Wow. This blog is one of the things that keeps me returning to the Sun's website. It was a kind of added value, a sort of "thanks for coming to our website" that other local outlets weren't providing. And the traffic it generated for me certainly never hurt!

Little by little, the paper we knew and loved is getting carved away. I'm sorry to see you go and wish you the best of luck.

Thank you for amplifying the voice of students, teachers and principals. May you know God's richest blessings as you move on.

I was sad to see this post! Sara spoke in my ninth grade English classroom last year, and I have followed this blog for almost two years. I hope that the education beat will continue to be staffed with reporters of Sara's enthusiasm and quality.

This is a particularly sad day for me because I also just read that my favorite columnist, Anna Quindlen, isn't going to write for Newsweek anymore. What's a reader to do?

Truly, though, I wish the best to you, Sara. Thank you!

Sara-
Absolutely terrible news. Really. Im so sad that you are leaving the Sun, the blog, and the the schools here in Baltimore City. It is truly a sad day and we are all going to be miss you as our eyes and ears at places we could not be.

I started coming to the blog and posting nearly a year and a half ago and still come every single day to see whats going on and read all the regular comments. They both inspire, anger, and help me become more knowledgeable about City Schools, a more informed citizen, and sometimes even, a better teacher....

You will be missed Sara. And I wish you only the best of luck in whatever it is that you do. You have always carried yourself with the utmost professionalism in our limited dealings. Thank you for all you have done for me, the issues you have brought to light and your tireless writing on all things education.

Sara,
You will be missed in Montgomery County. There is nothing to compare in the D.C. area to the type of reporting you have done. So many times you have covered the State Board and provided links to documents, data and information that was never covered in the D.C. area. You have been an incredible resource. Best wishes in your next adventure from your fans in Montgomery County.

Sara-

I have enjoyed this blog and your coverage of the world of Baltimore City education (as both myself and David Ortiz are teachers in the system). This was (and I am sure it will continue to be) a wonderful space to be able to voice our concerns without fear of "being caught", as well as a way to stay connected.

You will be greatly missed-best of luck to you in your next great adventure!

I cannot express how sad I am after reading this (and the email you sent out). I know that times are tough for schools, cities and of course, news papers, and I know Liz and think she hung the moon, but Sara, you have given voice to so many who would otherwise not have had it; you have offered a safe place to express passion about something that we all feel passionate about; you have allowed us to challenge and to be challenged; you have allowed us to be passionate and yet called us on our crap and given us a "time out" when we got too personal. And of course you have been a great friend to schools, teachers, the change movement and of course kids. Your loss will be felt far and wide.

I am glad you are coming to the get together. I get to buy the first round and hoist it in your honor. The kids at MATHS might not realize what they are missing right now, but they will.

Please know that you have made me a better educator. And that you will be missed.

D

What a big loss for Baltimore and the education beat! Your excellent work and example will be sorely missed, Sara.

Well, I'm bummed. This blog might be built with comments, but the foundation comes from your posts - honest, fair and with links to all the pertinent on-line reports. I really think that comes from your heart being with the City Schools and I have my doubts that that can be duplicated.

Such terrible news! Your reporting in print & on the blog has been such a large part of my life these past few years, and your contributions will be sorely missed. Such a blow to my faith in local reporting (not to take away from Liz, Arin, and John-John at all!).

I sincerely hope you find a great new path where you're wholly satisfied and appreciated. With you the best of luck with the career change, and please keep us in touch with your next endeavors.

Now the real question is whether you'll become a regular poster expressing all those bottled up things you've always wanted to say?!?

Seriously, though, good luck, you will be so missed.

Again, Sara...this too shall be repaid to you in tenfold.

I appreciated having this venue to vent, listen, reflect, laugh, and challenge my biases. You created this safe haven for all of us and I will truly miss you ♥♥♥!

Sara, I was a new but faithful reader who posted maybe once, but I just really appreciate what you have been doing. Thank you so much, and best of luck.

Thanks so much for your service to the Baltimore City Public Schools. May you continue to do good work in education reporting in the future.

Your heavy heart is also ours. We'll miss you. I'm not sure where to turn the next time something needs reporting.

First, my company is looking for a temp copy editor (4-6 weeks), so, something to think about to tide you over until The Next Big Thing.

Second... whatever The Next Big Thing is, please know we wish you all the luck in the world. Your passion (and certainly your abundance of posting) will be hard to top.

No :(

Hi Sara,

Thank you for your service over the years. We will truly miss you.

Jeff

We are really going to miss you, Sara.

Thank you so much for keeping this blog alive and vibrant! Thank you for helping all of us find a place where we can talk about ways to help improve our school system and our kids' lives! You will be missed.

Cancellin my subscription

Your beat reporting was among the best The Sun had. This is very sad and frustrating.

Hope another door opens soon and you make of the next opportunity what you made of this one.

Its a shame to hear that you will be leaving, hopefully the blog will continue with the same stories and feedback portions from Liz.
Good Luck

I am so sad to hear this, but wish you all the best in life. Reading your column and blog were part of my morning routine as soon as I reached my desk. You will be missed!

When I left BCPSS for medical school, this blog and the stories you wrote are what helped me transition. Moving away from Baltimore, a city I became very invested in and loved very much, was made just a bit easier as I checked up on your postings and reports every day.

Although I haven't written as much lately, because I'm in hospital rotations that make me show up for 24 hour days starting at 6am, I haven't contributed to the discussions. However, I still check every day for my dose of everything BCPSS.

I'm in NYC now, so if you come this way, shoot me an email!!! Would love to have a Bmore Blog outing here in NYC, too! :)

However, you should know that NY Public Schools have put a hiring freeze on new teachers. But last I checked, BCPSS is still hiring.....

Something to think about!

Good luck!

You will surely be missed. Good luck!!!!!!

Sara.... you are truly an angel. First to sacrificed so much of your time and energy on behave of the children in this region and to give up your job to help another..... There is a special place in our hearts for you.

This is truly sad news. Your blog and artilces are one of the reasons I read the Sun online everyday (I live in MI).
Well wishes for your future.

Sorry to see you go, good luck in your future projects.

You could always sign up for BCTR and live the life.

Another great loss for the Sun and for the community. I hope you'll keep covering education issues here through other channels as well.

Thanks for all you've done to focus light on a fascinating, complicated, and important subject.

Steve

Your sense and sensibilities will be much missed.

I look forward to reading your blog every day - and have always appreciated your interest and conern for Baltimore area students, teachers and parents. You will be truely missed. :(

All the best in your future (ad)ventures!

"That friend's situation inspired me to offer my job"

Beyond reporting on bcpss and the needs of the blog, the personal courage, the humanity, the empathy of giving up one's livelihood for someone else life needs public acknowledgment.

This gesture is what makes the world possible.

Not reformists, or someone watching out for themselves, or merely someone who can't do the right thing, this is a model of what to do in one's life.

All cowards take note.

yours

Sara,

You will be missed. I enjoyed reading your blog on a daily basis. By keeping everyone informed, you have helped make BCPSS more accountable for their actions.

@Michael, I so agre with all you wrote. Sara, your actions should give us pause to reflect.The Sun will be a much poorer place without you and many of the other writers. I find it strange that there has been so little reported about all the Sun layoffs. Will the NYT and the WSJ be the only papers left in the east worth reading?

My subscription to the Sun is definitely gone.

Sara,
I've read your posts every day for two years, and they've been a great source of updates about what's going on back at home from far-off college world. It makes me really sad to know that you're leaving, though I'm sure you'll attract the same keen readership anywhere you go.

Best of luck!

OK, Sara. I hate this already. Where are you? Where is the news? Where is the blog community? Come back!!!!!

I agree with wise educator. Where are you???

Will we get one final tell all, spectacular blog that will blow the roof off of North Avenue?........hope so!

Thank you all for your kind comments and e-mails, which have truly touched and overwhelmed me. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days; I've been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. I will have a few more posts before I sign off for good at the end of the day Monday (though, sorry, L, no roof blowing). I miss you guys already.

Sara,

You built a community here and I feel privileged to be a part of it. As a young person who has been in City Schools less than 2 years I've learned so much from this blog, and the people who post on it. You bring an intelligent and thought provoking context to otherwise old and redundant news.

Furthermore you've shown great generosity whenever I have called on you to directly help my kids.

I hope that this community can continue to thrive in your absence because there are some amazing people here, and I hope that we can remain in touch.

Good luck with your next step in life!

-Corey

Sara, I'm so sorry to hear it -- as I'm sure you know, I've been following your coverage from the other coast since the days when Edison Schools were the hot fad!

My family is in the exact same situation -- took the San Francisco Chronicle buyout. (And my husband is getting a substitute teaching certificate -- will all newsroom refugees be following that path?)

Sara, as you can tell from the 40+ comments left here, you truly will be missed. The Inside Ed blog and community was one of the reasons that I started my own blog. Tomorrow is a sad day for Baltimore.

You know, you should become a teacher and then write a tell all book about it. I'd buy two copies!

You're an inspiration to us all, Sara. It's an honor to know you and be your friend :).

thanks for your service. this site is the best (only) source of Baltimore education news and i hope it does not perish.

Garrett is correct. Reading the Sun articles and the corresponding blog posts is the only reasonably unbiased source of the real facts about education issues in Baltimore. Granted,we all have our opinions and our limited information, but when the posts and their perspectives are taken as a whole, a picture of the whole truth begins to emerge. I hope that the Sun has plans to continue reporting on the City and and the counties. While we share many concerns, each district has its' own issues to be addressed. After reading the county articles, I am not sure they are covered as regularly as the city. I want education in the city to be at the forefront every single day!

wise educator -

I'm in 100% agreement with you this time. As of today I'm officially nervous about the future of this blog.

City School topics are what brings out the great discussion on this blog and pumps up the sun's website hitcount (which has to translate to $ for them). If the Sun's management wants that to continue they are going to have to find a way to cover City School's issues everyday and "feed the blog". I think there are a good number of readers and posters from suburban school districts, but the posts on their issues don't bring out the passionate discussion.

So my message to Sunpaper manager types that might be reading - feed us City School news daily and upload/approve comments regularly, or you're likely to see the draw of this blog go away.

Of course, my motivation is more selfish - the bog is unique in getting issues on the table and moving my kids' school system forward. It would be tragic for it to end.

I have read the Sun for other 40 years. But they are steadily driving away readers like me by cutting down on local content written by reporters like you. I just wish they'd sell the bloody paper while there's still something left to sell and re-vamp. These guys running the show are clueless as to what the public wants in their local paper. Shame!

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