"Is it safe to say our kids could almost stay home and do as well?"

-- Baltimore school board member Patricia Morris, commenting on the overall poor showing of city elementary students on tests measuring their progress in reading and math in the last school year.

"The numbers show that Baltimore City [students], like [those in] other urban systems, are not doing well compared to their peers. They reflect the problems kids bring to school."

--Steven Ferrara, former director of testing for the state Department of Education, explaining the same low test scores.

Pub Date: 9/13/98