They're killing Baltimore. No, I am not talking about all the senseless shootings and murders that have occurred since the beginning of the year, nor am I talking about the death of Freddie Gray and the riots that followed.
I am talking about the efforts of politicians and the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to close small community schools under the rubric of efficiencies and budgets ("Langston Hughes community to fight school closure before a judge," May 17).
Sociologists, criminologists, educators and clergymen will all tell you that small community schools, like small community churches, are anchors of stability in otherwise troubled neighborhoods. Beyond simply providing education, small community schools function as community centers and provide a place for after-school programs and community activities. Shuttering them in the name of saving money flies in the face of common sense.
The Baltimore school board defends its decision to close the Langston Hughes Elementary School and move the students to one of two schools at least a mile away from their homes. It says the school is dilapidated, the children are underachieving and there are only 176 students in the school.
But The Sun article indicates that the building is not in disrepair but rather, is in good condition; that test scores at the Pimlico school are not much better than those of Langston Hughes; and that for three years there have been threats of closure that led parents who could to seek out other schools for their children
So what is the real reason for the board's decision? The answer may lie in the paragraphs of The Sun's story that indicate at least four charter schools may be interested in moving into Langston Hughes Elementary School.
One doesn't have to sniff the air too deeply to catch the stench of Sheila Dixon-like cronyism and corruption.
It is time for the city school board to revisit its thinking and for the governor and the legislature to free up funding for Maryland's school systems, particularly those serving the inner cities.
Frank Dauteuil, Columbia