50 years of building schools around students, not the other way around.
Since 1973, our mission has stayed the same: empower students with learning differences to experience academic success and personal growth — and prepare them for a productive future.
Where we came from
Edison High School started in 1973 as the Tree of Learning — a small program operating out of portable classrooms on the Jesuit High School campus. The name changed. The building changed. The mission never did.
In 1992, we moved into a dedicated building of our own and took a new name: Thomas A. Edison High School, in honor of the American inventor who had a learning difference of his own. His teachers thought he’d never make a scholar. He changed the world. In 2014 we simplified the name to Edison High School, but the namesake still matters. The student who doesn’t fit the traditional mold isn’t a problem to be solved. They’re a person with a different kind of potential — and that’s exactly who we’re here for.
Today, Edison is the only high school in Oregon and Southwest Washington exclusively dedicated to students with learning differences. We are accredited by Cognia. And we’ve spent more than five decades learning how to do this well.
These aren’t aspirations. They’re how we operate every day.
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Collaboration
Real progress in education happens when everyone in a student’s life is working together. At Edison, teachers, counselors, specialists, parents, and students are in constant communication. We build learning plans that reflect the full picture of who a student is and what they need to succeed.
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Relationships
Meaningful relationships and attunement are at the heart of learning. Our teachers and staff know their students by name, by learning style, by what makes them tick. That's only possible in a school this size, and it's something we take seriously.
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Student-Centered
Every decision we make starts with one question: what does this student need? We pay attention to academic needs, social needs, and emotional needs — and we adjust when things change. Your child is not a case file. They're a person
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Accessibility
Every student deserves an education that works for the way they learn. We don't ask students to adapt to a system that wasn't built for them. We build the system around the student.
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Organization
Structure matters — especially for students with learning differences. At Edison, predictability isn't a limitation. It's a foundation. We create clear, consistent routines that help students feel safe, manage their time, and do their best work.
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Meet the team who help our students thrive!
Our People
Jesuit Partnership
Edison is located on the campus of Jesuit High School, and the two schools have a close, collaborative partnership built over decades. Some Edison students take classes at Jesuit. Some Jesuit students take classes at Edison. And all Edison students are welcome to join Jesuit’s extracurricular programs, athletics, clubs, and social events. It’s a unique arrangement — one that gives our students the focused support of a small school and the broad opportunities of a much larger one.
