What are the specific problems facing Baltimores public schools?
When we first started in the early ’90s, Baltimore City was one of the poorest performers in math and science of any urban area in the country. Reading was low too, but math and science were particularly noteworthy. We have leadership changes at the top. And the partnership between the city and state makes for a much higher level of accountability. Superintendent Grasmick and others in leadership clearly defined what had to happen. As a result, last year, Baltimore and Worchester County were the only two systems in the state that made significant gains. It is due to a focus on performance. We are seeing improvement. That said, there was such a gap between Baltimore City and the rest of the state, that it will take awhile to catch up. We do have schools in the city that are oases of excellence: Mount Royal is one example. We hope to expand that. The Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind Act has been touted as the antidote for improving the nation’s troubled public schools? Do you t
