San Francisco-Edison Milestones

Outreach, education, and grassroots support were the key elements of the substantial impact that the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) had in the fight to save the Edison Charter Academy (ECA). Supporting parents of ECA students was the first priority. To that end, PRI’s greatest milestone was earning the confidence of the parents. PRI had its most significant impact by introducing to parents the Institute as a community resource for school-choice issues.

Media coverage for PRI’s impact on the Edison charter included:

Interviews:

• Business Week, Newsweek, San Francisco Chronicle, The Independent, San Jose Mercury News, and The Las Vegas Review-Journal

Quotes/Features:

• Deroy Murdock, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, “NYC’s Missed Chance,” New York Post, June 1, 2001 — also appearing in National Review and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Education Leaders Council: “The ELC Weekly Update,” June 29, 2001
• Thomas B. Fordham Foundation: “The Gadfly,” June 27, 2001
• PRI fellow, Diallo Dphrepaulezz, invited to speak at ECA’s fifth grade graduation ceremony on June 14, 2001
• At the request of Edison Schools, Inc. PRI made a presentation addressing community support for the charter to the S.F. Board of Education at the “Edison Charter renewal hearing”
• Briefing paper: “The Fight to Save the Edison Charter in San Francisco” (June 2001) featured on Parents to Save Edison Charter web site

Opinion Editorials:

• San Francisco Examiner — Sally Pipes, February 26, 2001
  S.F. education reactionaries strike again
• San Francisco Examiner — Diallo Dphrepaulezz, May 14, 2001
  SF school district’s double standard
• San Francisco Examiner — Diallo Dphrepaulezz, June 28, 2001
  Edison deal shows school board’s fear of success
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Diallo Dphrepaulezz, July 6, 2001
  Resistance Grows: Critics ignore charter schools’ success
• School Reform News — Diallo Dphrepaulezz, July 2001
  Sidebar: Deal Forced on Edison, Despite Meritless Charges

Publications:

• Diallo Dphrepaulezz, Briefing Paper: “The Fight to Save the Edison Charter in San Francisco,” June 2001

Television Appearance:

• Arthur Bruzzone’s “SF Politics”
• Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) segment on school choice featuring PRI president Sally Pipes
• Local NBC affiliate KRON/Bay TV’s “Take Issue”
• Pacific News Service segment on Edison Charter Academy and charter schools generally

Web Site:

• PRI provided policy content for the Parents to Save Edison Charter (a parent group) web site www.edisonaction.org

Other efforts included assisting parents in filing civil rights complaints against the board under the state Uniform Complaint Procedures, ethics complaints, letters to the editor, coordinating parent-media contacts, and providing parents with media training.

Going Forward

PRI’s impact on this issue has inspired other parents and community groups, some with charter petitions pending, rejected, and others to come forward and demand local school-choice. There is plenty of work and education left to be done and PRI wants to continue building the momentum.