For Baltimore Freedom Academy, an honor especially sweet
The Baltimore school board Tuesday night honored the five city high schools that made the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the nation's best. Everyone is excited that Baltimore has more schools on the list than any other jurisdiction in Maryland.
But one of the schools is more excited than the others.
The principals of Poly and City attended the board meeting to accept recognition on behalf of their schools. No one was there from the newly improved (and state football champ) Dunbar, so an alum in the audience stood up to represent his alma mater. Western, where alumnae are protesting the prospect of a girls middle school temporarily residing in its extra space, sent a handful of ladies to stand alongside their principal.
And then there was Baltimore Freedom Academy.
BFA, which is both a charter and a transformation school, is only six years old. It doesn't have admissions requirements, as the other four schools honored do. It doesn't yet offer any Advanced Placement courses, one of the factors considered by U.S. News. Its state test scores don't look as good as they actually are, since seniors have yet to take the biology exam required for graduation. But in another area measured, performance of disadvantaged students, BFA does very well.
"I'm honestly not sure what statistics they used for the list," Principal Dana Hunter wrote in an e-mail to me, "but we have a graduation rate that has been over 90% every year (and the rest graduate within 6 months) and every single scholar (regardless of when they graduate) is accepted to at least one college or university, most of whom attend. We don't have honors clases because we believe that every child is an honors student, and we create rigor in every class to differentiate for the needs of every child."
With a minority population of 98 percent and 60 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch, the school has made AYP every year. It has a social justice theme, urging students to figure out solutions to social inequalities and building their literacy skills by having them interview community members.
By my count, BFA sent about 50 students, staff and parents to Tuesday's board meeting, many of them wearing "I (Heart) BFA" T-shirts. Hunter said everyone knew about the ranking -- released last weekend -- by the time school was back in session Monday morning. Over the weekend, she had kids calling her on her cell phone.
"It was just sort of a sigh of relief, what we’re doing is the right thing," she told me in an interview. "It was a huge boost in the pride in the community." In the hallways this week, whenever anyone misbehaves, she said, "we’re like, 'We don't do that. This is a good school. Didn’t you hear?'"
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Comments
It's nice to watch when the right leadership and the right staff line up. The teachers benefit from lowered stress, the students benefit is obvious. Our CEO should find out what the principal and staff do at BFA, and then find more people like them.
Posted by: Brandon | December 11, 2008 10:02 AM
I take full responsibility for our school's success!
You're welcome Baltimore City youth.
Posted by: Corey | December 11, 2008 1:16 PM
BFA is an incredible place, and I believe the CEO is trying to replicate the attitude taken there (reference his bringing in the former principal to serve now as his Special Assistant). Sara, as an addition, I'd like to add: credit is due as well to Tisha Edwards, now one of two CEO Special Assistants, who was the former principal at BFA and laid the foundation for success. Under her leadership the school went from a 15% passage rate on the algebra HSA to over 75% passage in one year (this is just a microcosm of other reforms under her guidance). Her leadership was critical to setting BFA up for its current perception as a high achieving school. Further, the current principal and staff deserve individualized recognition for their continual efforts to make BFA a extraordinary place of learning in Baltimore. Lastly, congrats to the students whose efforts and buy-in are the most important ingredient to the school's continued success.
Posted by: Bill | December 11, 2008 1:19 PM
What I love, what I live for, what I work for, is that this can be done, and is being done, right here, with our kids, in our city and within the "system". I am impressed and honored and use BFA and their many accomplishments as an inspiration. Making it work for kids, parents, community members, teachers, staff (you go Corey!) and administrators takes work by all, for all.
And this should take nothing away from Poly, Western, Mervo and City.
Their staff, leadership and students have also worked hard.
See, I can say nice stuff too:-)
Posted by: Interesting Observations | December 12, 2008 6:47 AM
I know that there was an earlier debate about the transformation schools just taking the cream of the crop in students and dedicated families, and that we do not help special ed students.
I did a little research this morning and approximately 1 out of 5 of our students receive special education services. I'm not sure what the Baltimore City average is but we 1/5 is definitely more than zero, I think.
Finally, I just wanted to wish everyone here a happy holidays. I love the debate here, I've learned so much from the brilliant and dedicated educators who post. I am truly dedicated to transforming the Baltimore City Public School system and while I am a mere peon at the moment, what I've gained here will contribute to the day when we are providing all of Baltimore's children limitless opportunities for their lives. Special shout out to Sara who is the heart of this blog and has a great ability to frame the news with a larger context than individual programs and incidents.
Peace, Love, and Nappiness,
-Corey
Posted by: Corey | December 16, 2008 10:22 AM
Thanks, Corey. And thanks to all of you who keep the conversation going.
Posted by: Sara Neufeld | December 16, 2008 10:47 AM