Charter Schools

In response to a system that many believed had long failed young black boys, a school began to take shape seven years ago in a small East Baltimore neighborhood. The Bluford Drew Jemison Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy would educate "scholars" who would wear uniforms and neckties. The school would have 12-hour days and extended school years to cut the time students spent on the streets as they came to embody the "BDJ Way. " But several years later, students lacked textbooks, computers and art supplies, and instructors had to teach geography with a hand-drawn map of the U.S. Amid years of financial mismanagement and lackluster achievement, Baltimore school officials are now proposing to close the politically connected school, whose co-founders include Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes and whose board of directors includes City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young.

The Baltimore City school system stands out in Maryland for its willingness to try new approaches to education. With 33 public charter schools, 14 transformation campuses and several other contractor-operated schools, the system leads the state in embracing innovation. The city school system has recently reviewed and made recommendations for 25 charter and contract schools, a process that clearly demonstrated that innovation can create better outcomes for children. But innovative models must also demonstrate that they are getting results.

Baltimore school officials recommended Thursday severing ties with independent operators of six schools after a months-long review of more than two dozen diverse programs. In a presentation to city school board members, district officials recommended granting three-and five-year contract extensions to all but three of the 18 charter schools seeking renewal: Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy Middle School, Baltimore Freedom Academy and Collington Square Elementary/Middle School. Bluford and Baltimore Freedom Academy would stay open for current students until the end of 2013-2014, admitting no new middle and high school students as officials weigh whether the schools would close altogether at the end of that year.

When Marylanders cast their ballots on Election Day, they said "yes, you can" to same-sex couples who want to get married, to young people whose families immigrated here illegally and who hope to receive in-state tuition, and to casino operators who want to expand their operations here. Now, as we move forward from this election, it's time to say "yes, you can" to another group of Marylanders who are no less deserving of affirmation: public school students from underserved communities.

Today, The Sun published a story about a slew of Baltimore city charter schools are up for renewal this school year, and all agree that it was fine time for the popular schools to have a uniformed, reliable and rigorous evaluation process that will improve their trajectory in the district. You can read more about that renewal process, here. The story also caught up on some challenges that charters have faced in the district's ever-changing reform climate, and their plans as they look to the next decade (they are marking 10 years since charter law was passed.)

Eighteen charter schools seeking contract renewals to continue operating in Baltimore are undergoing a rigorous review process that will uniformly evaluate them for the first time since they began populating the district 10 years ago. The majority of the city's charter schools, which are autonomous but receive funding from the school system, were opened under schools CEO Andrés Alonso, who had called them "engines for reform. " Their populations have ballooned to encompass nearly 13 percent of city students, and their presence has helped raise Baltimore's profile as a district of school choice.

If 2,500 Baltimore middle school students have their way Tuesday, President Barack Obama will be re-elected, children of some illegal immigrants will pay in-state tuition rates, same-sex couples can marry and gambling in Maryland will not expand. The results were announced Monday by the students of City Neighbors Charter School, who through a "Voters of Tomorrow" initiative conducted a mock vote in 29 city schools on key choices facing the state and country on Election Day. The project was a culmination of social studies lessons this fall for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at City Neighbors, which included following debates, arguing different positions in class, and hearing viewpoints from figures on both sides of the issues, including Republican Del. Pat McDonough, Democratic Del. Mary Washington and the immigrant rights group Casa de Maryland.

Representatives of the city's Coalition of Baltimore's Charter Schools presented to city school board members Tuesday, a range of issues they have raised in recent months about district policies and funding challenges that impact their ability to educate the districts 11,000 students--or 13 percent of the student population--they serve. In a letter, charter leaders said that in recent weeks, they received answers and assurances regarding federal funding for professional development, the charter renewal process, and a lack of communication from district officials about the future of charter budgets--concerns raised since May. The Coalition also said it had made progress on obtaining Title II funding for professional development from the district, and charters would receive flexibility to amend their applications after the district implements a new rubric and assessment tool.

The film's plot is predictable: One engaged parent and a dedicated teacher are the beloved heroes, while the teachers' union and an apathetic school board are rendered useless, and at times rogue. "Won't Back Down," in theaters starting Friday, tells the story (inspired by true events) of our decayed public school system in America; and in true Hollywood fashion these two "Norma Raes" give us a fight that stirs our emotions but does little to highlight the complexities of a system that has been broken for decades.

Baltimore County school Superintendent Dallas Dance is recommending the county's only charter school be given two more years to improve its sagging performance. The school board will take a vote on whether to give Imagine Discovery a two-year extension of its charter on Aug. 21. The board has approved a one-year extension, but Dance said another year is needed in order to see if the school can collaborate with the school system and make improvements. Imagine Discovery Public Charter School, started in 2008, underperforms schools in its area of the county and the school district as a whole.