Baltimore Parent Groups Rally Behind Edison Schools
Busloads Travel to Baltimore City Public School System Meeting to Voice Support for Edison
Parents, teachers and staff of the three Edison partnership schools in Baltimore say the schools ARE working, and they want the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) to continue its contract with Edison to manage the schools. Edison currently manages Furman L. Templeton, Gilmor, and Montebello elementary.
Edison supporters arrived on charter buses from all over the districts to attend tonight’s BCPSS meeting and to tell system members that they believe in the Edison system to lead their children’s education. The mass of supporters gave countless personal examples of positive results they are witnessing in their children who attend the schools under Edison management.
Personal testimonies specifically credited the Edison structure and program management for the success parents are seeing in their children. Many pointed out the benefits the Edison program provides for children who were not able to achieve their full potential in a traditional educational environment. The fact that Edison programs blend strong classroom curriculum with a host of important extra-curricular activities was sited for much of the result.
“Edison brings out the best from our children and empowers them to achieve greatness,” said Andrea Chaplin, the President of the Parent Advisory Council and the mother of a student at Furman L. Templeton Edison. “I have witnessed my son improving in leaps and bounds just in the past year as a result of the way Edison runs the school programs.”
“My son has developed a positive attitude about school and has set his own goal of achieving the Elite Award given in the Edison program for exceptional achievement,” added Chaplin, whose son has become a member of the U.S. Chess Federation after learning the game in an extra-curricular program offered by Edison. As a result, Chaplin’s son competed for the first time in a chess competition and regularly partakes in other after-school activities that encourage him to become a more well-rounded young man.
“The curriculum and standards set by Edison are excellent,” said Dawn Tucker, whose daughter attends Montebello. “My daughter, who was attending a private school before coming to the Edison school, has found her experience at Montebello to be on par with her private school. She is excelling and we are very happy with the results from the Edison program.”
LaRhonda Brown, a cafeteria worker and parent of two students at Furman L. Templeton said, “After kindergarten, my son could not read. But once he was enrolled into the Edison school, his test scores went from15 percent to 85 percent.”
Brown also sited that her daughter has become an honor roll student since becoming a student at the Edison school. “The Edison system motivates parents and their children to put a lot of effort into developing serious study habits, pursuing extra-curricular activities, and even contributing to local community development.”
“I know Edison has helped a lot of kids in our district; many more children than we could have ever fit on the busses we used to come here this evening,” Brown continued. “But tonight we have traveled here to speak for those children who could not be here. And we are speaking on behalf of their futures.”
Although tonight’s event demonstrated overwhelming support for Edison from parents and the community, many parents remained greatly concerned about the pending decision that would be made by the BCPSS.
“In the short time that I have been a part of the Edison-Gilmor family, I have experienced a very strong sense of history and community in this school. Through the partnership with Edison Schools over the past seven years the community and the school have become unified in a joint effort to ensure the very best educational opportunity for its Gilmor-Edison students,” said Dr. Cassandra Dixon, Principal at Gilmor-Edison.
“However, in the past few weeks, I have heard a great deal of concern from parents about the pending decision to continue with the progress Edison has made in their schools,” Dixon said. “Parents who I’ve talked with are hopeful for an immediate decision so they can make decisions on where to send their children next year.”
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Edison supporters arrived on charter buses from all over the districts to attend tonight’s BCPSS meeting and to tell system members that they believe in the Edison system to lead their children’s education. The mass of supporters gave countless personal examples of positive results they are witnessing in their children who attend the schools under Edison management.
Personal testimonies specifically credited the Edison structure and program management for the success parents are seeing in their children. Many pointed out the benefits the Edison program provides for children who were not able to achieve their full potential in a traditional educational environment. The fact that Edison programs blend strong classroom curriculum with a host of important extra-curricular activities was sited for much of the result.
“Edison brings out the best from our children and empowers them to achieve greatness,” said Andrea Chaplin, the President of the Parent Advisory Council and the mother of a student at Furman L. Templeton Edison. “I have witnessed my son improving in leaps and bounds just in the past year as a result of the way Edison runs the school programs.”
“My son has developed a positive attitude about school and has set his own goal of achieving the Elite Award given in the Edison program for exceptional achievement,” added Chaplin, whose son has become a member of the U.S. Chess Federation after learning the game in an extra-curricular program offered by Edison. As a result, Chaplin’s son competed for the first time in a chess competition and regularly partakes in other after-school activities that encourage him to become a more well-rounded young man.
“The curriculum and standards set by Edison are excellent,” said Dawn Tucker, whose daughter attends Montebello. “My daughter, who was attending a private school before coming to the Edison school, has found her experience at Montebello to be on par with her private school. She is excelling and we are very happy with the results from the Edison program.”
LaRhonda Brown, a cafeteria worker and parent of two students at Furman L. Templeton said, “After kindergarten, my son could not read. But once he was enrolled into the Edison school, his test scores went from15 percent to 85 percent.”
Brown also sited that her daughter has become an honor roll student since becoming a student at the Edison school. “The Edison system motivates parents and their children to put a lot of effort into developing serious study habits, pursuing extra-curricular activities, and even contributing to local community development.”
“I know Edison has helped a lot of kids in our district; many more children than we could have ever fit on the busses we used to come here this evening,” Brown continued. “But tonight we have traveled here to speak for those children who could not be here. And we are speaking on behalf of their futures.”
Although tonight’s event demonstrated overwhelming support for Edison from parents and the community, many parents remained greatly concerned about the pending decision that would be made by the BCPSS.
“In the short time that I have been a part of the Edison-Gilmor family, I have experienced a very strong sense of history and community in this school. Through the partnership with Edison Schools over the past seven years the community and the school have become unified in a joint effort to ensure the very best educational opportunity for its Gilmor-Edison students,” said Dr. Cassandra Dixon, Principal at Gilmor-Edison.
“However, in the past few weeks, I have heard a great deal of concern from parents about the pending decision to continue with the progress Edison has made in their schools,” Dixon said. “Parents who I’ve talked with are hopeful for an immediate decision so they can make decisions on where to send their children next year.”
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01/09/2007
01/09/2007
