Wonderful! A City Schools board member who takes money and in effect lobbies for an organization that directly competes with City Schools for money, students and public approval. Seems like an obvious conflict of interest to me.

The link above didn't work, but this should. I have only had a chance to glance at the report, but to me there's a big impact analysis that's missing. For every family that has children enrolled in Catholic schools there is a family whose sense of urgency in fixing problems with the public school system is dramatically reduced and in many cases is eliminated. There is a family that will not be lobbying in Annapolis for fair funding. There is a family who will not know or value the successes that are made when City Schools are improving. There are graduating students who will look at City School students with distain and pity and not feel a sense of unity and understanding.

Taking this report to its logical conclusion – why shouldn’t all students be Catholic school students? They’re smarter, graduate more often and pay more taxes according to the findings. Perhaps the fact that Catholic schools don’t serve all students would be one reason. Good luck getting a child with significant special ed needs into a Catholic school, and if you do he/she will be counting on public schools to provide needed services. And what about parents or kids who aren’t religious? Is the idea that only some deserve this superior education? I don’t have the time to go on right now. I’m sure this post will generate a lot of discussion.

"Is the idea that only some deserve this superior education?"

Maybe it does. I'm pretty sure to get into catholic school you either need to pay the tuition (after a placement test), be a legacy, or be really good at sports.

Not everyone has the money, not everyone comes from money, and not everyone is good at sports. Catholic institutions operate outside of the state and government, so why should they be for everyone?

In regards to special ed I refuse to comment as this will turn into a graduate school class with regular ed teachers and special ed teachers that need to remind us all about the kids they teach versus the ones others teach. It just turn into talking in circles. Cheers though.

Can you post a working link to the report?

I hope the Archdiocese did not pay for this "study" and if they did they should request a refund from Sage "ah" Basu. But this is the same person who was selling C-hoice schools as the only way to attract BRAC transplants to BCPSS. Since that did not work I guess he is preparing for his next client.

The report itself is garbage becuase it takes credit for some of the most affluent and high performing independent schools. It does no comparison of benefits that includes a reference to demographics. An affluent student from Loyola Blakefield or Maryvale would in most cases never attend ANY public school so the cost saving and income generation is fiction.

Show me Saint Ambrose or Mother Mary Lange and then there can be a real discussion.

Many Archdiocese schools, especially those in the city for elementary and middle school, serve very underprivileged students. Perhaps they attract the more motivated families, parents or students, but to act as if Archdiocese schools do not have to deal with any issues is not accurate either.

Additionally, almost no Archdiocese schools have any requirement of religious affiliation for students. Now, students may be required to take religion class and/or attend school mass. But there are many Protestant, Jewish and atheist students Catholic schools. Of course it is natural for the schools and the students to want a level of compatibility, but it is not required by the schools many times.

@ BS Paper article Study explores economic benefits of Catholic education

The rest of the story........

Today it is not the unusual [as is] for the City Schools CEO AAA also to be a Catholic Archdiocese Board member. City Schools Basu and CEO AAA are both engaged serving with the Catholic Archdiocese in what is "shadowing". This can be linked to how the vacant facility catholic school building in Mt Washington was acquired for lease fee to use by the BCPSS Mt. Washington ES site schools expanding student population. By the way the daughter of the mayor SRB attends Mt. Washington ES site school .

@ BS Paper article Study explores economic benefits of Catholic education

The rest of the story........

See cut from the agenda School Board Meeting Minutes on 9-14-2010

Action Items6.02
Shrine of the Sacred Heart/Mt. Washington Elementary School Expansion.
Baltimore's school synergies.
The city's public, private and parochial institutions are working together for mutual advantage.
When the Archdiocese of Baltimore recently agreed to lease the building that housed the Shrine of the Sacred Heart School to the Baltimore City Public Schools, it opened the door for a long-awaited K-8 school in Mount Washington. But it is also worth celebrating as an exciting example of a larger movement in greater Baltimore.
Three groups of schools — public, parochial and independent — are striving for excellence on their own, but they are also reaching out in new ways to help the others move forward. With ongoing collaboration, these groups of schools can generate new synergies and build a stronger educational system for the city and the region.
In agreeing to the lease in Mount Washington, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien and the archdiocese passed up more lucrative opportunities in the name of stronger Baltimore public schools. In doing so, they continued a tradition of commitment to non-Catholic youth in the region.
The much-heralded Partners in Excellence program has served thousands of Baltimore young people, bringing them opportunity and strengthening Baltimore neighborhoods. Our Catholic schools are now implementing an ambitious strategic plan to heighten accountability and school performance. They have created an archdiocesan school board and have undertaken efforts to make tuition more affordable, setting the stage for a new educational era that will benefit all Baltimoreans, Catholic and not.

Agenda Item Details
Meeting Feb 08, 2011 - Public Board Meeting Category6. ACTION ITEMS Subject 6.02 FY 2011 Q2 Appropriation Request Type Action, Action (Consent)Recommended Action to approve as presented.

Presenter: Michael Frist

Baltimore City Public Sshools
FY2011 Appropriation Form Amount : 3001.11.00.0201.2140.0546.0331.000.0000 $145,000 Mt. Washinton Mdle School Expansion Sacred Heart Rent

Request by:
Whit Tantleff, Budget Director
02/08/2011
Phone #:
410-396-8784
Reason for change:
• rent for the Mt. Washington middle School expansion.
Approvals:
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Executive Officer
D. Michael Frist
Board Chairman
Andres Alonso
Neil Duke Or confirmation of positive Board vote recorded by School Board Executive:
School Board Exec.
Janet Johnson