edison/cancelled.html">Cancelled Edison Contracts</a></li><li id="cite_note-titleParents_Advocating_School_Accountability_Edison_Page-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-titleParents_Advocating_School_Accountability_Edison_Page_7-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pasasf.org/edison/edison.html">"Parents Advocating School Accountability Edison Page"</a>. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Parents+Advocating+School+Accountability+Edison+Page&rft.atitle=&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pasasf.org%2Fedison%2Fedison.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-titlePlan_would_bolster_troubled_city_schools.7C_Philadelphia_Inquirer.7C_02.2F15.2F2008-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-titlePlan_would_bolster_troubled_city_schools.7C_Philadelphia_Inquirer.7C_02.2F15.2F2008_8-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080521100445/http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20080215_Plan_would_bolster_troubled_city_schools.html">"Plan would bolster troubled city schools"</a>. Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20080215_Plan_would_bolster_troubled_city_schools.html">the original</a> on 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Plan+would+bolster+troubled+city+schools&rft.atitle=Philadelphia+Inquirer&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20080521100445%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Feducation%2F20080215_Plan_would_bolster_troubled_city_schools.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-9">^{</a></span}> Kristen A. Graham (June 18, 2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20544419.html">"Six Philly schools returning to district in blow to private operators"</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Inquirer" title="Philadelphia Inquirer" class="mw-redirect">Philadelphia Inquirer</a>.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Six+Philly+schools+returning+to+district+in+blow+to+private+operators&rft.atitle=&rft.aulast=Kristen+A.+Graham&rft.au=Kristen+A.+Graham&rft.date=June+18%2C+2008&rft.pub=%27%27%5B%5BPhiladelphia+Inquirer%5D%5D%27%27&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fphilly%2Fhp%2Fnews_update%2F20544419.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-titleHow_Edison_Survived-10"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-titleHow_Edison_Survived_10-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040315/moberg">"How Edison Survived"</a>. The Nation. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=How+Edison+Survived&rft.atitle=The+Nation&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenation.com%2Fdoc%2F20040315%2Fmoberg&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li><li id="cite_note-11"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-11">^{</a></span}> Jacques Steinberg and Diana B. Henriques, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30914F63C5D0C758DDDAE0894DA404482">Complex Calculations on Academics</a>, New York Times, July 16, 2002</li><li id="cite_note-titleAn_Entrepreneur_Goes_to_School-WSJ.com-12"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdisonLearning#cite_ref-titleAn_Entrepreneur_Goes_to_School-WSJ.com_12-0">^{</a></span}> Glassman, James K. (2005-09-07). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB112604287494033169.html">"An Entrepreneur Goes to School"</a>. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-02-16.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=An+Entrepreneur+Goes+to+School&rft.jtitle=Wall+Street+Journal&rft.aulast=Glassman&rft.aufirst=James+K.&rft.au=Glassman%2C%26%2332%3BJames+K.&rft.date=2005-09-07&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Fpublic%2Farticle%2FSB112604287494033169.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:EdisonLearning" /></li></ol>

</div>

<h2> External links</h2>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.edisonlearning.com/">Official website</a></li></ul>---Chester Evans Finn, Jr., (b. August 3, 1944) is a former professor of education, an educational policy analyst, and a former United States Assistant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_Education" title="Secretary of Education" class="mw-redirect">Secretary of Education</a>. He is currently the president of the nonprofit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_B.Fordham_Foundation" title="Thomas B. Fordham Foundation" class="mw-redirect" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Thomas B. Fordham Foundation</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a> He is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Education, an Adjunct Fellow at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Institute" title="Hudson Institute">Hudson Institute</a>, and a senior fellow at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_University" title="Stanford University">Stanford University</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Institution" title="Hoover Institution">Hoover Institution</a> where he chairs the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education.

Finn was Professor of Education and Public Policy at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_University" title="Vanderbilt University">Vanderbilt University</a> (1981–2002). He served as Assistant Secretary for Research and Improvement at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Department_of_Education" title="U.S. Department of Education" class="mw-redirect">U.S. Department of Education</a> (1985–1988). Earlier positions include Staff Assistant to the President of the United States; Special Assistant to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Massachusetts" title="Governor of Massachusetts">Governor of Massachusetts</a> (1972–1973); Counsel to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_India" title="United States Ambassador to India">United States Ambassador to India</a> (1973–1974); Research Associate at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookings_Institution" title="Brookings Institution">Brookings Institution</a> (1974–1977); and Legislative Director for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Senator" title="U.S. Senator" class="mw-redirect">Senator</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Patrick_Moynihan" title="Daniel Patrick Moynihan">Daniel Patrick Moynihan</a> (1977–1981).