Another Cerf Privatization Scheme Fails
Edison Learning has been fired from managing charter schools in Dayton, Ohio, after a 12-year run starting in 1999. Before we look at what happened, let's keep one thing in mind:
For half of Edison's failed run in Dayton, the President and CEO of the charter management company was current New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, who ran Edison from 1999 to 2005.
Cerf became Edison's COO in 1999, eventually moving up to CEO; that means he was front and center in both winning the Dayton contract and managing the company during half of its time in the city. What was the sales pitch?
For half of Edison's failed run in Dayton, the President and CEO of the charter management company was current New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, who ran Edison from 1999 to 2005.
Cerf became Edison's COO in 1999, eventually moving up to CEO; that means he was front and center in both winning the Dayton contract and managing the company during half of its time in the city. What was the sales pitch?
Hill said that before hiring Edison, the Dayton Business Committee vetted multiple educational management companies. In choosing Edison, the executives believed they had gone with the gold standard.“We thought we had it all: brand new facilities, the best management company,” said Doug Mangen, who was executive director of the Dayton Business Committee when Edison was hired.Mangen, who today owns a school management company and was a board member for the Edison