Tonight was supposed to be the Baltimore Education Coalition's big rally in Annapolis to protest potential cuts to city school funding. Since the stimulus saved the day, there's no need. So instead, the coalition is holding a celebration at 6:30 tonight at Fort Worthington Elementary. But celebrating is only part of the point. By bringing hundreds of people together, the 30-plus groups that make up the coaltion are still demonstrating their organizing ability, the likes of which Baltimore schools haven't seen before. And if Gov. O'Malley, or anyone else, should pose a threat to the city schools again (in two years, for instance, when the stimulus money dries up), they'll be ready to fight back.

O'Malley isn't expected to be in attendance tonight, but he will be at Frederick Douglass High tomorrow night for a public "town hall meeting" on education and the economy, also starting at 6:30 p.m.