Baltimore City Schools

Maryland students earned diplomas last year at the highest rate in recent history, according to data released Wednesday by the state Department of Education, which also unveiled a new system of tracking graduates and dropouts. Under the new "cohort" system, which follows students from ninth grade until they graduate, 83 percent of those who started high school in 2007-2008 graduated in 2011, up from 82 percent in 2010. Those who completed high school in five years also rose, from 85 percent to 86 percent.

Storm-related closings • Schools Public schools Anne Arundel schools are open two hours late, except 17 schools without power that remain closed: Arlington Echo; Belvedere Elementary; Deale Elementary; Edgewater Elementary; Ferndale Early Education Center; Georgetown East Elementary; Glendale Elementary; Jones Elementary; Linthicum Elementary; Lothian Elementary; Magothy River Middle; Northeast High School; Richard Henry...

I was a teacher-mentor in the Baltimore City schools years ago when the city went $57 million in debt and we were all fired ("Schools audit draws concern," Oct. 9). I remember thinking at the time that the school board must have been sleeping not to have noticed the discrepancies in funding. Well, what do you know: The new school board has the same problem. Why do they accept what they are told? Isn't it their job to see through the spin to oversee what is going on in the system and make sure the job is being done?

I was literally sick to my stomach when I read the article about financial mismanagement in the Baltimore City schools ("Schools audit draws concern," Oct. 9). When are we going to stop being concerned about audits like this and do something to fix it? I liken the schools' lapses to me loosing a dollar and searching high and low for it while my wife is says "it's only a dollar. " Maybe to some people millions and millions of unaccounted for school funds are the same as my lost dollar, but they are not. Those dollars came directly from my pocket and the pockets of other Maryland taxpayers year after year.

The Baltimore Education Coalition will hold an event Tuesday in an effort to rally state and local leaders around a block grant bill that would help overhaul Baltimore city schools' dilapidated school buildings in 10 years. The rally, dubbed "One Night, One Bill, One Baltimore," will be held at Barclay Elementary School from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and about 200 members of school communities are expected to attend. According to the organizers, the rally is a show of solidarity to make a block grant, which will allow the city school system to address up to $1 billion of its $2.4 billion need, a priority in Annapolis next legislative session.

Baltimore schools opened the year with 87 teacher vacancies, a trend that is not uncommon in the region but comes during a critical year for the system as it embarks on a new student curriculum and teacher evaluation system. City officials said they are tapping substitutes and other school staff, such as department heads or instructional support teachers, to lead classroom instruction. Electives in student schedules are also being shifted. In rare cases, they said, classes are being combined.

Three weeks into a new school year, I still smile at the cartoon-themed book bags that have rejoined my morning commute. Optimism's sneaker-clad army has returned. It is a welcome sight. But as I think about the future of education in Baltimore, my greatest hopes lie not necessarily with these bright-eyed youngsters but with the rowdy bunch, the nonconformists - the pupils who don't always do as they're told. These are the kids who can keep us honest and may be best equipped to push for change.

I was very troubled as I read the article by Erica L. Green ("City schools officials play lose with credit," Aug. 26), not for the issue of expenses but for the pattern of negativity I see routinely by The Sun toward the school district and the people who work so hard to move our children forward. I work for a charter operator, Baltimore Curriculum Project, so I see daily the efforts our school leaders, efforts led by Andrés Alonso and his staff. Ms. Green's article, following on the heels of an earlier piece on replacing principals, is without deep analysis, offers innuendo without facts and provides a platform to chastise our leaders with no real substance or foundations.

Baltimore city school officials rolled out last week, the system's annual school readiness plan that includes a vast reduction in the number of bell schedules to alleviate pressure on its transportation system, as well as a sharp uptick in 'managing' school leaders. The update--the PowerPoint can be found here --also included 14 facility renovation projects all due to be completed by Monday when schools open to students; and a new, multilingual communications campaign that will distribute the system's literature in English and Spanish.