This is so shocking

[Anonymous]

I knew some Baltimore schools were bad, but omg.. I hadn't realized just had bad it was. How can these kids have matriculated all the way to HS? Are the teachers and admin just giving them a pass up? What did they think would happen come graduation time? Would they have just let these kids go into the world with such basic education?

But how do we fix this?

Project Baltimore found more than 75 percent of students at Patterson High School, according to one assessment, are at elementary levels in math and reading.

In reading, 628 Patterson High School students took the test. Just 12 of the students tested were reading at grade level. In Math, 17 out of 575 students tested, were at Algebra and Geometry level math, which are courses required to graduate.

But many have questioned how students, who haven’t learned elementary-level math and reading, made it to high school. Some students are performing at a kindergarten level. A former Baltimore City School Board member says this has been a problem for decades.

“What do we do? Do we kick you out of high school? Do we not let you graduate? Do we doom you to a life of economic failure because you don't have that very basic economic or educational credential? There's no win here,” said Anirban Basu, who served on the Baltimore City School Board from 2005 to 2011.

All very good questions. What do we do?

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/maryland-governor-calls-test-scores-exposed-by-project-baltimore-disgraceful

[Anonymous]

This is more a failure of parenting than it is of schooling. Also, I suspect a significant number of these kids who are failing miserably are partially retarded, and I mean that in the clinical sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is more a failure of parenting than it is of schooling. Also, I suspect a significant number of these kids who are failing miserably are partially retarded, and I mean that in the clinical sense.

There is NO WAY that many kids are slow. I agree with PP - this is a parenting failure - but I’d say 75% parenting and 25% the school. If these kids don’t pass each grade level accordingly, they get held back until they do. Sounds like they’re all getting pushed through no matter what.

[Anonymous]

Kids get socially passed. Its a failure on the school and the parents. We need more supports and interventions at the elementary school level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is more a failure of parenting than it is of schooling. Also, I suspect a significant number of these kids who are failing miserably are partially retarded, and I mean that in the clinical sense.

The parents aren't "partially retarded" but many parents, including right intelligent parents don't get involved in their child's education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is more a failure of parenting than it is of schooling. Also, I suspect a significant number of these kids who are failing miserably are partially retarded, and I mean that in the clinical sense.

Lol, no. These are normal kids in a failing public school system that is just essentially a place for kids to be during the day. No learning is taking place.

I’m a Baltimore City resident, and this is why anyone who can afford it is in private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is more a failure of parenting than it is of schooling. Also, I suspect a significant number of these kids who are failing miserably are partially retarded, and I mean that in the clinical sense.

WTH? No.

Baltimore City education is a multi-faceted failure but it can't be attributed to retarded students and parents!

You have generations of families who have graduated from the same school system. The same failure of education has been passed from the system and from the family who haven't learned themselves. Why doesn't a parent notice the child can't read? Because the same parent can't read themselves!

It's shocking the judgement that is thrown around when we are talking about a city school when there are so many parents who panic because they didn't noticed their child was behind in reading until the did the evals at the beginning of the school year. Why do you think it gets easier to tell if your child is on grade level when they approach high school?

If there are good grades coming home, the IEP meetings are held and the admin says that "they don't need resources, they are right about where everyone else is", why would parents who are unfamiliar with how a successful school system looks ask more questions?

This would almost be more shocking if it was one family who was surprised that their child couldn't count and graduated from Poly. That isn't what this article is describing. This is a huge population of the city who are in zoned-boundary based schools and do not qualify for resources and support but who are also not on grade level. This can't be a stretch for anyone to figure out how it happens in an area like Baltimore with wide spread poverty.

[Anonymous]

Reports like this should launch revolutionary change in the Baltimore school system and a massive literacy campaign like never seen before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is more a failure of parenting than it is of schooling. Also, I suspect a significant number of these kids who are failing miserably are partially retarded, and I mean that in the clinical sense.

WTH? No.

Baltimore City education is a multi-faceted failure but it can't be attributed to retarded students and parents!

You have generations of families who have graduated from the same school system. The same failure of education has been passed from the system and from the family who haven't learned themselves. Why doesn't a parent notice the child can't read? Because the same parent can't read themselves!

It's shocking the judgement that is thrown around when we are talking about a city school when there are so many parents who panic because they didn't noticed their child was behind in reading until the did the evals at the beginning of the school year. Why do you think it gets easier to tell if your child is on grade level when they approach high school?

If there are good grades coming home, the IEP meetings are held and the admin says that "they don't need resources, they are right about where everyone else is", why would parents who are unfamiliar with how a successful school system looks ask more questions?

This would almost be more shocking if it was one family who was surprised that their child couldn't count and graduated from Poly. That isn't what this article is describing. This is a huge population of the city who are in zoned-boundary based schools and do not qualify for resources and support but who are also not on grade level. This can't be a stretch for anyone to figure out how it happens in an area like Baltimore with wide spread poverty.

Totally agree with the above! Well said!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is more a failure of parenting than it is of schooling. Also, I suspect a significant number of these kids who are failing miserably are partially retarded, and I mean that in the clinical sense.

Assuming sincere intention, letting you know that if you want to refer respectfully and in a clinically correctly manner to a student with an IQ below the 70th percentile and Adaptive Behavior deficits, you should use Intellectual Disability. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reports like this should launch revolutionary change in the Baltimore school system and a massive literacy campaign like never seen before.

They have before - the government bands together a bunch of funds to make changes. Then the funds filter to the Baltimore city government and about 95% of those funds get pocketed by city officials and their cronies leaving the kids and education system high and dry.

[Anonymous]

How many of those kids have spent at least some time in fneed. care or homeless? I bet many.

It's not just a failing of our educational system, but of safety nets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reports like this should launch revolutionary change in the Baltimore school system and a massive literacy campaign like never seen before.

They have before - the government bands together a bunch of funds to make changes. Then the funds filter to the Baltimore city government and about 95% of those funds get pocketed by city officials and their cronies leaving the kids and education system high and dry.

OP here.. what you stated has happened before, from what I recall. There were excuses, of course. I think I just read that Hogan hired an IG for education. Maybe that IG needs to take a hard look at the finances of Baltimore City schools. OTH, they need to attract top talent, and this is a very high needs school, so they should pay teachers who are willing to teach there a lot, but they certainly don't need bloated admin there.

What would it take for the state to take over these failing schools?

I went to a lower income school, and I grew up lower income myself, but what this article describes is so shocking to me. The state needs to do something to break this cycle of low education/low expectation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many of those kids have spent at least some time in foster care or homeless? I bet many.

It's not just a failing of our educational system, but of safety nets.

That should say *foster care.* Fixed above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reports like this should launch revolutionary change in the Baltimore school system and a massive literacy campaign like never seen before.

They have before - the government bands together a bunch of funds to make changes. Then the funds filter to the Baltimore city government and about 95% of those funds get pocketed by city officials and their cronies leaving the kids and education system high and dry.

OP here.. what you stated has happened before, from what I recall. There were excuses, of course. I think I just read that Hogan hired an IG for education. Maybe that IG needs to take a hard look at the finances of Baltimore City schools. OTH, they need to attract top talent, and this is a very high needs school, so they should pay teachers who are willing to teach there a lot, but they certainly don't need bloated admin there.

What would it take for the state to take over these failing schools?

I went to a lower income school, and I grew up lower income myself, but what this article describes is so shocking to me. The state needs to do something to break this cycle of low education/low expectation.

I don't think there's any saving this school. Every parent with resources has left with their kids, so there is zero parental support remaining. The parents who are left either don't care or don't have anything available to give.

Close the school. Scatter the students and send remedial resources with them. Try reopening it in a few years as a magnet with a bunch of resources to lure in better students.