Edison wants contract of five to seven years to run Philadelphia schools

The chief executive officer of Edison Schools Inc. says he will seek a five- to seven-year contract to manage Philadelphia's public schools--a job that the governor and his aides acknowledge the firm is almost certain to get if the state takes over. CEO Christopher Whittle says a contract to run the city's 264 public schools would help the company turn a profit more quickly.

ALSO: Gov. Mark Schweiker visits Philadelphia to tout his school-reform plan....Administrators, teachers and parents react to proposed school reform in Philadelphia.

EARLIER: Philadelphia Mayor John Street has left no doubt that he strongly disapproves of Pennsylvania Gov. Schweiker's proposal to put the Philadelphia School District under private management....Edison Schools Inc. says the Philadelphia School District spends far too much on maintenance and other non-academic functions, poorly deploys its teachers, and does not track the effectiveness of its many curricular programs....Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker is proposing that Philadelphia's public schools be placed under a three-tier system of private management, with the worst schools getting makeovers under community partnerships and the best left largely untouched.