The day starts early in an Edison school. By 6:30 A.M., or sooner if working parents need it, children who take part in the structured before-school program are arriving. The program is supervised by school staff or a nonprofit group. This is quiet time for kids who are still brushing sleep from their eyes. They can choose to read, draw, or play board-games with friends.

Slowly, lights come on in individual classrooms as teachers arrive. There are two houses in each Edison Primary and Elementary Academy, with four core teachers (six for larger schools) plus specialists, and about 100-162 children in each house. The school day is a minimum seven hours in the Primary Academy and eight hours in the Elementary Academy. Primary academies generally start an hour later.