In a story today about Mayor Stephanie-Rawlings Blake's State of the City address, our City Hall Reporter Julie Scharper touched a lot on how the mayor has essentially rejected city schools CEO Andres Alonso's plan to rapidly rebuild the city's dilapidated school buildings with more debt, and instead champions a plan based on a slower, but arguably steadier, stream of revenue.

But, I believe a sleeping giant is where the mayor and Alonso are of the same mind: schools, possibly some pretty historic anchors in communities, will have to close in order for any facilities overhaul plan will work.

If you remember, I wrote in October about Alonso's plan to close schools that are underutilized or beyond repair--which he warned would be a large-scale, but painful process.

The school system commissioned an inventory of sorts on the school system's facilities, which will guide the decisions about what schools will close. That report is expected this month, or next. 

The mayor also touched on this part of Alonso's plan in her speech on Monday, telling city residents that, in order to begin fixing schools,"we need to look at the current inventory and how we are using the resources that we have."

"Some schools will expand, some schools will merge, and some schools that we may have fond memories of will need to close," the mayor said. "Nostalgia has the power to make the past a priority over the present. And we might not always like what is proposed, but all of us should support the work of the School Board on this mission—it’s what’s best for our kids, our future, and it will help get Baltimore growing again."

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Just before our story about the rise in PIPs among city teachers posted last night, Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso sent out a letter to teachers explaining the district's new approach to evaluating teachers, which many are decrying as a way to cut down on union contract costs the district can't afford. And we've also learned that city principals are also experiencing a surge in PIPs, which their union leader believes is a strategy for the city to more easily fire principals. 

 Updated: February 9 at 8:19 a.m.

After this letter went out, the PIP stories began rolling in. I thought I'd share some since, despite my best efforts to include as many teacher voices as possible, many couldn't speak on the record for fear of retribution. Though rare, The Sun granted teachers anonymity for this story, given the position many were in. So, I thought I'd share some feedback to my story.

One teacher wrote and said that they discovered Wednesday they had retroactively received unsatisfactory ratings--having never been observed or gone through the mid-year evaluation process. The teacher never sat or signed anything, they said, and the evaluation was submitted after the due date. Consequently, they was placed on a PIP without anyone ever even informing them.

"Generally improvement plans tend to only work if we know [we] are on them," the teacher wrote.

Another, a veteran teacher, said they were informed from the city's benchmark MSA scores, that their 'interventions' weren't working for 34 percent of their students, half of which had never shown up to school.

"They just said my data shows my interventions aren't working," the veteran teacher said. "I thought: How do you know? And if they haven't been working since October, why are you just telling me in January?"

One veteran teacher, who said "the system doesn't need us anymore," wrote in and put the interventions in perspective: 

"Just imagine, a 14 or 15 year who walks out of you class cursing you," she wrote. "This same student makes no effort to complete any class work. Part of your interventions is to communicate with a student's home. Some parents may curse you out or call the principal and make a false report about you nagging them."

Another wrote in and said that she tried to present evidence to challenge her unsatisfactory ratings, and was told that 'it wasn't necessary,' because it was going to be in place anyway.

"A lot of us showed up to a meeting, and my principal broke the meeting, telling us there was no point," she said.

A parent also wrote in yesterday, asking if I had any school-by-school percentages, because she was interested in knowing if her student's school was experiencing the PIPs. When I couldn't provide it--the school system declined to provide data, calling it a "shifting number,"--she had one response: "Disturbing."

Below, I've posted the letter sent by the system explaining its take on the angst the PIP situation has caused.

Continue reading "Updated: After Alonso PIP letter went out, teachers' PIP stories rolled in" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

On Wednesday, we ran a story about the stark increase in the number of Baltimore city teachers who received unsatisfactory ratings on their mid-year evaluations, and were consequently placed on Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs).

The plans have caused angst among educators, having historically been used as a precursor for dismissal, and many city educators said they believe the surge reflects that the district has signed onto a union contract it can't afford. 

Jimmy Gittings, president of the administrators union, said that a large number of principals have also been placed on PIPs.  He said he believes this is part of district strategy to make up for past missteps, and this is a strategy to more easily fire administrators.

“The only reason people are on these PIPs is because since Alonso came, they’ve violated our contract and were firing people without them,” Gittings said. “So what they have done to cover their tracks is put everybody on a damn PIP.”

Gittings said he didn't believe that the rise in the plans reflect the number of principals who need to improve their performance. “It's that now," he said, "if they come across someone they want to fire, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Continue reading "Union Leader: City principals also seeing PIP surge " »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

What a breath of fresh air I received today in a phone call from the mother of Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson, the City Springs Elementary/Middle school student I wrote about last year after he won the 2011 National Silver Gloves Tournament of Champions in his weight class and age group.

According to his mother, Danica Carroll, Lorenzo took the title again last week at the 2012 championships in Kansas City, Mo.  Lorenzo, now a sixth grader, won the title for the 10-11age group, 100 lbs. She also reported that he is still doing extremely well in school, academically and in his behavior.

Congrats, Lorenzo! 

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Today, I wrote a story about principal pay in the city, which I was surprised to find was below the average for the state, and that of the other large, surrounding districts. The story accompanied a database The Sun has published of all school system employees, which we've also done for every state, city, and Baltimore County school system employees.

The jist of the story is that in the last four years, principals' pay have not caught up to their ever-expanding responsibilities in the city school system. While the story didn't appear to get nearly as much attention as the database, principals have written in that they are surprised by the disparity.

But school system and union leaders have acknowledged that principals--who under immense pressure in the city--are underpaid, and point to the new administrators union contract as a remedy to reward and retain the best leaders, who arguably have one of the hardest jobs in the state.

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Today, The Sun published a database with the salary and overtime for every school system employee--by name and job title--dating back to 2008.  It's part of a series of databases that we will be compiling on public employee pay in the city. So far, we have published the same information for employees who work for the state, the  Baltimore City government, and the Baltimore County School System.More school districts will join the bunch in the coming months.

However, the Baltimore City school system salaries that you see only tell part of the story about how much system employees make--particularly administrators at North Avenue, whose salaries can shift more than school-based personnel. While teachers and principals' pay are reflected in a scale that is published on the Maryland State Department of Education website with every other district, administrative positions are more arbitrary.

I feel compelled to offer a glimpse into a rather tortured journey to transparency in obtaining this information--and why the public still doesn't really know what they're paying the stewards of the city's public education system, and the $1.3 billion budget it takes to run it.

The journey began when The Sun requested the school system's salaries--normally, the most basic public information request you can make, and the most readily available--on Nov. 16. 

Continue reading "Why we still don't know the real story about Baltimore City school system salaries " »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Updated on February 1: 

A new member has been appointed to the Baltimore city school board, after two searches have taken place in the last year to find someone to replace Anirban Basu, the renowned economist who served as the business-minded board member since 2005.

Marnell Cooper, a Baltimore attorney, will be sworn in Feb. 14. According to his Charles Street law firm's website, Cooper specializes in representing small businesses locally and internationally. 

Updated: I caught up with Cooper on Tuesday, who said that it "is a tremendous honor to be able to serve in this capacity." 

"What I hope to bring to the board is my experience as a person who has been a part of, and a graduate of the school system, and matriculated through two universities to go on to do business around the world. Hopefully I can bring that insight into how to help the students of Baltimore.”

Cooper, who doesn't have children in the city school system, said that he hopes to build on the efforts of the system. He said that he has, however, received feedback from the community about the state of city schools, which he described as, "extremely positive in terms of what they see as growth over the course of years."

As an international attorney, said that he takes particularly interest in strengthening and expanding International Baccalaureate programs, an elite and globally recognized college preparatory program, currently offered at City College and Mount Washington Elementary.

When asked to identify some school system challenges he hopes to help tackle, Cooper said, "I haven't started serving yet, but I know there are some challenges coming up.”

Continue reading "Updated: Local attorney hopes to bring international perspective to city school board" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Updated: Tisha Edwards, Alonso's chief of staff who traveled to East Baton Rouge last week to interview as a finalist for the parish's superintendent seat, withdrew her name from the running, according to a story published this week in Baton Rouge's newspaper, The Advocate.

Edwards, the mother of a city school graduate and a current student, said Wednesday that she chose to withdraw her name so that her son can finish his middle school education in Baltimore.

Edwards was one of six semi-finalists for the seat, and took part in a public interview before the East Baton Rouge school board on Jan. 23. The EBR parish has held an unusually public search for a new superintendent, devoting an entire website to the search, and posting interviews on You Tube.

You can watch Edwards' interview, during which she is questioned for two hours, and discusses everything from her leadership style, to her efforts and accomplishments in the city, and the reforms she was hoping to bring to the struggling school system.

Continue reading "Updated: Alonso's chief of staff withdraws name from superintendent search" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city is used to some radical ideas when it comes to keeping kids in school--a trademark of city schools CEO Andres Alonso--but there is one that I wanted to put out there for debate's sake.

In his State of the Union address last week, President Barack Obama said that his administration would encourage states to raise the compulsory age of attendance to prevent kids from dropping out of school. Under the proposal, children would be require to attend school until the age of 18.

In Maryland, there's been a longstanding attempt to address truancy and dropout rates by raising the compulsory age of attendance, a measure that seems to have always failed due to its financial cost (because the human one is priceless, many would argue).

Still, the issue makes the city school system's legislative wish-list every year, and schools chief Alonso said Monday that he still maintains that, "it makes no sense to tell a kid they can't vote or drive a car but we let them drop out of school."

Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, a Baltimore Democrat who has repeatedly sponsored legislation to raise the state's compulsory age, a cause she plans to continue championing, said Monday she was "really pleased to see the President call on states to take care of our children. We ought to be doing everything we can to keep our students in school."

Continue reading "City school, political leaders endorse Obama dropout plan " »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Updated on Monday, Jan. 30: One of the biggest questions that emerged from Alonso's recent pitch to allow the school system to borrow billions for school construction, was whether or not Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was on board.

I thought I'd share this story from Friday, when Alonso and the mayor went to talk budgetary matters in Annapolis, where our State House Reporter Michael Dresser asked whether she was on board with the plan.

The mayor, who rolled out a proposal in November that would see a 140% increase in what the City is currently contributing to school construction and renovation, said Friday that the city and the school system were still "ironing out details," on how to fund the massive overhaul of the school system's infrastructure. She added, however, that, "we have the same mutual goal in mind."

According to the story, the mayor remained noncommittal to Alonso's plan to borrow $1.3 billion--six times more the district's borrowing authority-- for the needed improvements. And it's not surprising, since it's a plan that relies on paying off debt with more debt.

And according to the story, the mayor, who has outlined a more limited plan to float $300 million in bonds backed by new city revenues, would not say how close the city and school system are to reaching common ground on an approach.

"It depends on the day of the week it is. Some days we're closer than others," Rawlings-Blake said.

Asked whether Alonso had gone public with his plan too soon when he outlined it Tuesday for the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the mayor sidestepped the question.

"Dr. Alonso is aggressive when it comes to reforming the school system," she said. "I am not going to second-guess his strategy.

You can read our editorial board's take on Alonso's strategy by clicking here. 

Continue reading "Updated: Alonso's billion-dollar borrowing pitch " »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

A Baltimore city jury ruled Thursday, that they should not.

But that has not stopped the debate about whether the defense that held up in court--the parents of a bullied special needs student didn't document every interaction and complaint to their schools--holds up in public opinion.

A four-day-trial ended Thursday, with a city jury deciding that the principal of Hazelwood Elementary and the former principal of Glenmount Elementary school were not negligent in addressing the chronic bullying of a special needs student, who suffered behavioral issues as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Edmund and Shawna Sullivan, the parents of the boy, brought a $1.3 million lawsuit against the school system--though every count against the system as a whole was thrown out--that ended up leaving the principals on the line for negligence and gross negligence.

The principals admitted that they were made aware by the Sullivans of several incidents at the schools.The principal of Hazelwood admitted that there may even have been a report of the boy and his sister "being beaten and robbed.

And while jurors believe that bullying took place, they said there wasn't enough evidence that their inaction led to the roughly $35,000 in physical and emotional damage (in addition to the damage you can quantify), because the parents hadn't documented with formal bullying forms and complaints to the school. Jurors also said the Sullivans were lacking consistent recounts of names, dates, and times. 

However, outside of the legal considerations, jurors also said that they took into consideration the fact that their decision could essentially declare open season on school systems and principals across the country.

In our story today, the president of the city's principal union said the season has already begun. 

But, in a district that is built around principal autonomy and accountability, who should be held responsible for the damage that is caused from a school yard rite of passage that, if unaddressed, can land children in mental institutions and educators in turmoil?

If not, who should? 

Posted by Erica Green at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The older sister of the special needs student whose alleged bullying has landed the school system in court, closed out the third day of a jury trial in which a family is seeking $1.3 million in damages after they say school system principals ignored their complaints. You can read the recent coverage of the trial, which began last Thursday, here and here.

The parents, Shawna and Edmund Sullivan, are suing the system on behalf of their two kids who attended Hazelwood and Glenmount elementary schools in the 2008-2010 school years.

The 14-year-old girl, who the Sun is not naming, attended fifth grade at Hazelwood Elementary school in 2008-2009, where she said her belongings were urinated on, she and her brother were jumped by a group of students for their lunch money, and targeted for racial harassment. She also testified late Monday that after she found her brother unconscious outside of school one morning, the school's principal said "he was perfectly fine."

The girl described how she watched her brother, who suffers from disabilities stemming from a brain injury, slowly grow more and more depressed after he was repeatedly attacked by students.

"He became more depressed because he thought he did something bad to make everybody hate him," the girl told jurors. "I told him he didn't, and that the kids at that school were just really, really mean."

Continue reading "Bullied student, experts testify in third day of city schools bullying trial" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

In the second day of the jury trial for a $1.3 million bullying lawsuit against Baltimore city schools, the grandmother of two students, one who suffers from a brain injury, who were allegedly tortured and ignored at Hazelwood and Glenmount elementary schools took the stand, affirming claims by Shawna and Eddy Sullivan that the principals at the two schools did nothing to help their children.

In a story Thursday, we outlined the lawsuit, which alleges several counts of negligence and state law violations on the part of the school system and the principals of the two schools individually. 

 In opening statements Thursday, Donna King told jurors that her clients, the Sullivan family, suffered financially and emotionally as a result of the negligence. The boy, now 10 years old, allegedly was choked unconscious at Hazelwood where he attended first grade, and beaten by a group of students at Glenmount in the second grade before he was committed to a mental institution.

The school system's lawyer, Quinton Herbert, refuted the claims, telling the jury that the incidents never happened--as evidenced by a lack of witnesses to the alleged attacks, and the boy's history of violence and fabricating stories, which he attributed to his special needs. He also defended the two principals as experienced educators with more than 75 years between them, who followed proper protocols.

On Friday, the student's grandmother took the stand, supporting the Sullivans claims. She said that while the children were in her care, she was called about 2 to 3 times a week to come and pick her grandson up from both schools, because his teachers couldn't handle him.

The grandmother, Ann Marie Pollotta, was a career pediatric nurse before retirement--including at two Baltimore city schools.

Continue reading "Emotional testimony continued Friday in city schools bullying trial" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Before a packed audience that included about a dozen tearful Filipino teachers, their supporters, as well as other education community members, a group of teachers pleaded to the Baltimore city school board for updates about the future of international teachers in the district.

As we've reported before, the city's international teachers are facing a time of uncertainty in the district, particularly the first group of teachers who came to the city in 2005 on a six-year work visa. Since 2005, more than 600 Filipino teachers have come to the city to fill critical vacancies in special education, math and science.

The Filipino teachers' visas are facing expiration dates that required the system to begin renewal filings months ago--more than a year ago for some --but there were delays as the school system built its capacity and play catch-up in helping teachers with their filings, spending more than $5 million on the initiative since the summer. Since then, a team of immigration lawyers, and teachers union and city school officials have spearheaded the efforts.

On Tuesday, two Filipino teachers joined their American colleagues during the public comment portion of the meeting to air their concerns about the lack of communication and uncertainty surrounding the district's efforts to help them secure residency.

The teachers weren't asking to stay in the district, but to know either way--with enough notice to adjust their lives if they needed to.

"I only have one year, one month and 18 days left," one Filipino teacher told the board. She said she still hadn't heard from the district about her system-sponsored immigration filings.

"We are convinced that you are committed to securing our residency," another Filipino teacher told school officials, but added that according to immigration guidelines for the filing process, "there are a lot of us who don't fall under the best case scenario."

Continue reading "Filipino teachers, Alonso have emotional exchange at city school board meeting" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso announced Tuesday night new additions to his cabinet and a leadership shuffle that fills two critical roles in the city school system.

Of note, Kim Lewis, who long oversaw the system's Office of Special Education, was formally appointed as the new head of the system's Office of Human Capital--a long troubled department, that has seen an enormous amount of turnover and turmoil in recent years. According to a release from the school system, Lewis was successful in fully staffing schools this year, which is usually a large feat for the system.

Kim Hoffman, who worked in the district's special education office, will take the helm as the interim director of special education. It is unclear whether Hoffman will be the permanent leader of the office, which undoubtedly is one of the most critical as the system seeks to permanently shed a consent decree linked to the 26-year Vaughn G. special education lawsuit. A settlement agreement in the suit is due to end this September, if the district can prove it has improved its service to special education students.

Karen Webber Ndor, former principal of National Academy Foundation (whom I've had the pleasure of working with in the past), will take the position of Director of Student Support and Safety, taking the place of Jonathan Brice. Brice began heading up the district's "networks" at the beginning of the school year.

Alonso seems to have tapped his old stomping ground in New York for someone to take over the system's Office of Accountability and Accountability--which was filled and vacated in the last year-and-a-half by Matt Van Itallie.

Joining the district in January to oversee the office that pumps out the school system's data is Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, the current senior advisor to the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education. According to the school system, Bell-Ellwanger is prime for the new position as she has overseen New York City’s Research and Policy Support Group, the primary source of research, data reporting and analysis for the district.

You can read more about the appointments, here. 

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

In five minutes, a group of middle school students tackle challenges that have plagued the Baltimore city school system for decades: large class sizes, bullies, strained relationships between teachers and students, and inequities in school resources.

On Thursday, students who are taking part in this semester's Wide Angle Youth Media after-school program will host a screening of their film, "Better Schools. Better Futures: Baltimore Students Speak Out for a Better Education," where they hope to share their experiences with city school officials and community members.

The screening will be held at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, located at 1303 Orleans Street, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The students will also host a discussion about the film after the viewing.

Students immediately confront viewers with their mission and purpose in the first minute of the film: "We think that public schools needs to change because we don't feel like everyone who goes to school in Baltimore city is getting a good education. We are being honest and telling you what we really think so that you can help us to create the kinds of schools where kids can really learn."

From there, different voices join the chorus of critiques from the middle schoolers, representing schools from across the city, who sound off on the system's challenges, what their perfect school would look like, and what they need from their schools to be successful. They offer these suggestions to teachers, administrators, and their fellow peers.

"The amount of people in the class," is what one student identified as a challenge.

"I need my school to be clean," says another.

Another student shares that in their perfect school, "teachers would care about their students like their own children," and not act like they want to get paid.

Originally, students planned to focus their production on identity and what makes them happy, and from those discussions emerged a strong theme about the role of the school system in their lives, said to Sarah Milinski, the middle school lead teacher and program coordinator for Wide Angle Youth.

Wide Angle Youth Media is a non-profit that aims to provide Baltimore's youth with tools to express themselves through video technology  and public speaking. The organization hosts after school programs, community events and a youth-run television show. The students are participating in a 12-week-program, and devoted about 8 weeks to production.

"At the beginning, the kids kept writing and talking about the school system," Milinksi said. "We try to base our productions on what's relevant in their loves at the time, and there was this overwhelming sense that the schools aren't giving them what they needed."

Continue reading "Thursday student-led film screening shows challenges, hopes for Baltimore schools " »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

According to several teachers in the city, it hasn't.

In a story today, we took a look at how the union contract has panned out since it divided the city's teaching corps in two votes last year, and emerged as one of the innovative and radical teacher contracts in the country.

Outside of the immediate pay raises, several teachers have said that the contract's details are just as murky as they were a year ago, leaving their professional trajectories in limbo. Other teachers said that the ultimate impact the contract will have is worth the wait. 

District and union officials maintain that the contract will still revolutionize the teaching profession in Baltimore city, encouraging teachers to do and earn more. But, they said that making the deadlines for building the critical infrastructure to carry out the contract has been harder than they thought. The lifeline of the pact is only three years, and the dozen teachers I spoke with were split on whether they would vote for it again.

I think our expert Emily Cohen, of the National Council on Teacher Quality put it best: "There was a lot of attention given to this, and for it not to work would be unfortunate for Baltimore teachers and unfortunate for reform," she said. "Ideas only go so far as the capacity to implement them."

I'd love to hear from our education community about whether they believe the contract has lived up to its promises? Or is it too early to tell? 

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

An effort to leverage public-private partnerships to fund massive Baltimore city school facility updates kicked off this week with the announcement of a $3.78 million project launched by the Weinberg Foundation, in conjunction with up to 15 other partners, to build state-of-the-art libraries in elementary/middle schools.

Officials announced the project Monday at Moravia Park Elementary/Middle School, where a library design is already underway. Construction is expected to begin in the summer.

According to a release by the organization, the libraries will feature new equipment, reading materials, and furniture including e-readers (Nooks), a bank of computers, and a “Parenting Corner” for parents and guardians to visit the library and share time with their child.

In addition to Moravia Park,  Southwest Baltimore Charter School, Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle, and the East Baltimore Community School are also slated to participate in the Weinberg's library project. The foundation will financially support up to 30% of the actual costs of each library and an operating grant for two years to increase staff support and provide professional development.

The schools participating in the project were identified for having public funding that can go toward the projects, and others meet a criteria of having 35 percent or more of its students receiving free and reduced lunch.

Posted by Erica Green at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, which conducts the nation’s oldest and most extensive academic talent search and offers educational programming for students with exceptionally high academic ability,  has put out a free resource for parents of gifted students who want to seek out academic opportunities for their students.

The Center is offering Compass: A Directory of Resources for Bright Students in Baltimore, a free guide that highlights academic opportunities for high-achieving students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the Baltimore metropolitan area and is available online.

“What we’ve learned firsthand is that there are many extraordinary students in Baltimore and a number of quality organizations that can meet these students’ needs. ” said Karen Bond, senior director of academic services for CTY, in a release from the Center. "So the big question was, essentially, how to arrange an introduction. Compass was designed to point the families of some of Baltimore’s brightest children in the right direction.”

Resources in the directory include websites, mentoring programs, academic summer and online courses, college preparation programs, extracurricular activities, and a calendar of important scholarship and admission deadlines.

CTY produced Compass in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools and the Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust. The directory comes in glossy print and electronic versions. To request a free copy, call 410-735-6196 or email compass@jhu.edu.

Posted by Erica Green at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

On December 5, Johns Hopkins University will host a forum where three formative voices of the nation's current education debate will sound off on the "Future Directions in Education: What will work best for students?"  The event will be held in the Shriver Hall Auditorium on the university's Homewood campus at 6:30 p.m.

According to the university, panel members will offer differing views on the reform efforts sweeping the country.

Included on the panel are: Michael Yudin, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education in the United States Department of Education will discuss the Obama administration’s approach which includes support for new national standards in math and reading, teacher evaluations tied to student performance and charter schools.

Michael Petrilli, executive vice president of the Thomas Fordham Foundation, a think tank on education issues, and who has offered frank and sometimes scathing commentary on education reforms in Baltimore (including that city teachers put themselves on "the wrong side of history" in voting down the contract last year.)

And lastly, Deborah Meier, an outspoken critic of the Obama administration’s approach and co-author of an Education Week blog, Bridging the Difference , with Diane Ravitch.

The Shaping the Future series is free and open to everyone, including our students, alumni, all interested educators, parents, and education advocates. The program includes a presentation by panel members and an opportunity for questions and comments from the audience. For more information or to sign up for the event, visit http://education.jhu.edu/shaping_future.

Continue reading "Johns Hopkins University forum to explore 'Future Directions in Education'" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

The annual Baltimore city school choice fair will take place this Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where nearly 6,000 students are expected to visit the stadium's club level to hear schools make their pitch about why they may be students' top choices for the 2012-2013 school year.

The annual choice fair is an opportunity for rising middle and high school students and their  families to preview 64 Baltimore City public middle and high schools--you can see the electronic choice guide here-- meet school staff and students and learn about the unique programs offered at each school.

Following the choice fair tomorrow, schools will host open houses from November 21- December 18, according to the city schools website.

Thursday, Dec. 22 is the application deadline for students to apply for their top three choices. Students will be notified of their placements by March 1.

Continue reading "Annual Baltimore city school choice fair on Saturday" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city schools Chief Academic Officer Sonja Brookins Santelises will host a "community conversation" Thursday, to discuss the importance of conversation in students' literacy development.

The forum is part of the school system's observance of American Education Week, and will take place Thursday at the Charles Theater, located at 1711 N. Charles Street. It begins at 6 p.m.

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

A former version of this post incorrectly stated that the deadline to apply for a charter school was Feb. 17. That is the date for students to apply to attend charter schools, not the date for organizations to apply to open charter schools. The Sun regrets this error.

Six charter applicants seeking to open schools in Baltimore city in school years 2012 and 2013 were all denied Tuesday, after the city school board voted to affirm city schools CEO Andres Alonso's decision that the plans for the new schools were insufficient or failed to present a compelling reason to obtain charter status.

The school proposals, which can be viewed here, were presented to the school board on Oct. 11, with organizations making their pitch to offer a variety of programs next school year--including the first all-female elementary school for girls, a new STEM Academy, and a college-preparatory school with an arts curriculum--and a military academy in 2013. Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School failed in its second attempt to convince Alonso and the board that converting to charter status would improve the school's ability to raise achievement.

A seventh school, Green Street Academy, which currently operates as a transformation school (6-12 school with specialized curriculum) withdrew its application to convert to a charter next year.

Alonso said that he made his recommendations based on the recommendations he received from  the district's Charter Schools Advisory Board. The board did not recommend any of the schools for approval, Alonso said.

The sweeping denials was a stark contrast to recent years when charters sprouted up in the district at a rapid pace. Currently, there are 33 charters operating in the city, the most of any district in the state, and that majority of which have opened during Alonso's administration. The schools chief's vision has always been an expanding school portfolio, which is now bursting at the seams, and says that charters remain "engines of reform," in the district.

Alonso said "there were good ideas, a lot of commitment" in this round of applications, but the ability to execute key elements of running a quality school fell short.

"I want to see strong charter applications, so I can approve more charters," Alonso said. "But my vision has been to see great schools, and I want charters to support [that vision.]

Continue reading "City school board denies all charter applications for upcoming school year" »

Posted by Erica Green at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The coalition of education advocates that is leading the charge to address an estimated $2.8 billion in improvements in city school facilities praised Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's proposal to create a funding stream for the projects by increasing the city's bottle tax.

But the group, Transform Baltimore said in a release Monday-- shortly after Rawlings-Blake announced the plan that you can read about here -- that the mayor's plan to raise additional revenue for school facilities was just a first step.

“The dedicated revenue from the bottle tax can be used to leverage an estimated $155 million in
bonds, as long as it is stable revenue,” said Frank Patinella of the Transform Baltimore campaign, in the statement sent by the group. “The next step will be to use the city and state’s current annual capital budget funds to borrow $1billion now; with that, we will be well on our way toward the full $2.8 billion needed to fix our schools.”

According to our story Monday, "Rawlings-Blake urged the council to act quickly to increase the bottle tax from 2 cents to 5 cents as part of a three-pronged plan that would allow the school system to float more than $300 million in bonds." 

Transform Baltimore had asked the mayor to commit to an alternative financing model that would allow renovation and construction projects to take place at a faster pace and on a larger scale than the city's current funding levels. You can read more about that model here.

Posted by Erica Green at 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

I came across this message recently informing that the JV and Varsity football seasons were cancelled at Forest Park High School this fall. 

"Forest Park's Varsity and Junior Varsity football team have forfeited season due to the participation of student's on their roster," the school's website says. "We will continue to support our student's and community as we deal with this unfortunate situation."

I asked city school officials last Friday about this decision (when it was made, how many players were involved, why the entire season was forfeited), and have yet to receive an answer.

I was informed that it was due to ineligible players on the school's team--an issue that educators and parents alike have said is a problem in many high schools in the district.

Posted by Erica Green at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

I came across an interesting directive from Baltimore city school officials to schools in the district, informing school leaders that they had to offer a pants option for female school uniforms.

Apparently some schools were requiring their female students to wear skirts, a practice that could have been deterring students from choosing certain schools, or going to school at all.

"School uniform policies that do not include an appropriate pants option for female students are considered discriminatory based on gender or sex," the system informed its school leaders. "To ensure we are promoting a positive educational environment for all students, please include an appropriate pants option for any uniform policies that require skirts only for female students." 

Apparently, there were four schools that were requiring girls to wear skirts, and city school officials said that the ACLU of Maryland informed that the practice was discriminatory.

It appears that schools were not intending to discriminate, but promote a dress code they thought would encourage a professional culture in the school. But the school system agreed that culture should also reflect the 21st century.

"Uniform policies are about creating a positive educational environment and preparing students for the world beyond school," said Michael Sarbanes, spokesman for city schools. "Women have many ways of dressing in a professional and dignified way in the world and uniform requirements should reflect that diversity. "

Posted by Erica Green at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Updated at 6:11 p.m.

The city school system released the following statement regarding the reported rape in a city school. Baltimore City Public Schools notified Baltimore City Police  that a sex offense (rape) is alleged to have occurred October 4, 2011 at the end of the school day, during an after school program operated by one of the district's community partners. The incident was first reported to the school on October 20, 2011. The school immediately contacted City Schools Police who transported the parent and student to the Baltimore Police Child Abuse Unit to begin the investigation per standard procedures. 

City Schools addresses any allegation of a sexual offense with the utmost seriousness and reports any allegations to Child Protective Services or Baltimore Police Department as appropriate under the circumstances.

 From Crime Reporter Peter Hermann:

A 12-year-old girl at a Baltimore middle school has reported that a teenage boy sexually assaulted her in a classroom last month, according to city police.

Police said the girl told police she was attacked about 12:15 p.m. on Oct. 4 inside Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School, but did not report the incident to police until two weeks later. The school is located in the 1400 block of West Lafayette Ave. in Sandtown-Winchester.

Det. Jeremy Silbert, a spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department, said the case is under investigation and no charges have been filed against the 13-year-old suspect. He said detectives are trying to determine whether the girl was raped or sexually assaulted.

Continued by Ed Reporter Erica Green: 

The victim's mother reached out to both  Fox 45  , who first reported the story, and WBAL TV-11 about the alleged attack. The mother told Fox that the boy was still in school, but she transferred her daughter. According to city school data, obtained by the Baltimore Sun, there were two sexual assaults reported last school year, that resulted in suspension and expulsion. 

The mother told the news stations that her daughter was forced with a box cutter, though police say they had no report of the weapon.

The city school system has not made a statement. 

Posted by Erica Green at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

An overwhelming majority of Baltimore city voters cast ballots in favor of a charter amendment that will establish a fund to support school facility improvements, according to unofficial poll figures, and education advocates said Wednesday that they see the vote as a "call to action" from the public.

Transform Baltimore, a group of education advocates and school leaders from around the city that have joined the ACLU of Maryland in calling for a funding solution for the estimated $2.8 billion in improvements needed in city school buildings, celebrated the almost 87 percent of voters who voted in favor of the amendment. 

The charter amendment received the highest overall percentage of votes in the city-wide, contested races, though not the highest raw number of votes. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake received 84 percent of votes.

“The vote sends a clear message that Baltimore citizens support our students’ and teachers’ right to have decent, modern, and well-equipped buildings and that funds need to be allocated for that purpose," said Frank Patinella, of the ACLU and Transform Baltimore campaign, in a release sent by the group Wednesday.

The group held a "Speak Out" event last week, where hundreds of teachers, students and parents  sounded off about the abysmal conditions of their school buildings, which are owned by the city, not the school system.

The Transform Baltimore campaign also met with Rawlings-Blake last week to pitch a funding model that has helped to rapidly modernize and improve school buildings in South Carolina. You can read a letter the group sent on Nov. 2 by clicking here.

One of the drawbacks of the charter amendment is that the mayor's finance team opposed granting the City Council authority to designate taxpayer money to the fund once it was established. The finance department said that granting such a power (the mayor is the only official who can allocate funds) could infringe on future administrations' priorities.

The mayor convened a task force last fall that was due to release a report in April with recommendations for how to address the $2.8 billion need. That report has yet to be released, but the mayor's spokesman said there could be developments in the next two weeks.

Under the charter amendment, the fund can however be endowed with grants and donations, and city officials said that is now where the attention should be focused.

“The overwhelming public support in favor of the charter amendment is proof that we should maintain a laser-like focus toward building state-of-the-art facilities for all of Baltimore’s children,” said Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young, who authored the charter amendment along with Councilman Jim Kraft. “We now need to turn our attention toward building a fund capable of producing first-class facilities for students.”

Posted by Erica Green at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

According to a story by our City Hall Reporter Julie Scharper, voters will have the opportunity to fuel to an increasingly hot topic of the city's dilapidated school buildings on the November 8 ballot. 

An amendment to the city's charter will appear on the ballot on Tuesday, which would establish a fund specifically for renovating and upgrading city-owned school buildings.

The amendment, proposed by City Council President Bernard "Jack" Young earlier this year, is one of several efforts in the last year to garner attention and pressure elected officials to address the estimated $2.8 billion in facilities improvements needed throughout the district.

While Young originally sought to empower the city council to designate taxpayer dollars to the fund, the city's finance department opposed the measure. The fund can be endowed, however, with grants and donations.

The ACLU of Maryland pinpointed the figure in a report released last year, inspiring a series of campaigns throughout the city to fund improvements as fast as possible. Just last week, the ACLU and other education advocates that formed the group "Transform Baltimore" held a "Speak Out" event where groups representing more than 30 schools spoke out about the abysmal conditions of their school buildings.

The event was the first of many efforts the group said will seek to put political pressure on the mayor and elected officials to explore alternative financing models, particularly one that has been used in Greenville, SC that could begin the work ASAP. Read more about that plan here. 

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake convened a task force last fall that was supposed to release a report outlining how the city could tackle the $2.8 billion task. It has yet to be released. Her spokesman told our City Hall reporter in the story that it could be released in the next two weeks. 

Posted by Erica Green at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Urban school districts who look to rolling school closures as a means to save money--much like the logic that city schools CEO Andres Alonso pitched last month--see a very limited cost savings relative to their budgets, have mixed results on academic impact, and can spur major political fallout, a Philadelphia research group has found.

A study published by the Philadelphia Research Initiative last month looks at the pros and cons of consolidation methods in urban school districts, including Philadelphia, which will undergo a series of school closures in the next two years.  A couple of weeks ago, Alonso told The Sun that he will propose to close a slew of schools by 2014 to "right-size the district."

Alonso maintained that not only would the school system be able to save money by vacating school buildings, but also run more efficiently (more than 40 buildings have 250 students or less) and more effectively for its 84,000 students. The schools chief also said that by closing and consolidating schools, the district could devote more money and resources to renovating and upgrading remaining school buildings.

As school officials campaign for billions of dollars to improve the system's infrastructure, Alonso said the district also needed to demonstrate to lawmakers and private funders that the school system is using its current resources as efficiently as possible.

Posted by Erica Green at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The Baltimore City school board has postponed its Nov. 8th board meeting until Nov. 15th because of the general election in the city.

Posted by Liz Bowie at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Seven groups made their pitches to open new charter schools Tuesday, including two existing schools that are seeking to reinvent themselves with more resources and autonomy. From the looks of things, it seems the city school board will be particularly judicious in choosing who will make the cut in November.

Click here to get a full description of the applicants. Among them is a K-8 academy for girls, and a proposed co-ed military academy that is looking to open in 2013. Both were among the few schools that seemed to really capture the attention of the board.

The school board sat through each presentation, extending the meeting to nearly 11 p.m., and peppered each applicant with questions about their motives, credentials, and experience in opening and operating a school.

It was a level of interrogation that is rare for the board , but not surprising given its recent discussions of the board about mitigating the district's bulging school portfolio. About two dozen schools have opened in the district since 2007, and some are floundering due to low enrollment and heightened competition.

The schools who felt the most heat Tuesday were two existing schools seeking charter licenses: the traditional Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School and the Green Street Academy, which opened as a transformation school in 2010. Both schools said they wanted to operate their schools as charters to gain private partnerships and more money.

In his only comments of the evening, city schools CEO Andres Alonso showed a mild disdain for the applicants' notion that the charter label would bring them future prosperity, in finances and the ability to serve their students.

"I have a real problem with schools who only think they can gain that social capital by calling themselves a charter," Alonso said, adding that it was "a bankrupt way of thinking."

Continue reading "Alonso and school board grill charter hopefuls" »

Posted by Erica Green at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

A story about Dunbar High School's recently resurrected marching band graced the front page this weekend, and it seems to have struck a cord with readers and music lovers across the state, and even some in other parts of the country.

We profiled the effort of the school's band director, Charles Funn, a long-time staple of the school system, who has gathered a group of committed students to try and bring back the glory days, when Dunbar's 185-person marching band rivaled any college band in the country.

The students have no uniforms, they share instruments, and they're still getting used to lifting their legs and instruments at the same time.  But the heart and hope is there. And it was felt far and wide.

Readers wrote in wanting to help the band get back on its feet, others just wrote to say how great it was to see a positive story about a city school in The Sun. My email inbox has been overflowing with messages from those who want to help the band. According to the school's principal Kristina Kyles, Dunbar's phone hasn't stopped ringing since Monday morning.

So, here's information for those who are interested: 

You can call the school at 443-642-4478 and arrange with Kristina Kyles or Charles Funn.  Donations can also be dropped off (or mailed) to the school, located at 1400 Orleans Street. Checks should be made payable to: Dunbar High School Marching Band.

Posted by Erica Green at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

We ran a story over the weekend that examined a recent report published by the Abell Foundation, which revealed some questionable practices in how a tutoring program, called Supplemental Educational Services, has been operating in the city for the past decade. Our editorial board weighed in on the story's findings today.

The program, mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, is free to the poorest and the most academically challenged students in the system. But, it has costs the system more than $55 million in federal funding--about $2,200-$2,500 per-student every year--though the state and city school systems are limited in how much they can regulate the programs and monitor the vendors. State and city officials said that they also cannot substantiate the program's results on student achievement.

Continue reading "Should Baltimore City do away with SES tutoring services?" »

Posted by Erica Green at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

A national report released today underscores the widely-known disparity in suspensions of minority students and their non-minority counterparts.

In the report, Maryland is highlighted for its efforts to curb punitive suspensions and expulsions, and Baltimore is highlighted for its effort of significantly reducing its suspension rate in recent years--though the number of suspensions in the district is up this year, including those for "soft offenses" like disrespect and insubordination.

The report, titled “Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice”  was published by the National Education Policy Center (NPEC), and released in collaboration with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and the Dignity in Schools Campaign. Using recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, and data from states that have  like North Carolina, the report's authors conclude that harsh discipline is applied disproportionately to students of color.

The report highlights troubling 2006 data, published last year, collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. It shows that more than 28% of black male middle school students had been suspended at least once-- nearly three times the 10% rate for white males;  18% of black females in middle school were suspended, more than four times as often as white females.

Continue reading "National report highlights punitive suspensions of minority students, which are on the rise in Baltimore" »

Posted by Erica Green at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

One of the Filipino teachers featured in 'The Learning,' the documentary about four teachers' journey from their lives in the Philippines to Baltimore city classrooms, is leaving the city school system to take a job in Philadelphia.

In a blog post, Angel Alim-Flores, who started her American teaching career at Harlem Park, shares her decision to leave Baltimore city for a new life in Philadelphia. It appears that it was driven primarily by her faith, and, in part, job and citizenship security.

Here's an excerpt from her post: 

I have gained a lot of skills working in BCPSSS (Harlem Park Middle, Dr.Roland N. Patterson Sr Academy, Pimlico Elementary Middle & North Bend Elementary Middle) and I am so thankful for that. Baltimore molded me to be the tougher teacher that I am today. I will surely take all the good memories with me wherever I go. Their support and care have made me stronger. The kids that I have worked with, the colleagues that have shown me greatness and the administrators that gave me love and covered my backs will always be my part of my life."

Posted by Erica Green at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

This past weekend, we ran a story about a group of Roland Park parents advocating for recess for their middle school students.

While recess in elementary school is pretty standard, it's less common in middle schools--not just in Baltimore, but in neighboring districts as well. City school officials said that 53 of its 88 schools with middle grades offer some form of recess, while 86 percent of its elementary schools do. Still, parents say that it's essential to their students academic and sociological development.

It was quite an experience reporting the story, with only a few parents willing to go on the record about what has become a particularly charged issue in the school's community. And it has sparked quite a debate in the district and from our readers.

Here is a Letter to the Editor , titled "Roland Park is no academic sweatshop" from the school's PTA President that we ran today. Another reader, also a middle-school teacher,  from Rochester wrote in today to weigh in on the issue.

My reporting found that the parents desire for more recreational relief from the school's stringent academic model is running up against the schools budget and staff realities. But, it is hoped that the school can come up with a compromise and serve as a model for the rest of the district as schools try to juggle the demands of a well-rounded education.

Thoughts? 

Posted by Erica Green at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The Learning has its national broadcast premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 at 10 p.m. on POV (Point of View) on PBS. (Baltimore broadcast: Sunday, Sept. 25 at 10:30 PM on MPT-2). The film will stream in its entirety on the POV website, Sept. 21 - Oct. 21. The Learning has been selected as part of The Economist Film Project, which presents documentaries in partnership with PBS NewsHour.

Click this link for the website, where the film will be streaming.

For those interested, here is a transcript transcript of a live chat on 'The Learning,' which took place last week after a PBS screening of the film.

Among the panelists were: Baltimore filmmaker Ramona Diaz, who directed the film; Sara Neufeld, former Baltimore Sun reporter, whose coverage of the Filipino teacher recruitment inspired the film; Erica Green, covering the current state of the Filipino teaching community; and Anthony Japzon, president of the Filipino Educators of Maryland.

'The Learning,' is a documentary that follows four Filipino women as they leave their lives behind to find the American dream-- teaching in Baltimore city schools. The four teachers represent a time early in the decade when the city struggled to hire highly qualified teachers to teach math, science and special education, and the city joined districts across the nation in hiring from abroad.

Though the recruitment--which as we have reported has recently come under scrutiny--has ceased in Baltimore city, Filipino teachers account for roughly 10 percent of the city's 6,000 teachers. As we've also reported recently, many Filipino teachers face an uncertain future in the district, as it struggles to show the need for them as the job market tightens for American teachers.

In the film (I've seen a screening) Diaz captures the good, the bad and the raw aspects of the teachers' lives, in and outside of the classroom. Featured in the film are teachers' experiences at Harlem Park, Renaissance Academy, Lockerman-Bundy and Polytechnic Institute.

Posted by Erica Green at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

If you're still reeling from the Ravens lost this weekend, I thought this might lighten you up. A third-grade creative writing class at Alexander Hamilton Elementary School in West Baltimore wrote this poem after the Ravens dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers in their opening game.

The students' teacher, Phallon Perry, passed this along this week to showcase her students' work and to promote writing in schools.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore city Ravens are the BEST

The Ravens are better than the REST

Their colors are Purple and BLACK

They gave the Steelers a SMACK

Ray Lewis tackles HARD

The Ravens stomped the YARD

The Ravens are a winning TEAM

They are the best you've ever SEEN

Posted by Erica Green at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

This week we reported a finding about the city's college enrollment trends, highlighted in a new report by the Baltimore Education Research Consortium,  which provided the most comprehensive tracking to date of how many Baltimore city students head to college after they graduate, what kinds of programs they are enrolling in, and the percentage of students who end up earning a degree.

In a story Monday, we highlighted one of the trends that I found drew the most attention in my reporting: more Baltimore city students are enrolling in two-year-colleges, reversing a long-standing trend of city school graduates primarily enrolling in four-year-universities.

The report concluded that this should be an area of concern for the school system, because research shows that city students who have enrolled in two-year-colleges have been far less likely to complete college, and the numbers, which you can find in the story or report, are jarring.

Researchers began with the class of 2004, tracking its college enrollment and degree completion rates through 2010. Of all city schools graduates from the Class of 2004 who ever enrolled in college, 23% earned either a 2-year or 4-year degree within six years.

While city school officials called the report a "wake-up call," officials at local colleges said the report failed to take into account the circumstances that make them the ideal and most practical choice for Baltimore city students who want a college career--particularly in this economic climate.

I would encourage readers to take a look at the actual report. It's full of interesting information--I could write dozens of stories from it--broken down in different ways (i.e. charter vs. traditional vs. transformation vs. entrance criteria school graduate college completion rates, the selectivity of the schools that each group is enrolling in, etc.)

Weigh in on what you find most interesting. 

Some other highlights from the report are listed below, (from the BERC):

Continue reading "Report sheds light on college enrollment trends for city school graduates" »

Posted by Erica Green at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

A Baltimore city Catholic school stepped up to provide 100 desks and chairs to the Holabird Academy, a school that was once slated to be closed but is slowly getting back on its feet--or seat

The St. William of York Catholic Church in Baltimore, donated 100 desks and chairs from the former parish school to Holabird Academy.

According to a letter of thanks from Brown Advisory, a local investment firm that has been working with the struggling school since 2007, the donation represents a new phase at the school.

"Holabird’s previous placement on the City’s list of schools to be closed left them with a facility, programs and grounds that had seen little, if any, regular maintenance, let alone improvements," wrote Barbara Baines.

" Holabird has gone from the brink of closing to a real City success story.  In doing so, of course, their enrollment soared, which led to the need for 100 new desks and chairs."

Community help is still sought to outfit students for the new school year. The school system saw a surge in request from families for school uniform vouchers. Hundreds of students remain on the list.

Posted by Erica Green at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

In the wake of two natural disasters in one week that caused damages and power outages at dozens of city schools, and the first-ever delay to the start of the school year--as far as anyone can recall--six Baltimore city schools will have to make way for another whirl of inconvenience.

The city will open all but nine schools on Thursday due to continuing power outages, but other schools will be impacted by the Grand Prix event this weekend.

Six Baltimore city schools will open one-hour late on Thursday, Sept.1 and Friday, Sept. 2, according to the city schools website, to allow extra travel time for parents and students who live or attend school in the downtown area.

The affected schools are:

• Digital Harbor High School #416
• Federal Hill Preparatory School #45
• Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School #76
• George Washington Elementary School #22
• Sharp-Leadenhall Elementary School #314
• Thomas Johnson Elementary /Middle School #84 

For those who will have to make your way to and fro downtown this week, our transportation reporter Michael Dresser has provided some guidance on "How to avoid the looming traffic mess." 

Posted by Erica Green at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

With the school year right around the corner hundreds of Baltimore city students are still in need of school uniforms, city school officials say, and the list is still growing. This time last year, city school officials said they had around  50 and 75 students on its uniform voucher list, but since August 1st the system received more than 575 requests.

Johns Hopkins University helped the school system provide school uniforms to about 170 city students, but many more won't be able to don their school colors on the first day. All of the students come from families who are experiencing some sort of financial hardship due to loss of job or other situation that has strained the family financially, the school system said.

To help, you can follow this link the Baltimore Community Foundation, where you can help a student dress for success this school year.

Posted by Erica Green at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

A previous blog post about the Million Father March incorrectly stated that the march was rescheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30. It was rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 6. The Sun regrets this error.

Baltimore city community leaders are encouraging men from across the city to walk their children to school this week, part of a national effort called the "Million Father March" that seeks to shed light on how a short walk to a school building can leave a lasting impression on a child's life and educational journey.

The march will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 6, rescheduled from what was supposed to be the first day of school on August 29, which was cancelled due to power outages and the aftermath Hurricane Irene. Fathers, uncles, brothers and male role models are encouraged to participate--even if they don't have a student in city schools. Organizers only caution that those participating not enter school buildings unless they are a student's parent or guardian.

The Baltimore march, the event happens in 750 cities in the US, was organized by the local chapter of the National Action Network.

Prominent male leaders--including Baltimore City Council President Bernard "Jack" Young, and city schools CEO Andres Alonso--endorsed the effort in a press conference hosted by Young at City Hall. More than 100 professional, black men in the city have adopted a school.

Posted by Erica Green at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The Maryland State Department of Education has reopened a search for a new member to serve on the Baltimore city school board, seeking candidates who have a background in business. The board member would replace current member and local economist Anirban Basu, whose terms expires this year.

According to the listing, the department is looking for a candidate to"possess a high level of knowledge and expertise concerning the successful administration of a large business, non-profit, or governmental entity and have served in a high level management position within such an entity..."

The full posting for the position and how to apply for it is listed here.

Posted by Erica Green at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

This post was updated on Friday, August 19. 

Baltimore’s education advocates launched a campaign Thursday that seeks to galvanize the entire city around the the issue of its dilapidated school facilities.

The campaign, called “Transform Baltimore,” is being sponsored by the ACLU of Maryland and members of the Baltimore Education Coalition, who said that while lawmakers continue to devise a viable plan to meet the city’s $2.8 billion need for renovations and upgrades, the city needed a platform for action.

The campaign will be driven by a new website, www.TransformBaltimore.org, which went live on Thursday at a kick-off event at Booker T. Washington Middle School. The school’s new, state-of-the-art media center served as the backdrop for advocacy groups and educators to illustrate the learning environment that all city students deserve.

“As our students walk into a building that is clean and new, our expectations are elevated,” said Euna McGruder, principal of Booker T., which will become an arts school next year. McGruder said that the historic city school still serves as a pillar of the community due to its rich history, but “we believe that facilities must be able to support our students in the 21st century.”

The website will serve as a platform for dialogue and organization, ACLU officials said. The first major effort under the campaign will be to organize parents at the 50 upcoming back-to-school nights in September.

Continue reading "Education advocates launch school facilities campaign " »

Posted by Erica Green at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso delivered his annual 'State of the Schools' address Tuesday, sending a message that despite the district's recent setbacks--including across-the-board test score declines and more schools fabricating their gains under his tenure--city educators should be proud of where the system stands as it prepares to open its doors to students in two weeks.

Alonso, who signed another four-year-contract amid the system's backslide, told hundreds of principals Tuesday that he was their "brother in arms, in what I believe is the most important battle facing our city today." He said that educators should continue to focus on the progress they've made over time, which he acknowledged began before he arrived in the district in 2007.

He then went through a 74-page powerpoint presentation outlining the city's academic and climate data, which noted an increase of suspensions, and slight upticks in attendance rates and the number of diplomas awarded; the system noted decreases in the number of habitually truant students.

As the system prepares for a very critical year, what do you think is the 'state of city schools?'

Posted by Erica Green at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The national network schools has endorsed a review of the nation's teaching programs, a feat that has been taken up by the National Council on Teacher Quality this year. The Council of Great City Schools represents more than 60 superintendents from large, urban cities, including Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso.

The Council on Teacher Quality, which supported Baltimore's new teacher's union contract last fall, will review the nation's teacher preparation programs, but has met opposition from the higher education community. The results are due to be released in conjunction with U.S. News & World Report in late 2012. 

Last month, NCTQ released a report which ranked a random sample of three institutions in each state, including Maryland. Mount St. Mary's University and Salisbury University received "weak" ratings and University of Maryland, Baltimore County a rating of "good." Mount St. Mary's and Salisbury disputed the report, which you can read more about in a story here.

The council spent two years working on the study, which looks at the student teaching experience at 134 institutions of higher education. The rating was based on factors that include whether the teachers who train the college students in their classrooms during student teaching are good teachers themselves, whether the teachers are selected in part by the school of education rather than a school's principal, and whether there is mentoring during the internship.  

Continue reading "Urban superintendents want review of teacher-prep programs" »

Posted by Erica Green at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

In a story today, my colleague Julie Scharper and I outlined the plans of Baltimore city's mayoral candidates for tackling the pressing tasks facing Baltimore city schools.

Although the mayor does not oversee the day-to-day operations of the school system, that state of education has emerged as the most important issue in this year's primary election. And, the resounding consensus among community leaders and other stakeholders  is that the next mayor cannot offer casual support in such a critical year. We had some great educators, students and community leaders who brought this story to life, and whose passion in this story raised the level of intensity surrounding the education debate in Baltimore. 

Baltimore students will be hosting a mayor's forum on Wednesday, August 10 at 7 p.m. at the Carmelo Anthony Rec Center, located at 1100 E. Fayette Street. A free reception will precede a question-and-answer session with the candidates, led by students. As of Monday, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake had not confirmed her attendance, however, candidates Otis Rolley, Catherine Pugh, Jody Landers and Frank Conaway have.  

In our story today, the candidates, including Rawlings-Blake, sounded off about how they would address the following challenges: improving the school system's dilapidated infastructure--an estimated $2.8 billion task--which is at the forefront of the education debate right now; increase funding for the system beyond the city's obligatory levels--which have not increased with enrollment--as the school system's budget crunches are increasingly being felt at the school level; and help the system rebound from a series of disappointments, including a flurry of cheating scandals and across-the-board test score declines.  

Here's a breakdown of where the candidates stood on the issues:

Continue reading "How do Baltimore's mayoral candidates stack up on schools? " »

Posted by Erica Green at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

A longitme Baltimore Teachers Union president and chief negotiator, has been elected to help lead one of the largest union organizations in the country.

Loretta Johnson was elected vice president of the AFL-CIO, a national federation of labor unions, according to a release sent Tuesday by the American Federation of Teachers, the parent group of the BTU.

Johnson was president of the Baltimore Teachers Union’s paraprofessional chapter for 35 years and president of AFT Maryland for 17 years. She was said to be the driving force behind the new, landmark BTU contract, living up to her reputation as one of the most relentless negotiators many city school officials said they'd ever sat at the table with.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized in this way by my peers in the labor movement,” Johnson said in the release. “I look forward to using my position with the AFL-CIO to continue my lifelong fight for working people."

Johnson also served for 30 years as a vice president of the national AFT before being elected AFT executive vice president in 2008. Johnson will become AFT secretary-treasurer on Sept. 9.

“Lorretta knows the challenges faced by working families because she’s spent her entire career working for them,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten, in the release. “Her years of experience as an educator, union member and labor leader will be invaluable in her role as an AFL-CIO vice president.” 

Posted by Erica Green at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

In a story last week, we wrote about the city's beginning effort to revive science education in city schools.  With the district increasing its focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, more than $500,000 was spent to have a four-week, project-based learning summer program in 22 elementary schools this year. The programs will continue into the school year, and expand to 10 more schools. 

The results so far have been impressive. On my visit to Sarah M. Roach Elementary last week, young elementary students explained the importance of the hermit crab habitats they built , and how they were able to troubleshoot uncooperative generators that powered the wind turbines they had designed. You can read more about the science program and students' projects here.

Continue reading "City working to get derailed science curriculum back on track " »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

The performance of Baltimore city's first-and-second grade students took a dip on national standardized assessments, according to results of the Stanford 10 exam released by the city school system late last week.

The test, which shows how the city's youngest students perform compared to a sample population of student from across the country, is the second data set indicating a stall in achievement for city students this year. The school system also noted a decline in scores on the Maryland School Assessments in nearly every grade (3-8) in reading and math. In science, the city's scores also dropped, which you can read more about here.

Of the latest set of scores, city schools CEO Andres Alonso said that it reinforced "a call to action," in reforming instruction and curriculum in city classrooms. He also reinforced a message he honed in on during the MSA disappointment, in emphasizing progress students have made over time. You can read more in our story here.

Continue reading "After MSA disappointment, city students also backslide on national test" »

Posted by Erica Green at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso named earlier this week a new member to his cabinet, and the promotion of one of his current executives to a new role.

Jonathan Brice, who has led the school system's Office of Student Support and Safety for three years , will become the head of the the school support networks. Brice will oversee the network teams, which will expand significantly this year.

According to a release from the school system, Brice will, "supervise the integrated network teams
that will provide schools with support in the areas of instructional and academic content, special education, student support, parent and community engagement, human capital, budget and procurement, data analysis, grants management, transportation and facilities. Brice will also be responsible for ensuring that City Schools’ guidance documents support and advance the district’s overall strategy and for developing clear protocols to balance school autonomy and district requirements."

A replacement for Brice in the critical student support and safety office, which deals with all things related to student life (dropouts, support programs, etc.),has not yet been named.

Continue reading "Alonso names new member, new role in cabinet " »

Posted by Erica Green at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

A Baltimore city music teacher of 38 years was killed Monday after his van was struck by a stolen car in Northwest Baltimore, according to a story we wrote Tuesday.

Wendell Hairston, 60, most recently taught music at Southside Academy, but taught in various public schools, including Winston Middle School, Dr. Nathan A. Pitts-Ashburton Elementary/Middle School. 

According to our story, a 2006 Sun article identified Hairston as the director of a jazz group called The Winston Band, made up of students who graduated from Winston Middle School, which closed last year. Edie House-Foster, city schools spokeswoman, recalled how the jazz group was popular throughout the city.

Posted by Erica Green at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Mayoral candidate Otis Rolley challenged Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake this week about when  her report on how to fund school facility improvements--which is five months late--will be released.

In a release sent Tuesday, Rolley cited an article I wrote exactly one month ago, in which the mayor's spokesman was quoted saying the report, originally due out in February, would be out in June.

"As bizarre as it was that she proclaimed we had to ‘stick with what works’ even as new test scores revealed our schools are falling further behind, what is simply outrageous is that she simply has not kept her word to release a plan to address our schools’ crumbling infrastructure,” said Otis today.  “Last year she said she’d have it by February, then it slipped to the end of June, and now it’s July with no plan.  Where is it?”

Continue reading "Rolley blasts mayor on late school facilities report " »

Posted by Erica Green at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Our flagship paper The Chicago Tribune reported today that Jonathan Brice, who oversees the Office of Student Support and Safety for the Baltimore city school system, has been tapped to advise the Chicago Public School system as it transitions under its new leader, Jean-Claude Brizard.

Brice will be sitting on a panel of educators from across the nation that will advise Brizard and his team on "how best to deploy teachers and resources," the Tribune story said.

While the team, led by a Harvard Graduate School of Education professor, will be particularly focusing on what's happening around instruction in CPS, Brice apparently will be advising on issues related to school climate, student engagement and anti-violence initiatives like Culture of Calm, the story said.

"We'll look at the early results and see if it's working for schools and how we should expand it," Brice told The Tribune. "If it's something that's not working, then what are the tweaks that need to be made."

Posted by Erica Green at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Earlier this week we ran a story where education policy experts and city school advocates weighed in on how the Baltimore school system can rebound from its MSA disappointment, and the series of cheating scandals that darkened the cloud surrounding students' backslide in achievement.  

One of the most compelling interviews in the story was from Jack Jennings, of the Center on Education Policy, a non-partisan, national group. Jennings was an independent voice having only observed the tenure of city schools CEO Andres Alonso from afar, and within the context of the recent movement of self-proclaimed, radical education reformers.  

Jennings said that the CEO, "had been a ball of energy in the last four years, and he might want to go steadier this time around," as Alonso transitions into a new, four-year commitment. Jennings said that the setbacks the district has noted may be a result of, "him being tired and school administrators being tired — of constant pressure, constant change and constant turmoil."

Jennings also suggested something that I thought was interesting. He encouraged Alonso go on a "listening tour," to hear from educators, what is and isn't working in the district. If Alonso did go on such a tour--what do you think he'd learn?

Posted by Erica Green at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The Parent Community Advisory Board (PCAB) released the following statement about this year's MSA scores. 

We Must Continue to Support our Children

The Parent and Community Advisory Board serves to advise the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners regarding ways in which parents, families, the community and educators can best collaborate to help our children succeed.

In that capacity, we are writing to express our confidence in the students of Baltimore City Public School System and do not want them labeled as cheaters throughout the State of Maryland and beyond.

Continue reading "City schools' parent advisory group: We must continue to support our children" »

Posted by Erica Green at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

After nearly a year's wait and several rumored departures, the ink is dry and city schools Andres Alonso has committed to staying in the district under a new, four-year-contract.

If he stays through 2015, Alonso will be the longest serving superintendent since 1946. Baltimore has not had a good track record of retaining leadership in the district, and Alonso is undoubtedly a high-profile leader who could have chosen to go anywhere in the country (Believe me, I checked).

Still, he has much to prove in this next stretch--coming off of a year of declining achievement (if you choose to base such conclusions on one test), and a flurry of cheating scandals that has naturally (even if unfairly) raised doubts.

In a story we have coming Monday, local education advocates and experts weigh in on what's next for the school system under the CEO. Some suggest that he will need to reassess his trademark policies to make sure they're fulfilling their purposes. Other suggest that maybe he jog this next round--as opposed to sprint--to be more effective.

What do you expect to see in the next phase of the CEO's tenure? And more importantly, what do you think will make it a successful one for Baltimore city students?

Posted by Erica Green at 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The results of Maryland School Assessments were released on Wednesday, and the city was among one of the only districts in the state to note decreases--and some of them were steep, placing 45 city schools in the bottom 50 performers in the state.

It was the first setback the city has noted in quite some time, particularly under city schools CEO Andres Alonso. Alonso said, however, that the losses should not overshadow the progress city students have made over time (leaps and bounds when compared to 2004, when the MSAs were first administered). Still, while the state's scores steadily climbed (even by a little), the city's didn't.

Continue reading "MSA scores disappoint the city " »

Posted by Erica Green at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso said this week that he intends to sign a new contract, which expires Thursday, even amid test results showing that the city's Maryland School Assessment scores took their first significant dive under his tenure.  Read about the state and city's MSA results  here.

While Alonso did not say when he would sign his contract, he alluded to what he said back in 2007 when he first came to the city about his likely commitment to Baltimore.

“I said on day one that I need to be here for 10 years for it to change—and I have stuck to my word, and continue to stick to my word," Alonso told The Sun . "If it were easy, I would be someplace else already. The reason why it takes focused leadership over time is because it is not easy.”

The city noted a 5 percentage point decrease in math, and a 3 percentage point decrease in reading on the 2011 Maryland School Assessments, according to data released Wednesday. A deeper analysis by The Sun, showed stark plummets in a variety of data sets. We will be releasing those details tomorrow.

“Quite frankly, this makes it far more important—it’s personal—so, there’s no way I’d go anywhere else," Alonso said of the MSA results. The CEO said that there was "no way, I step away from the fight. So, you have to deal with me for four years or until I get fired.”

Posted by Erica Green at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

The Baltimore Teachers Union has publicly denounced the new Maryland teacher evaluation system as "yet another misguided example of an obsession with test scores," in a statement released Monday from BTU President Marietta English.

Last week, my colleague Liz Bowie reported  that the Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness, appointed by the governor last year to develop a new teacher and principal evaluation system, approved an evaluation framework in which 50 percent of a teacher's job rating will be based on student performance. Of the 50 percent, 20 percent will be decided by the local system.

The new evaluation system will be piloted in seven districts, including Baltimore city and Baltimore County, in the fall. It will coincide with the implementation of critical elements of the BTU contract that introduces a new career and pay ladder in the district. Teachers will navigate their way up the new pay and promotion system based, in part, on satisfactory evaluations.

In addition to state and district leaders from around the state--including city schools CEO Andres Alonso--teachers also sat on the panel. All of the teachers voted against the new system.

Alonso said in the story last week that while he thought the new evaluation system was flawed, "Overall, I think this has been a hard process, but on most elements we have gotten to a consensus." He also said he liked the flexibility given to districts and is comfortable with the model.

English said the fact that all of the teachers on the panel voted against the new evaluation system spoke volumes about how it would be embraced in the district.

She said that the framework "does little to ensure better instruction or learning, and reflects little of the teacher input or collaboration that has brought so much success to Baltimore over the past five years."  She also said that deeming a teacher "unsatisfactory" if students don't make predicted gains "is ineffective because it's punitive."

Read below for English's full statement:

Continue reading "Baltimore Teachers Union denounces new state evaluation system" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city schools Andres Alonso said last week that while the school district has gone to great lengths to tighten testing security, he anticipates coming before the city again to announce that more schools attempted to game the system.

There are two more investigations pending, from a batch of four schools referred to the state last year.  The 2011 Maryland School Assessments will be released next week.

In a news conference last week, Alonso told reporters that it may take one or two more years before cheating is eradicated from the system. He vowed, however, that at some point, "we will emerge from this conversation--it may take one or two years--but we will emerge with our heads held high."

He also indicated that Maryland's new teacher evaluation system, which is partly based on student progress, will spur a "perverse incentive to do something wrong." Baltimore is one of seven districts that will pilot the new state evaluation system in the fall.

Alonso said the incentive could be stronger in the city, where teachers passed a contract last fall tying their salaries to performance evaluations.

Continue reading "Alonso on cheating schools: There will be more " »

Posted by Erica Green at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

When we broke the news Thursday that two more Baltimore city schools cheated on state assessments, the response was notably different than when the district announced last year that George Washington Elementary, a national Blue Ribbon school, had cheated.

The level of cheating was arguably more egregious this time around--it included a gamut of violations and attendance tampering--but it seemed that the school system mitigated the fallout in the very public way it went about acknowledging the scandals at Abbottston and Fort Worthington elementary schools.

The Sun, which had been following the investigations for the last year, broke the story on Thursday morning after learning that the announcement was coming. City schools CEO Andres Alonso and State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick, held a news conference Thursday afternoon where they released even more details about the investigations and publicly denounced the cheating.

The Sun's editorial board joined many education stakeholders in the city in concluding that  "Evidence of integrity, not widespread problems" was the moral of the story this time around.

Continue reading "City embraces transparency in recent cheating revelations" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Updated on 6/25: On Thursday, Jimmy Gittings, president of the city's administrator's union, gave remarks after the district's announcement about the cheating found at Abbottston and Ft. Worthington elementary schools.

Gittings defended Abbottston's former principal, Angela Faltz. He said he had proof that she did not engage in the cheating, but couldn't provide it because it is part of litigation. Attempts to reach Faltz were unsuccessful.

"I will not sit back and have her name dragged through the mud the way it was today in The Sun paper" Gittings said Thursday, referencing the article breaking the cheating story. 

District and state officials would not comment specifically on the principals or personnel actions, but the Sun independently verified who was leading the two schools at the time the cheating was found to have taken place. The Sun also reported last July that the school was being investigated and that Faltz had been removed pending the outcome. Gittings defended Faltz in that article as well.

Gittings said that during the past year, "Angie held her head high because she knew she had done nothing wrong."

The precedent of holding principals responsible for cheating at a school concerned him "immensely," he said, adding that there are "certain things that principals cannot control." He called Faltz a "strong lady,"who is innocent of any wrongdoing, though district officials did not indicate that the principals were involved in the cheating.

He said the ultimate goal of the administrators' union and its legal team is to place Faltz back in a school. Gittings said last year that Faltz had "devoted her life to the school" for about 11 years.

Gittings said he could not speak for Shaylin Todd, who led Ft. Worthington during the time of the found cheating, because she was no longer an administrator in the system.  He also said he could not speak for Susan Burgess, who was immediately stripped of her license, when cheating was found at George Washington Elementary in 2008.

Continue reading "Updated: Former leaders of cheating schools have high-profile connections " »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Today, we broke a story revealing that an egregious level of cheating had taken place during state assessment testing at two city schools, and one of the schools even went further in fudging attendance records to make annual progress goals mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Officials also said that two more cheating investigations are pending, but declined to name the schools.

Abbottston Elementary School and Fort Worthington Elementary School were found to have cheated on the 2009 Maryland School Assessments, city schools CEO and State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick are scheduled to announce in a news conference Thursday. A state investigation found that Ft. Worthington also cheated in 2010, and someone at the school changed attendance records to meet the full criteria of adequate yearly progress, or the infamous "AYP."

The Sun had been following the investigation of these schools since last summer when sources informed us that there was a gamut of cheating taking place at both schools. The state also confirmed last July that it was investigating Abbottston for plummeting test scores.

And the bombshell kicks off a series of critical milestones for the system: Alonso's current contract expires next Thursday, and he has yet to sign a new one; and next week, the 2011 MSA's will be released.

Continue reading "Sun Exclusive: More cheating uncovered in city schools" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city mayoral candidate Otis Rolley unveiled a new education plan Monday, that he describes as "radical" and "aggressive," in seeking mayoral control of the city school system, and private and parochial school vouchers.

Rolley, who has a third grader at Roland Park Elementary School, held a news conference announcing all of the details of the plan in front of city school headquarters. He also gave an exclusive peek of his education platform to City Hall Reporter Julie Scharper this weekend.

In the news conference, Rolley said his platform included closing five of the worst-performing middle schools in the city and providing families with a $10,000 voucher--which would come out of the school system's budget-- to send their children to parochial and private schools.

Also included in the plan, would be to shift the school system back to mayoral control, which Rolley said would draw a clear line of accountability to the mayor and quell frustration among city residents about who to hold responsible for the school system's failures.

The school system would be directly operated by a mayoral appointed seven-member school board and a schools CEO, all of whom would have to be confirmed by the city council. When I asked what qualities he would seek in a CEO, Rolley said, "it's not about personalities...it's about progress."He clarified, however, that his plan did not mean he would looking for a new one. 

Rolley said that while his ideas may be controversial, the critics are supporting a system that "is not doing enough for our students." He said that while the school system has made progress, "it's not enough--we are moving too slowly."

To read Rolley's entire education plan, click here. 

Continue reading "Updated: Mayoral candidate Otis Rolley says city schools progress is 'not enough'" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

On Sunday, we ran a story that explored some of the challenges the city school system says it is having in retaining hundreds of Filipino teachers--whose three-or-six year work visas are expiring--as so many American teachers are looking for jobs in the district.

Federal immigration laws require the district to show a need for the teachers before it can apply to renew work visas, or help its international teacher secure permanent residency. The laws governing H1-B work visas, utilized by the majority of Filipino teachers in the district, prohibit retaining international workers if Americans can fill the same jobs.

"We're in a tough position now because we're currently operating with more applicants than we have positions," said Tisha Edwards, chief of staff for the school system.As we've reported before, the city has a sizable surplus teacher pool (about 700 city educators attended a job fair last month.

Meanwhile, the district has vowed to "exhaust all legal strategies" to keep international teachers in the U.S.--even calling around to other districts to find vacancies they could potentially fill. In total, more than 300 Filipino teachers are facing a crucial deadline that will determine whether or not they will remain in the United States, let alone a city classroom, next year.

Continue reading "City school system, Filipino teachers facing immigration challenges" »

Posted by Erica Green at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

On April 5, our reporters and editorial board asked the Baltimore school system to explain its hiring practices for international teachers. We were planning a story after news broke that the Prince George's County School System was fined millions by the Department of Labor for not paying its Filipino teachers' visa fees. After waiting all day for an answer, the school system responded at about 8 p.m. telling us that they "were looking into the matter."

We went with a story that explained how Baltimore, in fact, did have the same hiring practices as Prince George's County, which include sending staff over to the Phillipines on first-class trips to recruit teachers. The teachers pay between $8,000 and $10,000 to come here, including their own visa fees, we learned. All of our sources said this was common knowledge.

In the wake of that story, we asked the questions again to follow up on the story.

Continue reading "City school system to finally answer questions surrounding international teachers" »

Posted by Erica Green at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Hundreds of Baltimore city teachers are awaiting word of whether or not they will set foot in a classroom next year.  

On Monday, we ran a story that explained some of the back story of how teachers come to be displaced. The story also explored some of the concerns of the Baltimore Teachers Union regarding the current climate for veteran teachers in the district. "Age discrimination" was referenced, which the district disputed.

A veteran teacher from Patterson High School went out on a limb to share her experience, from receiving an email informing her that she (and 43 others) would not be returning to the school next year, to attending a job fair that resembled "an auction in a sweatshop," according to one school leader who attended.

Continue reading "Hundreds of city teachers await word of school placements" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

Updated: Police reported late Wednesday night that the student was home safe with her family. 

According to a story Wednesday, a Garrison Middle School student went missing after she got off of the bus this morning. Here is what police told Sun Reporter Liz Kay about the missing girl.

Posted by Erica Green at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Baltimore city school board members have requested a full presentation on how schools will benefit from city schools CEO Andres Alonso's recent central reorganization plan, which will expand the number of staff in school "network" teams and add 15 new administrators.

In Alonso's most recent central office shakeup, he eliminated 89 filled positions in order to triple the number of staff in 'networks--teams of staff Alonso created in 2009 to support principals by serving as liaisons to the central office. The district also will hire 15 new executive directors to fill $125,000 grant-funded positions. They will evaluate principals, and coach them through reforms.

School board members voiced the concern that, while the reorganization is tied to the next year's budget that was adopted last week, they needed more explanation about how the central changes will help schools.

"When you look at the changes that are proposed, they're supposed to have the greatest import at the schools... we can't articulate it to our constituents," said school board Commissioner Maxine Wood, who requested a full presentation. 

Commissioner David Stone said during reorg discussions that he would like to see the district evaluate how effective the networks have been. He also said that if network staff--who currently make between $75,000 and $118,000--are considered an important part of schools' success, they should also be among the school leaders who are held accountable for student achievement.

Continue reading "A call for accountability in Alonso's new central reorganization plan" »

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Categories: Baltimore City
        

I was forwarded a letter (below) that was sent by the Western High School's alumnae association endorsing the schools' practice of not allowing students to walk across the stage and receive their diploma if they didn't seek an acceptance at a four-year-university.

One student and her parents revealed the little-known fact in a story I wrote a couple of weeks ago about making a "last-ditch effort" to obtain an acceptance letter from Coppin State University, when her acceptance and commitment to Anne Arundel Community College wasn't good enough. (This story came on the heels of another story about  the school revealing that several students' college acceptances, some to Ivy League schools, had been compromised because the school didn't send documents.)

The graduation requirement sparked a heated debate among Western alum and throughout the district about whether it was fair, and whether Western--the only college-preparatory school in the city to have such a rule--should continue it. Western's Principal Alisha Trusty said she would not enforce the policy this year, and would engage the community in a discussion about whether it should be suspended.

According to the letter below, Western's alumnae association thinks it should stand. They also address the recent negative media attention that Western has received after a series of dangerous senior pranks led Trusty to cancel two senior traditions. 

The full letter is below:

Continue reading "Western High School alumnae association endorses graduation policy, denounces recent senior behavior" »

Posted by Erica Green at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Update June 1: So far, I have confirmed that Northwestern, City, Patterson, Roland Park also noted among the largest decreases--Patterson with the most at $1.2 million. More information to come on the losses/gains. Was also told that getting losses/gains for all 200 schools is nearly impossible (at least in a timely manner). I can post percentages as well.

The Baltimore city school board adopted a $1.3 billion budget for next year, in which the amount being allocated to schools will increase by about 1 percent from last year.

However, principals will receive millions less in "flexible" money, which gives schools the autonomy to staff their schools and provide resources for their students. School officials said the funding squeeze came as a result of more funding designated for specific purposes, like special ed; rising costs, particularly in salaries and benefits; and revenues remaining flat while enrollment increased.

This has resulted in various schools facing difficult decisions, and worrying that they will lose momentum in their progress.

Due to time constraints (the budget was presented in a piece-meal format with Powerpoints, and not released in its entirety until four days before the board vote), there wasn't much dialogue about the impact of this year's challenges.

Below, I have compiled some information about how schools fared this budget season, including how many schools are losing/gaining and on average how much. You can also take a look at the top 5 schools that lost/gained the most funding for next year, and how school officials explain whether the city's neighborhood and struggling schools can sustain under the current funding model.

Continue reading "Budget breakdown: A look at how city schools fared this budget season " »

Posted by Erica Green at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

As the school year comes to an end, so have four too many lives of Baltimore city students.

Today, the principal of Montebello Elementary/Middle School led a story about a recent spate of  violence in the city that has claimed the lives of two Baltimore city students. The most recent incident left one of Montebello's seventh graders clinging to life after he and his friends were shot Tuesday night while watching the NBA playoff game.  

Of the four who were shot in that shooting, 12-year-old Sean Johnson, an active student who was academically astute, is the only victim not expected to survive. Among the other victims was a high-school senior who is going to college on a scholarship next year.

Continue reading "City violence strikes school communities " »

Posted by Erica Green at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

In a story Monday, I explored the perceived gap between the amount of per-pupil cash allocated to charters and the amount given to traditional schools. The story started with the question: Why, in the city schools budget, do charters receive $9,300 and traditional schools' $5,000.

For three days, I spoke and emailed with dozens of people--many of whom were grateful for my even attempting to sort it out--and poured through our archives to figure it out.

It all comes down to a formula. A very, complex formula derived from a simple request charters made six years ago.

Continue reading "Charter vs. traditional school funding: A formula for confusion" »

Posted by Erica Green at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

For as long as anyone can remember, Western High School has had a longstanding practice of preventing students from walking across the stage at graduation if they didn't prove acceptance at a four-year-college or university--even if they didn't want to attend one. 

This little-known fact was brought to light amid recent controversies at the school surrounding senior pranks that had gone too far, prompting Western's Principal Alisha Trusty to cancel two senior events.

The school system said that the practice was not common in the district, and that the city's other flagship, college prep schools--City, Poly, Dunbar--did not have such a rule. School officials said it was a school-level decision, and a longstanding tradition that dated back decades. Trusty will discuss with the Western High community in the coming weeks whether it should continue.

Trusty said she would not be enforcing the rule this year, though we featured a student in a story today who had to scurry for an acceptance letter by May 1 after she was told the one she received from Anne Arundel Community College wasn't good enough for her to walk across the stage.

The student, Gaetana Vitali and her father, Sal, spoke extensively about the experience yesterday. 

"If you work hard for four years, you have that right," Sal Vitali said. "Even if you go to summer school, you still get to walk across the stage. But, not at Western.”

He said he was proud of his daughter's acceptance to AACC to study pre-vet science. He said that for many students, community college is the best option. “Right now, with the state of the economy and the changing standards of colleges, it makes it that much harder.”

Update: Sources have provided me with all of the requirements for students to participate in graduation, which apparently are listed in a handbook given to students at the beginning of the year.  (I looked for this in an online handbook and couldn't find it on Monday night). See below:

Continue reading "Updated: Western High denied graduates without acceptances to four-year-colleges a walk across the stage" »

Posted by Erica Green at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Western High School Principal Alisha Trusty has canceled two highly anticipated events that were scheduled for soon-to-be graduates, after some senior pranks apparently crossed the line.

In a letter to parents on Friday, Trusty announced that the school has canceled Western's Senior Banquet and Senior Farewell. And she detailed some some pretty extreme behavior displayed by students recently to justify the decision.

According to the letter, obtained by the Baltimore Sun, Trusty said that after weeks of seniors pulling relatively harmless pranks, the pranks escalated to actions that have harmed the health of the staff members and endangered students and staff and personal property.

The pranks outlined in the letter included, "poisoning our drinking water with medication and substances that are unknown to us," and "coating steps, hallways and doorknobs with slippery and unknown substances." Students reported that bleach and laxatives were placed in water coolers, and baby oil smeared on staircases. Trusty also cited harassment of certain individuals to the point of violating federal law. 

Updated: Students informed The Sun that also among the prank damage was vandalism of staff offices, including the destruction of several computers. The prank damage is estimated to cost in  tens of thousands of dollars. The district said it was still compiling numbers.

Western Student Gaetana Vitale and her father Sal Vitale, who first brought this story to light, said they believed the students involved should be penalized rather than the entire senior class. Updated: Students have apparently been paying dues--up to $500--for senior events since their freshman year.

Updated: “It was wrong, it was stupid, and it was possibly dangerous,” Sal Vitale said of the pranks. "But, they didn’t take action according with the procedures; they did a blanket action against a group of students who would not be coming back. You don’t take it out on everybody.”

The district said Monday, that Trusty had the responsibility to, "hold up the sense of decorum and respect all the way through, and continuously shape and forme the culture of the school.
City schools spokesman, Michael Sarbanes said, that Western had, "a long and proud tradition of school culture that they’re upholding," with the punishments.

Updated: For those who are wondering: On Friday, there was a fight between two students at Polytechnic Institute. Students reported on Twitter that there was a "riot" which the district said was a "large gathering of students" who egged on the fight. The school's principal injured his thumb while breaking up the fight, school officials said. Two other teachers who were reported injured were separate incidents they said.

Continue reading "Updated: Western High School senior pranks go too far, events canceled " »

Posted by Erica Green at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (108)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

According to a report by WBAL-TV 11 last week, Northwestern High School didn't allow a student to bring her best friend to the school's prom because her guest was a Northwestern dropout.  

According to the BAL report, the school's principal, Jason Hartling, informed his student that the school had been looking to bring her friend back to school. In the story, he seemed adamant about the decision to not let her attend the prom until he had proof that she was pursuing an education.

WBAL quoted the current Northwestern Senior as saying: He said, 'Cheryl Smith? Didn't she used to go here?" I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'We've been looking for her to re-enroll her.' I said, 'Well, she's about to start a GED program.' He said, 'Well, we need proof. We need proof that she's starting a GED program or is doing something with her life.'"

On Friday night, WBAL reported that the former student wasn't allowed inside Northwestern's prom. 

This is a tricky one (OK@Ruth, what adjective would you suggest? Debatable?). I'm interested to read what everyone thinks.

Posted by Erica Green at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Cindy Harcum, who took over managing principal of City College at the beginning of the school year, has been appointed to the post permanently.

The school board approved the recommendation by city schools CEO Andres Alonso on Tuesday.

City's former principal, Tim Dawson, stepped down from his position in August after leading the school for five years. Dawson said his resignation was a "collaborative decision" with schools CEO Andr?s Alonso, though it came amid recent data showing the school's achievement had been declining for at least three years.

Posted by Erica Green at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore City
        

Earlier this week, the school board voted to increase base funding to $5,000 per-pupil, however, schools will have less money to spend as they choose due to a rise in "locked funds," such as money designated for rising salary and benefit costs. Student weights for basic and advanced students decreased by $500 in order to raise the base funding. Special education and dropout prevention weights stayed the same.

You can see the latest Powerpoint presentation on the budget here. The actual budget will be released on May 20. The board is scheduled to vote on it May 24.

So, in an effort to see what the budget actually means for schools, and the potential impacts gains and losses may have, I asked school officials  a week ago to provide me with some detailed information about the schools that stand to lose and gain the most money next year. 

(Added Note on Sat., May 14: Under the district's Fair Student Funding model, school budgets are tied to enrollment. However, the school system did not indicate in its response whether these numbers solely reflect shifting enrollment numbers.) Thanks to @Simon for suggesting that context.

I received a response with a summary of the number of schools that noted budget increases and decreases and, on average, by how much. Very good information, and of course very skeletal when the average decrease reported by the school system is $231,302, but schools are reporting losses of $600,000 to $900,000.

So, while I wait for the more detailed information, I thought I'd share what I know. See below.

Continue reading "More city schools lose than gain funding next year" »

Posted by Erica Green at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Baltimore City