Budget creates havoc at Lowell - The Lowell

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FEATURE May
The Lowell
Edison Schools: Bright new idea for education?
By Gilbert lee
School year> Usting eleven
months. SdhX>l npen for twelve
hour* a day Tl uw-vwr-^Ms learning
Latin.Stude. tts'caming lapf-f
c*Mmputcrs thmin^ htttfo. An ixkicatwnal
revohitusi t> underway.
These are several ot th« pn>
po*«u ri;an»s» TTWXA giant Chrbmpher
Whittle pUns for his chain
ofEdtwnSchoob, aground -breaking,
new sy*t»jni ct tor-prcfi*.
Khoob 6cheduierf h> open aciws
y
What does this project huW for
f
public schools? Many experts feel
the impact will bf minimal "!
don't think tt will have as big an
Impact as some say it will be,"
former California Saw Board of
Education president Michael Kust
told The Laaeit recently San Frandsco
Bond of Education member
Jill W> nns said, *J don't think tl »ey (E^wm
sch*X)isl \vfl( e*crbeab(e to meet the needs
ofa»students,anil think tfvitistlHfr^jcntial
difference."
ByprovidinRa model of different id*M>
inan enviommerT t«olai.*i from ordinary
schools, the Hdi»xi schools hope to b* a
nttdeJ for public ichoots to emulate. This
project can provide public scltoois who
wish to adopt changes with h»ted innmavktns,
new model i. and structural reform!.
that they simply cannot develop and tot
ihetmvlvcs" project president Bennu
Schmidt Jr. wrote U the Witt Street Awnuf.
Kttsi, A Stanford University professor,
ihmk* the schools can be helpful for the fu-
^ ~ t h r i i
wa>.•» dv.t should bo uiter»tin(;ar* J u^iut
for education UJ Itt^m from," tor swl
The M^HH>J tuition will ranter around
Vj.rno a YV«u, .^vuiuii' •>; i>- r^ji^'-'*. .7^*
ilinK^cr Si«»uy Vonnj.', 'A hilt It* «.unu>.ir\vthe
ruttum r.w to tin' ^;i
AnundetermintO numrvrof stu*.1«iL-» will
rvciwv Mi noxl-basfO !*r»»Jar>hifK ami
othen* will recieve partial scholarship**.
Even with th«* Kholanhips, %ome fear
the F'iticn achuols will become elistol only
affordable h» tNbe with the rntwns to attend.
"Of the current quoting price, thals
midUW cU« people and up" who will be
abletoafford it Kin>tMk1. hfeatso pointed
out that relijptHUt schools t TVJ to cliaryfe
tuition in the &3,QU0 lange.
S;meque>tiontheeducattonalvailidit\'
ofasystei.nvhose start-up funding isiupp\usi
by private corporations, tn addition
to VNTJttle Communications projivtim*ev
ton» inctudcamolomerdto firms like Tune
Warner aiKiPruliipvL'kxironics." An irwor-
Tvct k^K thai pfvple pnscrve h that rtw
principals of ccmpetilion ... apply to
schools, and i don't think that iv true,"
VVynns Mid.
QiMNtiorft rer^^in ds to whetf*T tN' V«TI-
••;-. —ill «~..-u n>v,ritjihlp far Whiltlt*.
V,IH«M' ut tf« prr-ctse plans fcr
the schools which the develop
mental team, known as theEdisoi
Profect wiU umeil the plans for the
school* tnis September. The
protect led by former Yate president
S^unidt is currently planning
student enrollment to rench
2Ulidlbtrpyr2010
yy
Whittleexpects heavy parental
invohvment in his schools. Students'
families are expected to fill
a need for additional tutors and
helpers "We I^pe to open the
schools for extended hours (\2
« hours per day) and the only way
S wv citn do that financially i* to
have volunteering parent help
with extra currkular activities."
TTM Edtson Prefect hop«s to do for schools wtwt Edison media secretary Holly
Edison did for th« light bufe.
Jarvb said. Howeva* with many
hou$dwkba>nsfctirtgoft\vo working parents,
how does Whittle expect heavy parental
involvement? Young feels the
scTKxrfswfflbixomeaoenlerofconiinunity
prkfewith families spending more time at
school*
f.uihtie>, the protit-makirg
for Whittle an.* f|ue»ti.«ubK*' 1
Whittle's educational plan abo trrorts
Niiun^ters who have typicaUy stayed at
home or in preschool. With children becoming
students at their earliest years,
hvf«e> -re the students wiU start off on a
positive etlucaucul road. "We think the
earlier you start the learning process, the
more you will gain the capacity to leant in
the future," Jarvb &?ki
Although the locations for the schools
have yet tn be released, one can expect
•KhtKtis in kKatkms throuphout the country
and in all areas, from ruml annftekls
to the bifc mttn;p»!i i»*s.
St.me are skeptical vjhuther tin* schools
w ill K*
K y j s p
p this Ict*a(4itionrm|. I don't
think \l b iNr magK MrfuthuV Wynns slid
I don't think there » one."
Have you ever considered becoming a teacher?
y
"What nr\* y.wi ,;i*t*vj» to be wlwii you
grow up?" * tanthorasks I w stutiwibi CW 1
replies., "IXiiniMj n»Ha bMchvr.TTHHX 1 '-iv •
• mtmey in it and kv>k at how many ttsichen
are Rwtiiifi fired."
According to the Directory of Gmtualcs,
a register of U>we(l alumni occupatiixis, the
nurnhtf of .ilumni (•ntriinu tht* tivih'.ni:
proreffiion decreasni from a high of 2H in
l%8tD4lowof aero in 19R4.
Why are Un^"eU £nu\\ W tes slwinpa way
from the teaching procession? Nwny «itermg
the job mariet have chosen high profile
jobs in weii-fwying rkfUslikenK^icine
and law. Thevaretughly mothatnl by the
greedy t98O's aiwl \9Wn: [c^ey want to}
RVtk^r J huge amount ot" m.»r>«»v .. Ami
IhaveJ P** pminge," wxtal srtKitt» Iwhei
Richard Suward said.
Son** people, like City College br> Milcasting
major Michael Cota, do IH* p» trtfi?
the teJching f«"M tfjeaux* of the low nay.
"l>»eiv'*. in* m('^H^ in it and th.» :.
CoU said.
Acti>ii!iii^ u» *( stuiiy by th»> A'nencan
f«xltT.Hii >n i>f T*\nhtf> (AIT), A rt.ilinii.il
Uwdirrs unicm. in 1 i WH twehrrs wtTei>n the
average pawi morv tJian S1O,(X«) less than
thvir (ounUipiirfr« in theenginwnng field
Ntiny tt*>tcher*> Gutter a lark of nsptVL
"TtiipU 1 'Jiink it :s ,\n t'i*v jnh and thrv
thir>k they arc tw> pood tor tt aixi cm On
rHt»tr," >aid Simon Chiu, A student t*»crtt*r
in the U>wri| English (Ivportment
Ntilh teacher Mary Lynn Pinocct an-
, like JtrVbf in] Eun>pe and
Ahia. teacber> an* hekt m high regard, arc
wvll p^ki At\ti ,in*rv*ip«.vt»xi bv the jwrurrAl
popuIiitMMY CX»*r Ivft 1 , thrt" te ,vr. object of
fidicule."
In recent wars, educatkm hjs :»-jt htvn
A top prionrv in UV I nitixl bLitt^ C>tht-r
f^-uos like ruiticnjl Jcfenw .ind the- >I.»'.L*
HAIL JUNIORS
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR
MONEY FOR COLLEGE?
Byouransw«fisy*s.w«carih«^ Vfo haw* 300.000 sources c( lutyjing. Marr, . _
on GPA or financwi n««d but on factort such *c irdarasts, na^x. ago, othnic background. Me.
nt the n\ >rjomy, haw sit n>d .ih^Md ot edu-
Crtlii^i in national ftvrus. "Education h.»s
h.;ck hurwr. f"r
thi 1 KifimMy and |ohns»m .u1min'>ir.it»»as,'
Soward wid.
I'onngn Ltnguagt* tftic!n?r SrfM livlaun
"The priorities in this country are
he $A\ rvit go into
teaching is th? fwr of beirr,- laid off. "Its
ha**! U> gvi A job :n the field wiU\ all the
cutback* and ttwchw Uyotfi," CoU* saiti.
Ust yenr. mure than MHi «crK«il uiirVc-rs
wen? Ukl oH, .Kairdinj; to dv 5*m f rn u f.vi>
Chronicle. Last semwter at Lowell. 1*
nil bi34.4hil
vdaddr»$s«s. and uwngth»fi«w«3on(f you, you apply to trwwa sourr**. Along with ycur name ynd
sddrass. return this ad indicating whether you just wivi mora information tbnxhure) or an applicator
to-m/orcall 415-759-9611 XTKI ftav* a manag*. Now Is tbaUma to apply tor thai 994-Wyaar.
Hish School You Are Attending?
Q Brochura CH Apptcation Form
MaH to: Educational Scholarship Service. 3649 u*ton St. #G20. San rfanctsco, CA 94122
Michael Avalost M.A.
Piano
Instructor
Ali Le>els
i Method
5SS6499
(IK^L* whi". bt*a?mi* tiM» hen< reap rewards
trwt ci*tne fr*im vc-y few professions. "A
1(it.>f (unwitf gtHnlo Itwching for Idealistic
nMMtm, [to] help people, make a mark,
help HXiety.and makeaditference in soci-
•Hy in some little way," Soward said.
Chiu, now studying for a ieaching credential
at UC Berkeley, tt#\$ that things will
turn around and more people will become
UL-dVitt i >m tin. !M£LUC.
"I *v a kit of people from my generatior
and twi or flftwn years older whr- are
stock brok rt rs, lawyers, and doctors,
btvitching from their profession* and going
into teaching," Chiu NIJJ. "The>- sve
that happinev. divsr't lie in rroney. .It's
^invthiri% they can do that n> prtiducti>e.''
Most importantly, l\appine$s is v^hat
t".r*p*. t*»flch