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EdisonLearningSep 1, 2023 11:13:30 AM2 min read

Thom Jackson's Labor Day Message

The Labor Day holiday weekend traditionally signifies the end of summer and the start of a new school year.  Although many schools are already open – such as in Florida – the changing of the calendar to September is significant to all of us at EdisonLearning.

This time of year begins the annual evaluation process of our organization.  All of the local school districts, charter school boards, state Departments of Education, and other public entities who pay for our services with taxpayer dollars will be judging us on our performance, professionalism, and accountability.
 
They demand our best – and that is what we will deliver.  It is our legacy.
 
Thirty-one years ago, a dedicated team of education researchers, curriculum developers, teachers, principals, administrators, and specialists in technology, school finance, and management, introduced a ground-breaking blueprint for improving K- 12 education.  They recommended revamping a number of elements, including curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and school organization.
 
These folks were known as The Edison Project, and their design was The Edison Model, which was initially implemented in 1995 at Dodge-Edison Elementary School, and Jardine-Edison Academy in Wichita, Kansas.
 
Utilizing the Model, and working with educators to integrate innovative technology into their teaching process, doors opened to doing education differently and fostered diverse and improved learning solutions to advance the skills of each student we helped to educate.
 
Throughout the years, EdisonLearning has impacted the educational journey of more than 1 million students attending nearly 2,000 schools in two-thirds of the states in our country.
 
Today, our digital products and services boast over 12 years of learning gains and achievement success. Our virtual learning solutions support a variety of virtual, blended, and alternative learning programs, and we continue to expand offerings to traditional brick and mortar classrooms throughout the country.
 
Over the past few months, we have introduced:
 
Middle School BOOST, an acceleration solution for over-age and under-performing middle school students who need a tailored EdisonLearning blueprint of curriculum and instruction. Students will get the BOOST they need to get on track for a successful high school experience.
 
A Dual Enrollment program allowing high school students to take a college course, providing them a jumpstart on learning about and preparing for both college and a career.
 
Interactive games have been added to our comprehensive online and blended learning content.  These new Game Learning classes provide schools and PK-8 students educational video games in Math, Science, English, and History.
 
Additionally, we have earned the Quality Matters (QM) Certification Mark - the internationally recognized symbol of online and blended course design quality - for three new courses, in addition to four previously certified courses, following a rigorous review process for virtual and blended course design quality.
 
These are just a handful of examples of how our legacy of innovation is continually advanced by every member of our team keeping EdisonLearning in the forefront of our industry.
 
It is no coincidence that the foundational principles of Labor Day mirror our company’s mission to the young people we serve – “to meet diverse learners where they are, eliminate persistent disparities in academic opportunities and promote well-rounded lifelong outcomes for all students.”
 
Labor Day is also a perfect time for us to reflect and examine how we can improve the human condition for everyone, how we address social and economic disparities, and how we need to determine the best and appropriate actions to be taken to rectify the stain of inequity in all aspects of our society.

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