A not-so-rare opportunity
The nonprofit Business Volunteers Unlimited Maryland will hold a forum tonight entitled "Do Something." The goal is a laudable one: to encourage professionals to get involved in improving the Baltimore city schools. (Anyone interested in going can register here. Doors are at 5:30 at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum in Fells Point)
But the sales pitch I'm getting in e-mails and voicemails from a PR firm hired to promote the event is pretty amusing.
"I thought you might be interested in covering the event - or attending out of personal interest - as this is a rare opportunity for the public to engage Dr. Alonso (the featured speaker) outside of 200 East North Avenue," one of the e-mails says.
I've been covering Dr. Alonso for a year now. Every week I get his public schedule, and every week there are several opportunities to see him outside North Avenue. As I've reported previously, he visited or attended PTA meetings at more than 150 schools during his first year on the job and went to dozens of community gatherings.
Which isn't to say tonight's event won't be interesting. It just won't be rare.
Comments
This would not be considered a rare opportunity if Alonso had kept his promises to the citizens of Baltimore City in that he would continue with the Community Conversations as he did last year which went very well because all areas of Baltimore City was given the opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns, fears and hear his responses. Unfortunately he went back on a lot of the issues that were brought up and decided to pick specific schools (some of the PTA's he visited more than once) to visit and not make himself available to continue open communication with the communities. The biggest being that he WOULD NOT let schools know that he was coming. Which is why when he appears at what parents consider problem schools, the problems are not there. Maybe if the CEO would think for himself instead of allowing others to tell him what is going on in the schools we can believe what he says he is attempting to do.
Posted by: Calamity | July 21, 2008 1:51 AM
Wouldn't unannounced visits to (as you call them) "problem schools" be a way to increase the likelihood that he would observe problems? If the visits were announced, wouldn't the administrators at the school have increased incentive to hide the problems?
Second, I'm pretty sure he visited over 60 different PTAs and over 100 different schools this year. Granted, yes, there are some 190 schools in the the system. However, I'm going to argue that visits to over 100 different schools (not including multiple visits to the same school) qualifies as a significant investment in the community. Additionally, while the CEO has a wealth of influence over the school system, there's more than just him involved. I think your statement - "he should think for himself" - is misguided, incorrect, and, simply, uninformed.
Calamity - again, it's clear that you're angry, but most signs point to looming successes, despite your impression. Your critiques can be valuable, and for the most part I think it's necessary for citizens, employees, and the media to challenge government officials to demand the best. However, complaining just to complain without verifiable justification weakens the value of your future arguments.
Posted by: Bill | July 22, 2008 10:22 AM