Changes Are In The Works For Baltimore Schools

Most people would agree that most change is for the better. Leaders of Baltimore County Public Schools hold this belief in relation to improving the 180 schools and 82,000 students they serve. They know that for students and their Baltimore Schools, working to enact change is to the benefit of all – since the district is in need of drastic student achievement. A school system that is dire straits, Baltimore Schools are in need of some major overhauling.

To this end, the Baltimore Schools system and administration have adopted a new vision. This vision hopes to “accelerate student progress through effective implementation of the BCPSS master plan, focusing on quality instruction, managing systems efficiently, and sustaining a culture of excellence.”

Baltimore Schools have set 6 goals for themselves which they believe will help them fulfill this vision. The following is a brief description of the first 3 goals, with this author’s opinion on how to accomplish said goal.

“Goal 1: By 2013-1014, all [Baltimore Schools] students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts, and mathematics.” While this is indeed an admirable and necessary goal, it is a difficult one at best. Baltimore Schools, any school for that matter, strives to improve student achievement. After all, the purpose of school is to educate students and help them become successful contributors to society. But the difficulty lies in factors that are beyond Baltimore Schools ultimate control. Poverty, education level of parents, even a good night’s sleep are all factors that are beyond the reach of educators.

“Goal 2: All limited English proficient students [enrolled in Baltimore Schools] will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics.” An important goal, and one that is attainable, improving the achievement levels for LEP students is a given. Just because a person does not have English as their primary language does not mean they are unintelligent and unable to achieve to the highest standards. However, to truly succeed in any American public school, it is important that students are fluent in the language in which they are being instructed.

“Goal 3: By 2005-2006, all core academic subject classes (CAS) will be taught by highly qualified [Baltimore Schools] teachers.” Again, this goal is obvious. Baltimore Schools Teachers who have no training in education are most likely to fail in the profession. It has been said (wrongly, in my opinion) that “Those who can do, and those who can’t teach.” Well, let me tell you, not everyone can walk into a classroom, command attention, respect, and discipline, all while facilitating a student’s learning.

CEO Bonnie Copeland Leaving Baltimore Schools Cause for Concern

CEO Bonnie Copeland left the Baltimore schools on July 1, 2006. She had been with them for three years, which is a norm for an urban school superintendent. Her leaving, however, was not of her own choosing.

The Baltimore schools board felt she had a low-key management style and did was not a strong enough leader to make the changes needed to reform the Baltimore schools. Their reasoning appears to have been a bit flawed.

During her tenure with the Baltimore schools, Copeland managed a financial and management turnaround that was recognized by major rating agencies and school systems nationwide, and eliminated 1,100 positions — even though her predecessor, Carmen Russo had left the school system in a mess. Test scores were on the rise, and she received high marks for her significant progress in the Baltimore schools from the GBC, a regional top business advocacy group. This came in 2003, after the group’s financial review of the Baltimore schools.

Copeland was not without her enemies, however. The Greater Baltimore Committee, entrenched in bureaucracy and complacency, was not a supporter of Copeland, and they still rule the Baltimore schools. Additionally, politicians, who wished to damage Mayor Martin O’Malley, saw the troubled Baltimore schools as the perfect instrument. A political battle between the mayor, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, and Governor Robert Ehrlick ensued, with Copeland unfairly caught in the middle.

The Baltimore schools board became involved with Copeland and her staff’s day-to-day operations, making her job impossible to execute. This type of interference will hinder the next CEO as well, unless the Baltimore schools board comes to its senses.

Copeland took over under terrible circumstances that would have crippled a lesser CEO, yet she did much to improve the Baltimore schools. She was the fifth CEO since 1997. The Baltimore schools track record with their CEOs is not a good one.

The community is frustrated over Copeland’s leaving. She did much to connect business people and companies with the Baltimore schools, and they fear these connections will be reversed. Parents are concerned for their children’s future educational prospects.

Loss of a serious reformer for the Baltimore schools makes it difficult for the community to be optimistic for the future. The middle schools and the special education program are still in trouble, too many children are dropping out or unprepared to enter the workplace or college, and progress is sure to slow down now that Copeland has left. It appears that reform will remain elusive until the board and opponents give a good CEO the opportunity to do his or her job.

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Baltimore Schools Try To Grow Their Own Teachers

Baltimore Schools mirror the rest of the nation in a shortage of qualified and available teachers. The most recent recruitment attempt involves a “grow-your-own” method that is slowly cropping up around the country. The Baltimore Country district of Baltimore Schools awarded 3 college scholarships this year for students to pursue education degrees. The scholarship recipients will be trained and mentored in Baltimore Schools, and will agree to teach in the district upon graduation.

The Baltimore Schools’ scholarship program was developed to help fill the 900 vacancies expected for the coming school year. National requirements for “highly qualified” teachers make the job of filling Baltimore School teacher positions in math, science and special needs especially challenging. The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act raised standards nationally for teacher requirements. While this has many positive outcomes, the reality is that districts like the Baltimore Schools are struggling to find good teachers and enough of them.

Baltimore Schools hope to award 15 scholarships next year, and eventually 60 annually. The scholarships pay for $4,000 worth of tuition and expenses each year. Donald Peccia, the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Governmental Relations for Baltimore Schools was quoted in a Baltimore Sun article as saying, “Just recruiting at school job fairs and colleges is not going to cut it. We need to be not just creative and innovative, we need to get the best of the best.”

The Baltimore Schools’ scholarship program, while unusual, is not the first of its kind. Florida’s Urban Academies initiative in Broward County Schools created a similar program in 2000 that has placed 360 teachers to date. 91% of those placed have stayed with the district for over 3 years. Maryland’s Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program gives scholarships to residents in careers with shortages, such as nursing and teaching. And a program sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield gives out grants of $40,000 per year to student nurses to earn advanced degrees. A district in Illinois has an innovative program that is investing $3 million in training non-traditional teachers like parents and career changers.

The success of those programs is part of what encouraged Baltimore Schools to “grow-their-own” crop of teachers for the coming year. Part of the goal is to keep valued graduates from leaving the state. The outlook of the Baltimore Schools’ newest recruitment tactic is so good that other local districts, like Hartford County, are considering the idea.

With college tuition increasing, and schools trying to raise to both state and national standards, the Baltimore Schools may find their success in non-traditional methods. School administrators also hope that local Baltimore School graduates will have a sense of ownership in the success of the district where they grew up.

Baltimore Schools Offer Many Reforms

Baltimore Schools are still feeling the effects of reform. Five years ago in 2002, massive funding went to the Baltimore Schools, which are one of the most under funded school systems in the state. This particular plan was for improvement concerning six basic standards including academic achievement and curriculum upgrading. The fact that Baltimore Schools continue to strive for excellence is heartening and shows that the spirit of educators is not daunted by low performance results. They persevere in the face of disorganization and desire to achieve top marks in school rankings.

Many debate the effectiveness of standardized testing in Baltimore Schools. These general tests are designed to evaluate the progress of each school. While the intention is to ensure that all Baltimore Schools are on the same page, the results have not always been positive. For instance, teachers spend most of the year teaching the test to students. The type of question and appropriate response are drilled into the minds of test takers. Baltimore Schools are frantically trying to maintain a standard that will allow them to continue teaching and project good academic standing. The pressure placed on achieving a good outcome is intense.

The struggle to keep all students on a level playing field was the focal point of the new Baltimore School reform plan. There was a desire to unify the curriculum and present the same educational opportunity at each school. Given 20 million dollars in 2002, Baltimore Schools also began reducing classrooms into smaller, more condensed environments. The general consensus was that this would bring more focus and alleviate distractions encountered in large Baltimore Schools. Mostly this reform was geared toward neighborhood high schools which are the most crowded and have the lowest graduation percentage.

Five years later, the Baltimore Schools’ reform seems to have had a positive effect. By rejuvenating the neighborhood schools, students have been exposed to better educational settings. And now officials in Baltimore Schools have been inspired to continue in this vein. There is currently a second reform plan in motion, set for 2006-2008. Baltimore Schools are looking to accelerate the progress of students and better prepare them for college. Baltimore Schools are practical and stress the need to be ready for a place in the workforce. They desire quality instruction for their students. Baltimore Schools are setting a standard of achievement that has revolutionized the educational system in the past five years. Admittedly, five years is a long time and more attention should be given to the crises of illiteracy and unemployment. Both these issues begin in failing schools. But the Baltimore Schools are have shown improvement and are making strides to protect the foundation of a solid education.

Baltimore Schools May Change Graduation Requirements

For decades, graduating Baltimore Schools seniors have had to show that they have met or exceeded their school’s educational requirements, typically in the form of a standardized test such as the SAT or ACT. Many school districts have adopted tests that have been designed by their state’s DOE (Department of Education). While lots of kids do well on these types of assessments, there are thousands who do not; and it’s not because they haven’t learned what they should but because they are poor test-takers. Some kids lack the skills necessary to take a standardized test successfully. Others simply freeze up. Their nerves get to them, and they cannot think clearly and fail the test or at least get a score that doesn’t truly reflect what they’ve learned.

The leaders of Baltimore County Public Schools, in partnership with the rest of the state of Maryland, have finally realized that there is more than one way to assess a student’s success in school. For at least the last 5 years, Baltimore Schools have been telling their students that they must pass four High School Assessments by the end of their senior year of high school to graduate and get that diploma. The assessments taken by Baltimore Schools students are in algebra, biology, American government, and English. The problems with this blanket policy are obvious. Teachers in the Baltimore Schools spend 13 years of a student’s educational career doing their best to give them the type of Baltimore Schools learning experiences they need the most. For example, students who need extra help with Math, speak a language other than English, or those who would benefit from the challenge of a tougher writing class. Students must be held accountable to the same standards, but they don’t all learn the same way, and it’s not fair to test them all the same.

Maryland schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick says that Baltimore Schools students who repeatedly fail the exams will be allowed to do a senior project instead. The proposal was made in response to the fact that a minimum of 2,000 students across the state in the Class of 2009 may not graduate because of their poor performance on the state tests. Baltimore Schools students have quite a while to take and pass the tests; if they fail one or two, they can retake it. Under this new plan, for example, Baltimore Schools students who pass two of the four tests could do their senior projects in the subjects they’ve failed. Grasmick insists that the project will be rigorous, and would require the Baltimore Schools student’s entire senior year to complete.
Detractors say that by telling Baltimore Schools students they don’t have to pass the exams will mean that they won’t take them seriously. Also of concern is that the students in Baltimore Schools must fail before they can take advantage of this alternative means of assessment. Students and their Baltimore Schools teachers should be given a choice in the type of assessments would best reflect what they have learned. Most, if not all, teachers keep portfolios on a student’s work throughout the school year, with the purpose of assessing a student’s progress.

Baltimore Schools Enrollment Down, Schools to Close

With declining enrollment and building space for tens of thousands more students than they have enrolled, the Baltimore schools announced last December their restructuring plans to close several elementary, middle and high schools with others becoming combined K-8 schools.

The Baltimore schools held a series of community meetings, where they released a list of possible options they were considering. The options included schools to close, some to renovate, and where to build new ones. The options also were listed at their web site, where parents and community voted on which options they thought were best.

All options would close several Baltimore schools middle schools with consistently low test scores and high rates of violence. Some of these targeted schools are on the state’s “persistently dangerous” schools list, while others are being watched closely for inclusion to the list. The troubled Thurgood Marshall High School, site of a shooting in the 2004-2005 school year, also is included in all options. A new building will replace the current middle school, located at the same site, and be a K-8 school.

The Baltimore schools are dealing with deteriorating buildings, declining enrollment, and state demands that they operate the school system more efficiently. The Baltimore schools’ chief executive officer Bonnie S. Copeland stated that community committees, which used public input gathered earlier last fall, developed the options.

Copeland believed that much of the community shared her vision to expand the K-8 schools, which have been outperforming the traditional middle schools. Many parents, as well as community activist groups, were outraged and vehemently opposed several proposed options and school closings.

Many do not wish to see K-8 schools, unhappy with older children who set bad examples being mixed in with younger children. They believe the low test scores of several middle schools is more complex than just integrating the students with the elementary schools. Additionally, some high-performing schools could be closed, due to building conditions and capacity.

Many parents and activists believe it would be cheaper to renovate existing schools, rather than build new ones. David Lever, executive director of Maryland’s Public School Construction Program, backs this belief.

In March 2006, the Baltimore schools reacted to public pressure and released a substantially revised plan, stating that they took to heart the public’s concerns. The changes did little to appease the opponents of the plan, leaving the Baltimore schools caught between the state demanding a school closings plan and the parents and community activists.

After 85 public meetings on the topic and more than 10,000 participants, the Baltimore schools board voted at the end of March to close 16 Baltimore schools over the next two years. They also approved a 10-year, $2.7 billion plan to build 27 new Baltimore schools, moving thousands of children from middle schools to pre kindergarten through eighth grade.

An Overview Of The Master Plan For Baltimore Schools

On July 1, 2007, Andres Alonso officially became chief executive officer of Baltimore Schools. He will oversee approximately 180 schools and 82,000 students, with the help and guidance of the Baltimore Schools master plan. The master plan is guided by the Baltimore Schools vision, which is clear, desirable, and inspiring:

“Accelerating the academic achievement of all students, in partnership with the entire community, to ensure that students have the attitudes, skills, and proficiencies needed to succeed in college and in the 21st century global workforce.”

The district believes that achieving this vision is entirely possible by fulfilling the Baltimore Schools mission:

“To accelerate student progress through effective implementation of the Baltimore Schools master plan, focusing on quality instruction, managing systems efficiently, and sustaining a culture of excellence.”

The Baltimore Schools master plan priorities have been established in accordance with State guidelines and to provide the core of the school system’s plans for improving the academic achievement of all students. Goals of this master plan as listed below:

Goal 1: By 2013-2014, all Baltimore Schools students will reach high standards at a minimum by attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts, and mathematics.

Goal 2: All Baltimore Schools students that have limited English proficiency, will become more proficient in English and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics.

Goal 3: By 2005-2006, all core academic subject classes (CAS) will be taught by highly qualified teachers.

Goal 4: All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug-free, and conducive to learning.

Goal 5: All students will graduate from high school

Goal 6: Effective management of systems will support student achievement. Such systems cover accountability, communications with parents, the community, and business partners. Baltimore Schools recognize that making a difference for its students is more than simply writing a check. Many businesses provide assistance to schools in a variety of ways including the donation of materials, merchandise and volunteer hours. There is growing evidence that school/business partnerships improve the capacity of individual families, schools and communities. Businesses are thus more willing to support teaching and learning. When students connect school work with the world of work, they are motivated to learn. There are several ways that businesses can help out Baltimore Schools: mentoring, tutoring, becoming a guest reader, giving monetary contributions, and donating school supplies. However, donations can range from pencils to computers; books to playground equipment; flowers to furniture. Volunteering in Baltimore Schools, offering internships to Baltimore Schools students, or joining the staff as an adjunct faculty member are also ways for businesses to maintain healthy partnerships with Baltimore Schools.

It is also a goal of the district that finances and operations of facilities, transportation, and nutrition services within Baltimore Schools will be effective and efficient. Throughout all of Baltimore Schools, students, parents, teachers, and administrators have many opportunities to experience the positive changes that implementing this master plan can offer.