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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.53

                  AGREEMENT OF DISCHARGE AND GENERAL RELEASE

                                     BETWEEN

                                [GLOBAL LYCEUM],

                              EDISON SCHOOLS INC.,

                                  FLOYD FLAKE,

                               MARSHALL MITCHELL,

                                       and

                                  BERNARD WEST

      Agreement entered into this 1st day of May, 2000 between Global Lyceum,
Inc. ("Company"), Edison Schools Inc. ("Edison"), Floyd Flake ("Flake"),
Marshal Mitchell ("Mitchell") and Bernard West ("West") (hereinafter, Flake,
Mitchell, and West are together referred to as "Employees").

      Whereas, Employees were employed by Company; and

      Whereas, during the course of their employment by Company, employees
obtained certain information which may have been proprietary to the Company; and

      Whereas, Employees' employment terminated on April 30, 2000; and

      Whereas, Edison has chosen to employ Employees, and Employees have
agreed to be employed by Edison; and

      Whereas, Edison has agreed to pay to the Company $200,000 as reimbursement
for any expenses the Employees have incurred in connection with the development
of the Company's business and in consideration for the Company's agreement a)
not to compete with Edison for five years from the date of this Agreement b) to
release the Employees from any obligations they may owe to the Company and c) to
waive any claims it may have against Edison arising from the employment by
Edison of the Employees;

      NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the payments to be made by Edison to
Company, the mutual promises contained herein, and other good and valuable
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consideration, the adequacy of which both parties hereby acknowledge, the
parties agree as follows:

A.    General Provisions

      1. Reference to "Company" when used in this Agreement and General Release
shall include Company, its parents, divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates, its
and their successors, predecessors or assigns, and their respective
shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives, their
heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.

      2. Reference to "Edison" when used in this Agreement and General Release
shall include Edison, its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates, its and their
successors or assigns, and their respective shareholders, officers, directors,
employees, agents and representatives, their heirs, executors, administrators,
successors and assigns.

      3. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between Edison, the
Employees, and Company with respect to all matters covered in this Agreement or
relating to Employee's employment or termination of employment with Company.
This Agreement supersedes any prior agreements between Edison, Company and each
of the Employees. This Agreement may not be changed orally.

      4. By agreeing to this Agreement, neither Company nor Edison nor any of
the Employees acknowledge any violation of any federal, state, or local law,
ordinance, rule, or regulation, contract, or common law requirement, duty or
obligation.

      5. This Agreement is made and entered into in the State of New York and
shall in all respects be interpreted, enforced and governed under the laws of
said State. The language of all parts of this Agreement shall in all cases be
construed as a whole, according to its fair meaning, and not strictly for or
against either of the parties.

      6. Edison shall have no duties or liabilities towards Company except as
set forth below.

B.    Edison's Payment

      In consideration for the Company's promises below and as reimbursement for
any expenses the Employees have incurred in connection with the development of
the
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Company's business, Edison agrees to pay Company cash consideration of $100,000
on May 1, 2000 and $100,000 on August 1, 2000.

C.    Company's Promises and Consideration to Employee

      In consideration for the payment described above, Company promises as
      follows:

      1. Agreement not to Compete with Edison. Company agrees that, for a period
of five years from the date of this Agreement, Company will not solicit business
from or contract with (for the purpose of providing curriculum, education or
school management or consulting services) charter school boards or public school
districts that Edison is soliciting or with whom Edison is considering
contracting for the provision of curriculum, education or school management or
consulting services.

      2. Waiver of Claims. Company waives any and all claims it may have against
Edison or the Employees, including, but not limited to, any claims arising out
of the terms and conditions of an Employee's employment by the Company or
discharge from employment by the Company or employment by Edison, or any claims
relating to breach of contract, tortious interference of contract, unfair
competition, misuse or misappropriation of trade secrets, or use of any
trademarks, copyrights or other intellectual property of the Company, whether
tangible or intangible. Company agrees not to file any claim, action or charge,
or participate in any lawsuit, against Edison or any of the Employees for any
claim waived herein.

      3. Company expressly acknowledges that the release and waiver of claims
set forth above includes all claims which have arisen up to the date of this
Agreement, whether or not such claims have been asserted and whether or not such
claims are known to Company at the time of the making of this Agreement.
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      In witness whereof, Company, Edison and the Employees have executed this
agreement on the day first above written.

Global Lyceum, Inc.

  /s/ Floyd H. Flake
  --------------------------
Floyd H. Flake
Chairman and CEO

EDISON SCHOOLS INC.

  /s/ H. Christopher Whittle
  --------------------------
H. Christopher Whittle
President and CEO

  /s/ Floyd Flake
  --------------------------
Floyd Flake

  /s/  Marshall Mitchell
  --------------------------
Marshall Mitchell

  /s/ Bernard West
  --------------------------
Bernard West<PAGE>   1
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.54

                                PROMISSORY NOTE

  $100,000                                                  Date: June 9, 2000

  For value received, Manuel Rivera an individual residing at 13 Singing Woods
Rd., Norwalk, CT. (the "Maker"), promises to pay to the order of Edison
Schools, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (the "Holder"), at the Holder's office
located at 521 Fifth Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10175, or such other
address as the Holder may designate from time to time, the principal sum of
one-hundred thousand Dollars ($100,000), together with interest thereon at a
fixed rate of eleven and one-half percent (11.5%) per annum, compounded
monthly, or at the maximum lawful rate, whichever is less, from the date hereof
until the outstanding principal balance shall have been paid in full. Principal
and interest under this note (the "Note") shall be due and payable, without
notice or demand, as follows:

         All outstanding principal and interest hereon shall be due and
         payable in full on July 1, 2003, without notice or demand by
         Holder.

  This Note shall, at the option of the Holder, become immediately due and
payable, without notice or demand, upon (i) the Maker's failure to pay any
amount as herein set forth, (ii) the Maker's failure to pay or perform timely
and completely any other obligation of the Maker to the Holder, whether in this
Note or otherwise, (iii) the filing of any bankruptcy or other insolvency
proceeding by or against the Maker, or (iv) any representation or warranty
given by the Maker to the Holder at any time or in any document, instrument or
agreement shall at any time be untrue or misleading. Any of the foregoing may
be referred to as a "Default" or an "Event of Default".

  The Maker hereby waives presentment, protest, demand for payment, notice of
dishonor and any and all other notices, demands and consents in connection with
the delivery, acceptance, performance, default or enforcement of this Note,
and hereby consents to any extensions of time, renewals, releases of any
parties to this Note, waivers and any other modifications that may be granted
or consented to by the Holder from time to time in respect of the time of
payment or any other provision of this Note.

  No delay by the Holder in exercising any power or right hereunder, or any
single or partial exercise of any power or right hereunder shall operate as a
waiver or preclude the exercise of any such power or right, or any other power
or right hereunder or otherwise.

  The Maker shall pay to the Holder, on demand, any costs or expenses which the
Holder may incur to enforce or otherwise collect monies due under this Note,
including, without limitation, reasonably attorneys' fees and expenses.

  Maker shall have the right at any time, and from time to time, to prepay all
or portions of the principal balance due hereunder and accrued interest
thereon, without penalty.

  Unless the Holder elects to the contrary, all amounts received by the Holder
shall be applied in the following order of application; first, to any costs or
expenses incurred by the
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Holder in the enforcement or collection of this Note; second, to accrued
interest; and third and finally, to the outstanding principal balance.

  This Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal
substantive laws of the State of New York, and shall be deemed a business loan
under New York law.

  If any provision of this Note shall be unlawful, then such provision shall be
null and void but the remainder of the Note shall remain in full force and
effect and be binding on the Maker and any guarantor and indorser hereof.

  Maker hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any state court located in New
York City, New York or federal court serving New York City, New York and waives
personal service of any and all process upon Maker, and consents that such
service shall be made by certified or registered mail directed to Maker at the
address set forth herein, and shall be deemed to be completed on actual receipt
thereof.

                                             /s/ Manuel Rivera
                                             -----------------
                                             Manuel Rivera

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