Alonso: School system cannot inherit rec centers, fund struggling youth programs

Baltimore city CEO Andres Alonso told city council leaders Tuesday that the school system is not in the financial position to inherit recreation centers that are slated for closure in the city budget, after being peppered by council members about the system's ability to bail out endangered youth programs.

U.S. News and World Report high school rankings are out

If you believe the U.S. News and World Report rankings, no Maryland high school is good enough to be in the top 50 in the nation. The first 25 high schools are those where 100 percent of students take Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes and 100 pass the exams. The news magazine also ranks Maryland high schools and the top seven schools are in Montgomery County. Severna Park is the top high school in the Baltimore region and comes in 211 in the nation, followed by Eastern Tech, a magnet high school in Baltimore County, and River Hill in Howard. The next three high schools in the area are the Carver Center for the Arts at 11, Dulaney High at 13 and Towson High at 14.

Baltimore Design School breaks ground

A decade-long vision to have Baltimore become the next hub of fashion and design will begin to take shape as construction begins at the old Lebow Clothing Factory, which beginning in fall 2013, will be the home of the Baltimore Design School.

Alonso, area superintendents plead for restoration of education funding

Three Maryland superintendents whose school systems stand to take the biggest hit from Maryland's 'Doomsday' budget pleaded with state legislators Monday to reverse an estimated $129 million cut to public education that they said would have devastating effects on their districts.

Baltimore School for the Arts students found safe, unharmed

Updated: Baltimore City police sent out a release around 2:30 p.m. informing that Guadalupe Sosa and Michael Carter, the two Baltimore School for the Arts students who went missing Wednesday, have been found safe and unharmed. 

Baltimore County school air conditioning by district

 When he delivered his budget proposal last week, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced that his plan would include money for air conditioning at a dozen schools.

Report: Zoning laws driving educational disparity, segregation in Baltimore region

The notion that poor students are less likely to have access to high-quality educational options isn't new, but a report released today by the Brookings Institution sheds light on a factor that hasn't yet been highlighted as a driver of the achievement gap.

City's black, male leaders organize around literacy

With books in hand, hundreds of prominent black male city leaders and community members will descend on classrooms around the city Monday to read to students, part of an initiative to promote literacy and positive male influences in the lives of city youth.

Franchot wants a statewide prohibition on starting school before Labor Day

Maryland State Comptroller Peter Franchot says for the sake of tourism and family memories, schools should open after Labor Day.

Baltimore County votes down new discipline policy

New York Mayor Bloomberg donates $5 million to education programming in Baltimore

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made national headlines last year when he made a rare move for an elected official and donated $30 million of his own money to programs for underserved black and Latino youth in New York City, has spread his wealth and commitment to Baltimore. 

Cyber-bullying takes a fatal toll on Howard County student

The childhood mantra, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me," is no longer true.

City schools to hold first annual food festival

The Baltimore city school system will host its first-ever spring food festival, an event desgined to showcase the strides the system has made in offering new, nutritious options in student meals. 

Dallas Dance says he supports board's decision to build school in Mays Chapel

In a meeting with the editorial board of The Baltimore Sun, the next Baltimore County schools chief, S. Dallas Dance, said he supports the controversial decision to build a new school in Mays Chapel. The school, he said, is needed to relieve overcrowding. He said he will never shy away from making unpopular decisions, but that no matter how difficult the decision "it does not give you the right not to listen to people."

City schools will have to shed more than 100 international teachers

City schools says goodbye to Michael Carter, longtime advocate and director of community engagement

Funeral services were held Wednesday for Michael Carter, a longtime Baltimore city schools advocate whose outspokeness landed him the position in the administration of CEO Andres Alonso as the director of the district's parent and community engagement office. 

One former city teacher's fight to be laid off properly

Last year, we wrote about Kim Parr, who was laid off from her teaching position at the Baltimore School for the Arts amid budget cuts. Students marched down to City Hall to save the visual arts teacher of 27 years, and the layoffs--she was one of three--caused quite a stir at the school.

Dance will be guest teaching in middle and high school classrooms

When Interim State Superintendent Bernard Sadusky decided to waive the state law to allow Baltimore County to hire S. Dallas Dance to be the next school superintendent, he gave it on the condition that Dance be a guest teacher in a middle and high school this coming school year.

Brochin and others upset about closed search process

Sen. James Brochin called me this morning to tell me a story and to express his concern about the way the search for Baltimore County superintendent was handled. 

Baltimore highlighted in national cheating probe

The Atlanta Journal Constitution--the newspaper that single-handedly uncovered a massive cheating scandal in Atlanta's public schools last year that saw its superintendent resign in disgrace and several educators possibly facing criminal charges--took its investigation one step further this past weekend by looking at suspicious test scores in districts across the nation.

City schools crackdown on teacher leave causing friction in district

Since our story last week on the $65 million in unused sick/vacation/personal leave the Baltimore City school system has paid out in the past five years, I've been receiving feedback from several city teachers who said that there is a new order in town about the use of sick leave, and it has many worried.

City schools receive state recognition for achievement

City schools released the following congratulations this week:

Federal Hill Prep principal supports district's recommendation to drop middle-school program

The principal of Federal Hill Preparatory Elementary/Middle School told the Baltimore city school board Tuesday that she strongly supported the district's recommendation to drop the school's struggling middle grades program.

Johns Hopkins creates new food system curriculum for high schools

The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future has launched a free, online curriculum for high school teachers to use in their classrooms. Teaching the Food System is designed to be inserted into anything from social studies, to environmental science and biology classes. The center which is part of the Bloomberg School of Public Health is offering $2,000 grants to teachers who need money for materials or field trips. 

Renee Foose a finalist for superintendent in Orange County, Florida

Renee Foose, the deputy superintendent in Baltimore County, is one of three finalists for the superintendent's job in Orange County, Florida, a school district that is larger than Baltimore County's.

School districts warned to look for suspicious mail from Texas

Bernard Sadusky, the interim state school superintendent, sent a note to local school superintendents on Tuesday afternoon after the state police told him that schools should be on the look out for suspicious letters.

Moravia Park Parents to City Schools: Let our students choose

On Tuesday, Baltimore school communities went before the city school board to express concerns about the district's  recommendations that would either shut down or dismantle their schools at the end of the year.

Blog: Alonso's 2012 videotaped message to district about testing integrity

Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso has released his 2012 message to the district on testing integrity, as the school system gears up to begin administering the Maryland School Assessements to students in grades three through eight on March 12.

City College students to be featured in 'virtual field trip' learning Shakespeare

A high school English class at Baltimore City College will be featured in a virtual field trip Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m., where students and teachers nationwide can go to the Folger Shakespeare Library and discover techniques for reading and understanding Shakespeare language. 

Blog: Study released on principal turnover, including Baltimore's, takes critical look at impact on schools

A recent study commissioned by New Leaders for New Schools and conducted by RAND Corp., shows that first-year principals and becoming less likely to stay in their schools after one or two years, and that a churning principal pool can have a negative impact on schools.