About Us

BIOGRAPHY

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, and grew up in Port Huron, Michigan. He died in October 18, 1931. Edison only attended school for a few months and was instead taught by his mother. Much of his education came from reading R.G. Parker's School of Natural Philosophy and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Edison was an inventor and a businessman who has been described as America's greatest inventor. He exerted a tremendous influence on modern life. 

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Edison developed many devices that greatly life around the world, including the phonograph and the motion picture camera. As a prolific inventor, he held 1,093 U.S. patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. His greatest achievement was providing light and power to the masses. Several place and institutions have been named after Edison, most notably the town of Edison New Jersey. 

Edison's legacy of determination, intelligence, and ingenuity are consistent with community values. Thomas Edison Preparatory School's name reflects the mission of Tulsa Public Schools "To inspire and prepare every student to love learning, achieve ambitious goals and make positive contributions to our world." The name also sends a message to its constituents to follow the path established by its namesake. 

RELEVANT HISTORICAL CONTEXT 

The school was named in 1954. The school was named to honor Thomas Edison because of his significant and major contributions to America, to communicate to students the value of optimism, exploration of new ideas, and perseverance. The school name was modified to include the word "Preparatory" to emphasize academic rigor, preparing students for college and career readiness between 1995-2000 under the leadership of Dr. John Thompson, Superintendent of Schools and Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. 

Edison has the unique distinction of offering the AP Capstone diploma. This is the time frame of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl for Oklahoma when Edison's contributions to society would have been greatly respected and appreciated by all. 

Edison Preparatory School is unique within Tulsa Public Schools and Tulsa Metro Area School Systems; it is the only school to serve students grades 6-12. Edison serves students from its residential attendance area as well as accepting transfer students who meet the stringent academic criteria to be part of the magnet program.  

The strength of Edison’s academics lies in our staff. Edison High School continues to lead the district in developing new course offerings, which are based on the needs and educational desires of our student body. We strive to provide the most appropriate and challenging education for our students, including more than 40 Pre-AP and AP courses, a Pre-Engineering Program in conjunction with Tulsa Tech, seven world languages including American Sign Language, and a nationally recognized Student Leadership program at the high school.  

Since 2005, Edison has been listed in Newsweek Magazine’s top 500 high schools in the country, based on the number of AP exams given annually. Edison High School uniquely provides its students and community with a small school feel while offering all the academics and opportunities of a large school. In an atmosphere geared toward excellence and student achievement, both in and out of the classroom, students leave Edison prepared for whatever post-secondary avenue they choose to pursue.